Spice up your life at Bombay Star A taste of India

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Photo by: Katie Rickman

Tandoori Chicken is served up to Brother’s in Food Mike Valas and Mark Smesko during their visit to the restaurant. The dish is from the charcoal clay oven selections and features chicken marinated in yogurt and spices, herbs ginger and garlic.

by: Mark Smesko &Michael Vallas

Every now and then you need to break the routine and get out of your culinary comfort zone.

So we decided to trek down U.S. Route 224 in Boardman and visit the Bombay Star for some Indian food. Yes, it can be daunting to try something new, but on this recent visit, serendipity played a hand and offered us a guide to our dining experience. A last-minute assignment change brought intrepid Vindicator photographer Katie Rickman to our table. “I love Indian food,” said Rickman. “I spent three weeks in India a few years ago and this is the only place I’ve found that has food reminiscent of what I tasted over there.”

With that bit of news we relaxed a bit and were soon joined by owner and chef Deepak Sanap, who opened Bombay Star in 2011. He believes it was the first Indian restaurant in the community.

Indian cuisine, explained Sanap, varies from region to region in its use of spices and ingredients and has Portuguese influences. The menu at Bombay reflects this variety of regional cuisines as well as a significant offering of vegetarian specialties. Following our impromptu education, Sanap stepped into the kitchen to prepare our meal.

He started us off with a traditional appetizer, Vegetable Samosa. One of Rickman’s favorite Indian dishes, this is a turnover stuffed with potato, carrots, peas and spices that is deep fried until crispy. These are served with a spicy mint cilantro chutney, a mild tamarind chutney and pickled onions. The samosas had a nice contrast of textures with a crispy exterior and soft mild filling. The addition of the chutneys complemented them well.

Our second appetizer was Aloo Tikki Chatt: fried potato patties topped with tender chickpeas, chopped onions and tomatoes, drizzled with yogurt and the mint chutney. The chutney provided spice and the yogurt cooled things down. The chickpeas were creamy and worked well with the potatoes. While we lean toward a carnivore diet, we thoroughly enjoyed both vegetarian apps.

Next we moved on to the entrees. When you order your food at Bombay Star you have an option on the level of spice. This goes from mild to the spiciest, Indian hot. Since both of us favor spicy food, we went for the hottest option.

Bombay Star has a charcoal clay oven — or tandoor — where they cook their meats and breads. First up was Tandoori Chicken. This classic Indian dish takes bone-in chicken pieces that get marinated in yogurt, garlic, ginger, herbs and spices. The chicken is then cooked in the clay oven. The meat was tender and juicy with a nice smoky flavor from the charcoal. Subtle flavors and quite tasty.

Next came Vegetable Biryani. This starts with basmati rice cooked with green peas, carrots, green beans and cilantro. Sanap served this with raita, a tangy sauce of yogurt, cucumber, tomatoes and spices. The perfectly cooked rice was a little spicy but the cool Raita contrasted it nicely.

We next tried what is probably the signature and most popular dish of any Indian restaurant in America, Chicken Tikka Masala. Sanap explained that this dish did not originate in India but actually in England. It is essentially a Westernized version of traditional Indian food.

Tikka Masala starts with marinated boneless chicken breasts that are baked in the tandoor. A sauce is made of ground cashews, tomatoes, cream and various spices. The chicken is simmered in the sauce prior to being served with a side of basmati rice.

The dish is very creamy with hints of tomato and coriander. We ordered it Indian hot so it was fairly spicy. When you take the first bite, you really don’t taste the spice until a few seconds after you eat it. The spice then kicks in and leaves the back of your mouth with a warming heat. Once it fades, it leaves you wanting to eat more.

The entree was served with naan, an unleavened bread that is cooked in the tandoor. This was perfect for sopping up the spicy sauce.

Along with the selection of spicy entrees came a glass of Mango Lassi to cool down the heat. This drink has a smoothie consistency and is made from mango puree mixed with house-made yogurt. Sweet and delicious.

Finally, we tasted Saag Paneer, a signature Indian cheese that is made from whole milk. It is unaged and resembles a curd cheese. Sanap makes it fresh every day. He cooks the Paneer with spinach and spices to complete the dish, which was full of flavor and very satisfying. Again, the naan came in handy. A wonderful offering.

In a few days, the hectic holiday season will begin, and with Black Friday the lines up and down Route 224 will begin. Bombay Star features a wide array of unique dishes. So if you are up for a little culinary diversity, and need a break from the hustle and bustle of shopping, take a small detour off of the main route and stop in for a taste.