Chef Ashni Kumar Guru
by Diana Cercone
Bread—It’s one of man’s earliest known baked flour foods and dates to prehistoric times. It’s also the first word my daughter learned to say, having been given a thick slice of Ukrainian Easter bread by my sister Marilyn. Studded with sweet golden raisins and brimming with its rich taste—what wasn’t to like?
Growing up in an Italian family, however, it was Italian bread that graced our dinner table. Crusty on the outside and pillowy soft in the center. Since then I’ve savored many other types of bread. And liked them all.
But it wasn’t until I was in England many years ago and entered an Indian restaurant enticed by its palate-arousing aromas wafting from its doors that I first tasted the Indian bread naan (pronounced “non)”). And fell in love with it.
Unlike the breads I was familiar with, naan is flat, yet leavened, and soft and round like a pancake. But unlike a pancake, the leavening and high heat required to bake it creates a pocket of air inside, making it ideal to stuff with savories or compress as if all one slice of bread. There are also more than one type of naan. To learn more, I turned to Chef Ashni Kumar Guru and his wife Priya of Guru’s Indian Cuisine in Newtown. Together they offer 16 different types of naan at their popular restaurant on Sycamore Street.
Though Guru’s has several inviting dining areas, including two outdoor patios, we chose the cozy dining spot off of their welcoming bar to chat all things naan. Joining us is Hunter Keen, Guru’s knowledgeable and personable bar/restaurant manager.
First, Priya says, her eyes sparkling with a mix of mischief and passion, because naan is made with white flour, it is not native to India. White flour was introduced to India by the Persians, most likely around 1300 AD, about the same time yeast was introduced in India by the Egyptians. Naan is made with both. Before that whole wheat flour was typically used to bake bread in an Indian’s household, Priya says, and still is today in the forms of roti (a whole wheat bread baked without yeast in a tandoor clay oven) and, later, Paratha (a whole wheat bread made with yeast and stuffed with a vegetable or herb).
But make no mistake: naan is very much part of Indian food culture. And no respectable Indian restaurant would dare pride itself if it didn’t offer naan on its menu.
When it comes to naan, Guru’s wins the gold. Not only are their naans baked in a 450°F hot tandoor clay oven so they puff and blister to perfection, but they’re also made without the ingredient of milk, rendering them vegan when not finished with the traditional slather of melted butter upon request. Among the 16 varieties offered, there are the traditional plain, onion, garlic, cheese and cheese/garlic naans. Ratcheting up the flavors are chili garlic, cheese chili, mushroom, Tilwaa (sesame seed), chicken tikka (a mix of boneless chicken, turmeric and paprika) and pesto & garlic. There’s also a gluten-free garlic naan, a palate-pleasing blend of chickpeas, garlic, cilantro and olive oil. For those with a sweet tooth, Guru has you covered as well with two sweet naans: cinnamon and brown sugar, and Kashmiri, made with raisins, nuts and coconut and named for Kashmir, a state that borders India and Pakistan.
Rounding out Guru’s bread selections are two types of Kulchas: spinach and onion; Bhatura, a puffed deep fried bread made with all-purpose flour; and four types of Parathas: Methi or fenugreek; Aloo, potatoes; Gobi, cauliflower; and Phudina, mint. Where Kulchas are made with refined white bread flour, Parathas are made with whole wheat.
But naan is more than just bread. There’s a spiritual quality to it as well as a proper way of eating it, says Priya. Rather than slicing it, naan is meant to be pulled apart into about two-inch-sized pieces. With your (prewashed) right hand and using all five fingers—which represent the five elements—scoop up bite-size morsels of food as well as soak up sauces. There’s an ineffable connection made to eating with your hands. Even Alice Waters agrees that food tastes better this way. Think barbecued spare ribs, corn on the cob and, for Waters, salad.
Not there yet? No worries. Guru’s tables are set with cutlery and a linen napkin at each plate setting.
For pairing naans to dishes, Priya says, naans pair well with Guru’s dishes, like Chicken Ajwan (boneless chicken, carom and turmeric. Guru’s cheese/garlic naan marries particularly well with Chicken Korma, chicken in a creamy garlic sauce, and Butter Chicken. But, then, all naans are a perfect choice for any of the meat and vegetarian entrées and specials. To accompany an appetizer or two, Priya says, choose one or more Parathas.
Chef Kumar honors the traditional breads and dishes of India, says Priya. “I do the craziness. I’m always playing with flavors. Always trying something new. I listen to our patrons to find what they like.” She then tells her husband who works out the perfect recipes. “I worry and get stressed and Kumar stays calm and cool in the kitchen, saying his prayers as he cooks,” she says. “There’s an old Indian proverb,” she continues. “While cooking with God’s name in your mouth, the dish is more nutritious.”
Nutritious and wonderfully spicy. But don’t be misled by the term, Hunter says. “Spicy does not mean hot, just that more spices are used to make the dish more flavorful and fragrant.” For example, Chef Kumar favors the spices coriander, cumin, cloves and turmeric to “spice” up his dishes. “Lots,” Hunter says, and according to nutritionists, the spices are loaded with health benefits, so the dishes not only taste good—they’re good for you.
Guru’s even makes it easy to choose your own level of spiciness: very mild, mild, medium, spicy and Indian Hot. Do your palate a favor and don’t wimp out. If new to Indian or other spicy cuisines, start at least at mild level and work your way up to spicy if not Indian hot. (For that top level, Chef Kumar uses a special hot Indian chili pepper—igniting all the tastebuds.)
Guru’s customers (who are more like family) know Chef Kumar and Priya not only for their warmth, joy and good food but also, come each November, for their Diwali celebration. Known as the Festival of Lights, Diwali is India’s most important holiday and celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil. It’s also one of the most colorful and fun, and filled with a bounty of delicious foods.
This year Guru’s will host their Diwali celebration at Rafters Venue in Newtown as a fundraiser for their charity, Guru’s Guardian Angels, Priya and Chef Kumar’s dog rescue in India. (For more information on the fundraiser, go to (www.gurusnewtown.com.)
Before I leave I follow Chef Kumar into the kitchen where he fires up the tandoor clay oven to make me a garlic/cilantro naan. Within seconds, I can feel the oven’s heat rising from the well-like tandoor. Taking a preformed naan dough from a covered tray, he throws it onto a worktable, kneading and stretching it to his satisfaction and adding freshly, chopped garlic and minced cilantro. Quickly turning across from the table, he throws the naan onto a side of the tandoor where it sticks, sizzles and puffs. Using tongs, Chef Kumar flips the naan so it also puffs and chars to perfection on the other side. With the tongs, he lifts the naan and wraps it in foil for me.
In the meantime Hunter has made me a Mango Lassi, his favorite. One sip tells me it’s soon to be mine. On the way home, the heady aroma of Chef Kumar’s garlic/cilantro naan makes my mouth water and I give in. Tearing huge pieces of the still warm naan, I happily munch my way through it, taking time to sip my Mango Lassi. I am a happy woman.
Guru’s Indian Cuisine is located at 203 N. Sycamore Street, Newtown; 215-968-5700; www.gurusnewtown.com.
Diana Cercone is an area freelance writer who specializes in food, art and travel.