Gordon Ramsay rates it highly. So what did Laura Davis make of the Maharaja?
THE sight of a row of pristine Morris Oxfords, proud-horned oxen pulling a cart and the rudimentary mattress where Gandhi once slept were enough to make my visit to India completely worthwhile, despite the 20-or-so-hours round trip for what was basically a long weekend.
And while my brief trip two years ago was merely a taster for the country, it is one I will never forget.
They say that the sense of smell has the power to conjure an experience from memory with a single sniff.
That is the effect curryhouses have on me – a snapshot of a pool surrounded by palm trees or slum-lined street vibrating with energy popping into my mind mid-bhaji.
But the food you are served in many Indian restaurants in the UK is a disappointing version of the dishes you get to taste in the country of their origin, which is why we decided to try Maharaja, on Liverpool’s London Road.
A rainy evening on London Road is hardly as exotic as technicolour Mumbai, but this restaurant came highly recommended – by television chef Gordon Ramsay, no less, who ate there several times while filming in the city.
Maharaja’s menu comes from South India, where the cuisine is distinctive to that of the North (from where much of the Indian food we are used to in Britain originated) and so contains many dishes that even curryhouse regulars may not recognise.
We started our meal by sharing two dishes – the Fish Cakes (£3.95) and the Chicken Butter Fry (£3.95).
There was plenty to choose from, with a good selection suitable for vegetarians and the option of beginning with a tray of pre-meal snacks served with home-made chutneys and pickles.
The fishcakes were made from mashed potato and cassava (the root of a woody shrub that is a staple food of the Kerala region), rolled in breadcrumbs then fried.
Despite the way they were cooked, the cakes were not at all greasy. They were really spicy but the flavours still came through.
The chicken butter fry was less hot, and so was more appropriate for my tastebuds which, in contrast to my macho intentions when it comes to spicy food, are decidedly wimpy.
It was made with good cuts of meat – tender with no fat – and had been marinated in spices. Again, this dish was fried, so no points for healthy eating, but there was no grease to spoil the texture.
Although Maharaja is a large restaurant – it seats 100 covers and has a function room for a further 30 – and was not full, there was a good atmos- phere. On a nearby table, a group of people were celebrating a birthday and there were various couples and family groups also enjoying a meal. The decor is simple. Large windows looking out on to London Road and the Odeon Cinema, white tablecloths and the odd piece of Indian art. It all looks very clean if a little uninspired.
But this is not a place you go to for the interior design. The food is so remarkable that you barely notice your surroundings.
At Maharaja, each curry is cooked individually from fresh ingredients which really makes a difference to the flavour. Their traditional recipes have been handed down from generation to generation and cannot be found in recipe books.
For a main course, my friend chose Nadan chicken curry (£6.99) with a side order of basmati rice (£1.95). He again commented favourably on the pieces of meat and said the masala sauce, which contained onions and green ginger, was pleasantly spicy without overpowering the flavours of ginger and coriander.
I picked the masala dosa (£6.95) which I had sampled for breakfast during my trip to India and have been wanting to try again ever since.
In Mumbai, the paper-thin pancake had come in a rounded shape, but this was cylindrical and about a foot long, if not longer, and took up most of the table.
The rice pancake melted in the mouth and the potatoes inside were a warming accompaniment for the sambar (lentil and seasonal vegetable curry).
There was far too much to get through, but I wasn’t disappointed – it was as delicious as I remember from my holiday.
It’s just a shame there were no Morris Oxfords or exotic-looking farm animals on the street outside as we left.
Maharaja, 34-36 London Road, Liverpool
Tel: 0151 709 2006
Menu: South Indian cuisine
Decor: Bright and cheerful
Service: Friendly
Value: Very good
The Bill: £35.78, including a bottle of wine
