Curry Twist

Customs and traditions are the backbone of many cultures and religions. Everyone brings part of their culture to a new country. Romandeep returned home to India to meet his other half. Arranged by others, two people with great gifts of warmth and love were introduced and left to decide about their future together. Today, Pamilla and Romandeep Singh are married and own a delightful little restaurant called Curry Twist on Dundas Street West. If you have a love for the fire of food you have come to the right place.

Everything was a new experience and we started with the Tawa Paneer -roasted Indian cheese, gently sautéed and cooked with onions, ginger, garlic, tomatoes and a hint of coriander. The Fish Tikka is a dish your taste buds will remember. It is marinated salmon served with grated carrots and fragrant mint chutney. We also tried the vegetable lentil soup which has a taste of celebration and excitement.

Someone warned me that some of the dishes are hot enough to make you sing. The Chana Masala had me performing opera. Chick peas are cooked Indian style and finished with a touch of mint. This dish is so perfectly spiced that even once you have broken into song it is difficult to stop eating. Another very popular dish is the Daal. It is so tasty but so simple. Lentils are surrounded by garlic, ginger, and coriander leaves. I must say one dish I could never get enough of is their butter chicken. It is boneless chicken magically cooked with many herbs and spices giving the dish a mixture of curry flavours that bring it to life. Finally, the Lamb Twist Masala is a Royal Indian Lamb cooked on a low flame and seasoned with exotic spices.

Curry Twist utilizes the Maghlai style of cuisine. This is predominant in Northern India and is the discipline that was used in the past to prepare meals for royalty. Freshness is one of the keys to the Maghlai style and so all the Naan (flatbread) is made in-house.

Fresh curry powder is also ground every day at Curry Twist. The flavours vary in the different regions of India and there are often as many as 20 different spices, herbs, and seeds in the powder. They use various combinations of cardamom, chiles, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, fennel seed, nutmeg, red pepper, black pepper, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, saffron, tamarind, and turmeric. The turmeric is what gives curry its yellow colour.

Curry Twist is a second home for the couple whose marriage had been planned when they barely knew one another. Fortunately, at their first meeting nervousness turned to warmth. For Romandeep it was something in Pamilla's eyes. Within seconds, he knew this stranger would one day be his wife. Today, they own Curry Twist, giving people a sample of their life from another place. Tomorrow is about building their life in Canada but they always remember where it all began - in their hearts and in each others' eyes.

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