The Food Guy: Indus Progressive Indian

Diwali is one of the most important holidays in Hinduism. It’s a five-day festival celebrating the victory of light over darkness, with the most important festivities taking place Thursday night.

Lamps are lit, homes are decorated and feasts are enjoyed with traditional foods, some of which are on the menu at a new Indian restaurant in Highland Park.

There are certainly some familiar dishes on the menu, but the presentation and philosophy behind them take a more modern approach. It all begins with their commitment to spices.

There is a vibrancy to the dishes at Indus Progressive Indian. Certainly, some of that is the result of the kitchen’s commitment to first toasting their cumin, coriander, black pepper and cinnamon in a dry skillet, then grinding them into a potent spice blend every couple of days. That feeds into the owners’ philosophy.

“Taking what was traditional cooking, and building upon it,” said Ajit Kalra, co-owner of Indus Progressive Indian. “Pushing it in another direction, with smoked meats, with cured meats…”

Imagine dry-rubbing a brisket, smoking it, then slicing it thick. Not your usual Indian restaurant fare. Or transforming a traditional dish like baingan bartha – usually pureed eggplant – but here, smoking it first, then cooking it down with tomatoes, onions and spices. Kalra’s wife, Sukhu, wanted a more mousse-like texture while keeping it vegan. To finish, a drizzle of chili oil and micro greens. Like I said, not your traditional approach.

“Quick, flash-fried, crispy…”

He’s describing their okra chips, an addictive starter. First a flash fry.

“And then we season it all in some traditional North Indian seasonings and then we dust it with some incredible dried mango powder.”

Biryani choices range from spiced veg to chicken and bone-in goat.

“Traditionally, biryani was actually cooked with a dough that was sealing it because this was before the advent of pressure cooking,” he said.

There’s a traditional tikka masala, or butter chicken on the menu, great with some naan – puffy and blistered from the tandoor oven. But also a fantastic lamb shank, first cooked sous vide – in a sealed pouch – then doused in an aromatic homemade curry.

“The sous vide helps in bringing the marination into the meat, then we braise it to a point where it’s fall-off-the-bone,” he said.

Kalra says response so far has been overwhelming, with locals obviously pleased there is something joyful on the block where, for every resident, the memory of last year’s July 4^th shootings still resonate.

“We picked a location at ground zero, and we said we’ll build here, and we’ll start putting art out and then hopefully people will be able to reclaim our town with happiness and joy.”

Here's where you can go:

Indus Progressive Indian

617 Central Ave., Highland Park

847-208-4691