I dined with a group of media friends recently at Jolly’s, a wonderful restaurant in Kitsilano that is a purveyor of fine Indian cuisine. Although we had a select menu, we were often surprised to see more and more dishes making there way from the kitchen where Chef/Owner Jolly Kumar worked his craft. This dinner turned out to be quite the flavourful feast.
APPETIZERS
Samosa – Potato and peas wrapped in light pastry served with peas and chutney
Lamb Boti Kabab (Spicy) – Marinated lamb cutlets in chilies and rare
spices tandoori oven roasts served with a small salad.
Pakoras – Bite size pieces of mixed vegetable, crisp fried in chickpea flour batter
Dosa with Paneer – South Indian Crepe stuffed with paneer served with daal and chutneys
Mango, Mint and Yoghurt sauces
Naan stuffed with chicken
ENTRÉES
Goa Fish Fry – cod fillet marinated with spices and lemon juice brought to perfection with onion sauce
Delhi 6 Daal – Black lentils simmered slowly with kidney beans, and brought to
perfection with desi ghee ginger and garlic taka
Kashmiri Lamb Rogenjosh – Leg of lamb pressure booked with rare mixed spices and mint
Butter Chicken ala Jolly – Boneless chicken breast marinated with yoghurt and
tandoori masala, roasted and infused with light cream sauce.
Mumbai Chicken Masala – Stuffed chicken breast with spinach and paneer
with tomato and mushroom chutney
DESSERTS
Ras Mala – Indian cottage cheese flat dumplings in pistachio, rosewater and saffron infused milk
Carrot Cake – Exotically spiced carrot cake with real cream cheese icing
Chocolate Cake – chocolate cake served with whipped cream
BEVERAGES
Pina Colada – Light rum, pineapple juice and coconut cream
Indian Temple – Grenadine, orange syrup, seven up and whiskey
This was a wonderful night which gave me a chance to taste a variety of Indian dishes for the first time at this restaurant. Jolly’s has been in the neighborhood for several years, recently moving a couple of blocks west to a larger more elegant space. I very much enjoyed the hospitality during the evening, of course I had some standout dishes and these included the Samosa, Dosa with Paneer, Kashmiri Lamb Rogenjosh and the Butter Chicken.
I hope you have enjoyed the journey and I encourage you to visit Jolly’s Indian Bistro at 2928 West 4th Avenue in Vancouver.
By: Richard Wolak