Ithought I'd eaten everything on
Chaula's menu. As a regular take-away customer, I was pretty sure
I'd been through the lot, so when I took a friend there for lunch
on Saturday, I was confident my recommendation of chicken methi
(fenugreek leaves) and baby aubergines stuffed with cashews would
impress.
As I'd never eaten-in before (I'd been put off by the bare
tables, bright lights and industrial fridges), I'd never really
paid attention to the blackboard behind the counter. Which meant I
had no idea Chaula also prepared some special dishes for her eat-in
customers, one of which was masala dosa. I can't think of another
place in Sussex that does masala dosa, those thin pancakes from
southern India stuffed with spicy potatoes and served with
chutneys. And I can't think of anywhere in Britain that does them
for £3.99. We ordered two. Nor could either of us avoid the lure of
a mango lassi. We also both fancied the petis, tiny little
deep-fried patties of peas and potato. I know it's not meant to
happen when you review restaurants, but we sat down to eat
identical meals.
As we waited (for all of about ten minutes), we realised
how much we actually liked the bare tables, the bright lights and
the industrial fridges. As Indian pop music bubbled along in the
background and Chaula's son played with his cars on the counter, it
dawned on us that we weren't just having lunch, we were having a
holiday. Chaula doesn't just serve authentic Indian food, she
serves it in a space that's closer to the real deal than any
flock-walled - or foliage-covered - restaurant. And when the rain
outside turned into a genuine monsoon, we were momentarily
transported. And this was before the food came.
The lassis were enormous, and so thick they could have
doubled for dessert. The petis were served with a sweet deep that
complimented their considerable fire. And then the dosas came, on
traditional stainless steel trays with an array of enticing dips. I
was surprised to find the potato filling was combined with
sultanas, which Chaula explained was an example of the influence of
her traditional Gujarati cooking on a dish from the south. I've
never tasted anything quite like it.
Chaula started selling frozen Indian meals from her
newsagents in St Pancras Road, but they were so popular she moved
into her current premises on Station Street three years ago. She
now sells her meals through shops across the county. As well as
Gujarati dishes, Chaula also makes meals familiar from
(predominantly Bangladeshi) curry houses, although you can taste
the Gujarati influence. She cooks seasonally, adapting her menu to
fit available ingredients, and unlike other ready-meals prepared in
factories and transported for hundreds of miles, all her meals are
made in Lewes. It's almost guilt-free convenience food. And they
deliver.
We bought some burfi - Indian sweets made from ground nuts
- to take away for dessert, which meant we had three courses - plus
an enormous lassi - for seven quid each. It's the cheapest holiday
I've ever had.