When Scottish comedian Billy Connolly celebrated his 50th birthday in Adelaide some years ago, who catered for the grand affair? It was Anant Singh-Sandhu (Mrs Singh as she is warmly known) whose delicious dishes from her famous Jasmin Indian Restaurant made Billy’s night memorable. And this was just one highlight of the restaurant’s 33 years in business.
“We’ve been lucky enough to cook for the likes of Sir Elton John, former PM Gough Whitlam and a host of international cricket stars, including Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting,” says Amrik Singh, Mrs Singh’s son and Jasmin co-owner.
Growing up in Kuala Lumpur in the 1930s, Mrs Singh thanks her parents for her love of food and cooking. Being one of 10 children, you can imagine the vibrancy of home life in a family that was forever playing host. “Hotels were rare, so Mum was continually cooking for visiting guests and family,” she recalls. “Fresh spices were ground daily, open fires were used to crisp chapatis, and all without the aid of kitchen gadgets. When we did get our first fridge, it was powered by kerosene!” It was during this time that Mrs Singh mastered her mother’s chicken masala and fragrant bhoona gosht (hot lamb curry), which still feature at the restaurant today.
During the 1970s the Malaysian political climate became increasingly turbulent, leading to unrest among the Chinese and Indian minorities. Consequently, Mrs Singh and her husband, Jasbeer, migrated to Australia in 1978 in search of political stability and educational opportunities for their five children.
“The welcoming and friendly ‘Aussie’ way made the change easy for our family; we found the community to be hugely supportive,” Mrs Singh reminisces. The popular Jasmin Indian Restaurant grew from humble beginnings as Kashmir Curry Corner, a small takeaway shop in the seaside suburb of Christies Beach, where Mrs Singh’s curries soon become known throughout Adelaide. After two successful years the Singhs moved to the current city premises. At the new restaurant, Mrs Singh ran the kitchen, Jasbeer took charge of sourcing the finest produce and spices from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, while their children, Pomi, Amrik, Sheila, Tiny and Bob, were all on deck, tending to tables and being helpful kitchen hands. To this day, Jasmin is still very much a family affair, with Amrik and Sheila now managing the business and front of house, along with Sheila’s sons, cousins and numerous other family involved.
Indian cuisine, like the country it hails from, is a mosaic of colour and flavour, and the menu at Jasmin’s combines both in its traditional northern Punjabi home-style cooking. The recipes of Mrs Singh’s childhood have become subtle, modern creations.
A huge variety of spices feature throughout. “Striking the perfect balance of fresh spices from roasted to blended, depending on the dish, underpins all Indian cooking,” explains Mrs Singh. “The interplay of hot spices mixed with earthy, sweet and nutty flavours is key.”
The ever-popular tandoori mushrooms demonstrate this skilled understanding of spices and flavours. “We use portobello mushrooms that are marinated with plenty of garam masala, seeded mustard and coriander stalks,” explains Mrs Singh. Another firm favourite, the butter chicken, is beautifully aromatic, packed with fresh tomato, coriander and ginger, and not too heavy on the butter and cream. Mrs Singh has certainly mastered the intricate balance of flavours in this often oily dish.
No meal at Jasmin’s would be complete without experiencing the signature lamb tandoori, cooked in the tandoor that Jasbeer imported from India. “This dish is all about generous flavours,” says Mrs Singh. “Lamb chops are used, and we cut the fat off, so they’re lean.” Left to marinate overnight in a blend of creamy yoghurt, a ginger and garlic paste, garam masala and other spices, the result is superb.
The patrons at Jasmin are an adventurous bunch and they include a number of die-hard chilli fanatics who like it hot. So much so, that a dish hotter than the vindaloo was sought and the chicken tindaloo was born. “My tindaloo is adapted from a past family favourite, achari chicken, which is a pickle-style dish. It’s alarmingly hot,” chuckles
Mrs Singh. “Even too hot for me!” Best be prepared with a basket of warm naan breads from the tandoor and a soothing lassi (yoghurt-based drink) to ease the burn.
Amrik puts this love of spice down to several influences. “Australians are travelling abroad more and becoming increasingly familiar with a diversity of cuisines and clearly a heightened tolerance to chilli and spice!” he says. “The majority want authentic Indian food, not some watered-down version.”
Mrs Singh says consistency is the key to the restaurant’s success: “Using fresh produce where possible, grinding fresh spices daily and never cutting corners.” True to this, each day her chefs grind garam masala – a mix of cumin, cardamom, cinnamon and black peppercorns that are roasted in the tandoor overnight – the meats are slow-cooked in their own juices, while produce such as tomatoes, ginger and garlic are used fresh, never out of a can.
Jasmin celebrated its 30th birthday in 2010, this milestone captured in Jasmin Kahani (Punjabi for ‘tale’), a beautiful book about the restaurant’s journey. “It was a great way to pay tribute to the many loyal clients and staff over the years and share some of our well-loved recipes,” explains Amrik, who worked on the publication. “People have loved the book. It’s a familiar story in Australia – a hardworking migrant family who have been lucky enough to build a successful business and enjoy a great lifestyle and all the wonderful things Australia has to offer.”
Jasmin Indian Restaurant, 31 Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide, (08) 8223 783, jasmin.com.au. To purchase a copy of Jasmin Kahani, please contact the restaurant.
Indian flavours around Australia
VIC
Situated in a city lane with views of the Yarra, chef Adam D’Sylva has created an adventurous Indian and Malaysian menu. Try Avani’s lamb curry – a colourful dish with roasted coconut and black cardamom – and the corn-fed chicken, cooked in a tandoor until smoky. 20 Duckboard Pl, Melbourne, (03) 9650 3155.
NSW
Located on Sydney’s upper north shore, North Indian and Mughlai dishes are served under dim lighting in an elegant setting. The tandoori, curries and tapas are all made traditionally. For those who love spice, the jallandhar se balti gosht (hot lamb curry) is a must. 321 Mona Vale Rd, Terrey Hills, (02) 9986 1040.
WA
Vegetarians are spoilt here with the classic bhindi masala (okra sautéed with tomato and onion). There’s also dhal makhani (black lentils in a spicy tomato sauce). Each day fresh spices are ground and bread is baked in the tandoor. 371 Scarborough Beach Rd, Innaloo, (08) 9446 1111.
Photography Tom Donald.
As seen in Feast magazine, April 2014, Issue 30.
