Turning Over A New Mint Leaf

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Indian cuisine, especially restaurant fare, is a far cry from healthy eating. There are copious amounts of cream, as well as the ever-present ghee (clarified butter). Even the most traditional breads have a generous coating of ghee on top, unless you specify otherwise. So when I heard about Mint Leaf of London introducing a new Healthy Options menu, I was intrigued.
Situated in the Emirates Financial Tower at DIFC, Mint Leaf of London doesn’t have any of the usual trappings of an Indian restaurant. There isn’t an abundance of color or any traditional architectural motifs. Embracing more of the London aspect of its name, the restaurant has a simple and clean look to it using dark wood tones, with an open kitchen on one side and floor-to-ceiling windows on the other. The space is divided into the main dining room, a bar and a lounge, along with terrace seating.

It bears mentioning that the ‘healthy options menu’ is a bit of a misnomer. I was under the impression that it would be a separate menu containing new dishes, but it in fact refers to the option of cooking their regular dishes in a healthier way. Oddly enough, there doesn’t seem to be any indication of that on the menu itself.
After a thorough explanation of the healthy dishes and how they’re made, I start things off with a glass of Bombay Punch, a refreshing combination of orange and beetroot juice sweetened with agave syrup. That’s followed up by a trio of appetizers that have been oven-baked without any oil or butter.

Quinoa Crusted Subz Seekh, made up of finely chopped mixed vegetables with a quinoa coating, has a nicely crunchy exterior, but the kebab itself is a bit bland. Paneer ke Laddu, a newer menu addition, consists of a ball of cottage cheese wrapped in thin strings of filo pastry. Cracking through the crisp exterior of the filo leads to a nice creamy interior that’s rich but not overly so. The last of the appetizers is Karaari Palak, or spinach fritters. Unlike the typical greasy and heavily battered bhajia, these are essentially crunchy spinach leaves with just a little bit of batter served almost like a chaat with yogurt and tamarind sauce. My expectations from this dish were fairly low (it’s just a fritter, after all), but it ends up being my favorite of the three.

For the main course, there’s a trio of curries. Palak Dal (yellow lentils with spinach) and the North Indian classic Pindi Cholley (spiced chickpeas), are both cooked with less spices and oil. The resulting dishes have a very mellow flavor that allows the earthy notes of the lentils and chickpeas to come forward instead of being obscured by spices. The third dish is Sambhar Spice Chatpati Subzi, or mixed vegetables cooked in a South Indian spice mix and low fat coconut milk, and is specially recommended as a must-try. While I’m not especially fond of South Indian food, I really like the minimal use of spice in this dish, and the coconut milk balances that out nicely while adding a hint of sweetness. The third time proves to be the charm again.

Along with the curries, I have saffron pulao rice, baked parathas made with wholewheat flour and missi roti, a flatbread made with chickpea flour.
For dessert, I’m presented with an artful looking plate that has another set of three sitting on it. Ras Malai, a traditional dessert of curd dumplings soaked in saffron flavored cream, is served in a small steel jug, while Chocolate Devotion is a rich dark chocolate cake served alongside a gulab jamun (cottage cheese dumpling). Both taste delicious, but once again the third dish, Gulab Jamun Cheesecake, is the most interesting. A layered creation of mascarpone cream and crumbled gulab jamun pieces, it’s the clear winner with a very subdued sweetness. I’m assured that all three desserts have been prepared using healthier ingredients. I’ll just have to take their word for it!

My ultimate take on Mint Leaf of London is a bit conflicted. On the one hand, the flavors are fairly solid and not heavy on the spices, and I appreciate the healthier approach taken on the dishes. That being said, I wish that concept had been pushed a little further. Instead of just using wholewheat flour for the breads or low fat cream for curries and desserts, why not go outside the box with gluten free flour and dairy alternatives? A vegan ‘paneer’ dish, for example, could be an interesting idea. That being said, while I did end up overindulging a little bit (for the sake of the review, of course!), I didn’t slip into a food coma, as I often do after an Indian meal. It’s a step in the right direction, if nothing else.

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