Pleasing Indian flavors

When Rang Indian Bistro opened in December 2005, owner Paramjit Singh of Somerville said he literally had to ask passers-by to come inside and try the food. Although those days are long over, the restaurant is still as welcoming to Indian food novices as it is to its steady clientele.

According to Singh, a widespread misconception about Indian food concerns the use of curry. Although some diners equate curry with spiciness, he said curry dishes can, in fact, be prepared mild, medium, or hot. A variety of non-curry alternatives are also available, he added, including tandoori dishes featuring chicken, lamb, fish, or shrimp cooked in a clay oven to keep the juices in while adding a smoky flavor. Vegetarian and rice dishes are also popular.

The restaurant’s website, rangindianbistro.com, is helpful for those preparing to visit or ordering takeout either online or over the phone. A description follows each dish, with accompanying lists of top-rated and most popular dishes. Offerings are further broken down into categories of breads; condiments; salads; soups; appetizers; South Indian specialties; tandoori, vegetarian, chicken, lamb, rice, and seafood dishes; desserts; and beverages.

Advanced study is not necessary, however. Singh takes special pride in the helpfulness of his wait staff, who are trained to assist first-time visitors in selecting entrees based on their preference of vegetarian, meat, or seafood dishes paired with cream, tomato, or curry-based sauces. A scale of one to five peppers also identifies the best choices for lovers of spicy food. And although there isn’t a specific children’s menu, he said children are welcome and special care is taken to ensure a positive dining experience for all.

The trendy yet relaxing restaurant was about half-full when our three-person party visited on a recent Monday, and there was a steady stream of takeout customers.

We ordered a large basket of bread ($10), filled with oversized pieces of soft, doughy naan, garlic naan, onion naan, and tandoori roti, a wheat bread baked over charcoal. A fifth kind, poori, was a deep-fried bread so puffy that it was served atop the basket because it couldn’t fit inside.

For an appetizer, we selected the aloo tikka chat ($6) from the page of specials. The two grilled potato patties were topped with cucumber salad, chopped onions, and yogurt, and came with three different types of dipping sauces. We could taste each fresh ingredient, with the chopped onions especially discernable without being overpowering.

The kalmi kebob ($14) consisted of seven chunks of chicken encircling onion with cilantro, green pepper, and wedges of lemon. The chicken was so tender, and so nicely seasoned with tangy herbs and spices, that very little of the accompanying sweet tomato-based sauce was used.

The fish tandoori masala ($17) was served in a creamy tomato sauce so thick and rich that it was almost as much of a meal as the reddish-stained salmon itself. Although this dish had some kick, it was not uncomfortably spicy.

The chicken curry ($13) was tender boneless chicken cooked to the diner’s medium-hot specification with onions, garlic, and spices. All three of us sopped up our respective sauces with a shared bowl of basmati rice.

We gladly accepted our waiter’s recommendations for dessert. The badami kheer ($2.50) was a homemade rice pudding flavored with cardamom, blended with almonds, and served cold. The gulab jamum ($2.50) was a sweets lover’s dream, with two small, hollow pastry balls lightly fried and soaked in super-sweet syrup. It was too sweet for two members of our party but just fine with the third.

Although Rang Indian Bistro is located in the busy Central Square area near the Stoneham Theatre, the parking issue is mitigated by the adjacent municipal lot. Low-hanging tree branches can conceal the restaurant sign in the summertime, but the owner isn’t complaining.

“At first, we were foreigners among pizza shops and Italian restaurants,” Singh said, “but everyone in the area knows who we are now.”

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