Irecently discovered The Lunch Box, a Bollywood movie showcased at the Cannes Film Festival last year. In it, a young wife attempts to put the romance back into her marriage by cooking her way to her husband’s heart, but a mistake triggers unexpected events. Most intriguing was the intricate system of delivery of these colourful lunchboxes, from homes to offices, passing from hand to hand, from bicycles to buses. I was also fascinated by the wives’ preparation of meals and their exchange of culinary tricks and tips, which made me crave Indian food. Enter Anjali, housed in a colonial building and facing the swirling waters of the Tonle Sap.
Here, an inscription on the wall sets the immediate tone: ‘Sleep ‘til you’re hungry, eat ‘til you’re sleepy.’ Small statues of Buddha, geckoes and ancient Sanskrit musings decorate the curry powder-coloured walls.The menu includes Asian, Indian and Western, although opting for the latter is like going to the Caribbean in search of a ski run.
Each dish seems possessed of the vivid and intense colours of India: the red of the masala sauce and the green of the allo saag. This ancient art of cooking is an alchemy of sorts, combining aromatic spices with genuine ingredients to produce ecstasy-inducing flavours.
A personal favourite is the chicken tikka butter masala ($5): spiced, buttered pieces of chicken charcoal-grilled and cooked in a rich masala gravy. I can’t resist the temptation of plunging a generous piece of naan bread into the inviting creamy sauce. Even if meat specialities are served with steamed rice, I recommend the naan – either plain, butter, or garlic and cheese ($1 – $1.75) – because it adds a scrumptious scent to the dish. The vindaloo (even the menu warns:‘VERY HOT!!’) is a fiery curry prepared with potato, onion and chillies, spiced with masala and available with chicken ($5.25) or beef ($6.25). This is another excellent pick. As a final treat I choose allo saag ($3.75): potato and spinach cooked in tomato, onion and masala gravy; a creamy, appetising side dish which could even serve as a main course.
Dishes are served in deceptively small-looking cauldrons, which seem to possess the supernatural power of automatically refilling themselves. In short, make sure you’re hungry before you go! Given a lunchbox like this every day, the only fitting dessert for me would be a Spanish siesta.
Anjali, #273 Sisowath Quay; 012 457901.