Everything you need to know about The Indian Project’s cloud kitchen in Powai

The tandoor is the heart of a north Indian kitchen and when we walk into The Indian Projectrsquos nearly 400sq feet Powaibased cloud kitchen run by brothers mdash chef Vansh and Drishya Khanna its welcoming heat greets us In this kitchen the role of the clay oven goes beyond cooking spices are roasted on the upturned dome lid tomatoes are dried for sauces and for our amusement and photographs chef Vansh throws in handfuls of sugar for the flames to rise It did along with our appetiteEdamame kebab with garlic aioliThe small space is clean with an open pantry assembly station and hot zones ldquoI wanted to do something new with Indian food I love our cuisine as well as Asian and Italian food and wanted to bring these flavours to our Indian fare to create a new balance and make it healthy toordquo chef Vansh reveals He introduces French cooking techniques and concepts to his Punjabi heirloom recipes The final product is a North Indian dish that is light on the palate and stomach and explores a new depth of flavours in fanfavourite classics such as butter chicken and tikkasRed jalapentildeo tikka in an ecofriendly takeaway containerWe taste all the appetisers on the menu tikkas are available in chicken paneer and broccoli We start with the red jalapentildeo chicken tikkas Rs 375 topped with pickles and a hot sauce made from red jalapentildeos which lends it a distinct sweetness and heat that builds up towards the end The edamame kebabs Rs 375 the Khanna twist on hara bhara kebabs are creamy with a hint of heat Both are our star picksRed jalapentildeo tikka in an ecofriendly takeaway containerAll the chicken tikkas are soft these were marinated with a thick paste for only two to three minutes before being cooked in the tandoor This is where the chefrsquos secret ingredient kicks in mdash kefir Itrsquos added to the inhouse hung curd and doesnrsquot need time to tenderise the protein The malai rosemary broccoli tikka Rs 375 is surprisingly creamy and does not make you miss chicken It comes with pumps of a mayolike saffron crema that doesnrsquot overpower the vegetable and masala If yoursquore not a mayo fan yoursquoll miss the subtleness The pesto basil paneer Rs 375 is served with tomato chutney made from inhouse tandoordried tomatoes and pulls the whole dish together Next we try the truffle kulchas Rs 375 These bitesized pockets are filled with cheese and do not skimp on the earthy truffle flavours and subtle heat of the chilli oil In between appetisers we taste spoons of rosemary oil tomato chutney red jalapentildeo sauce and dulce mdash all made inhouse If chef Vansh bottled this stuff up it would sell The venture aims to curate healthy and light meal boxes comprising a starter a main dish and rice or naan or whole wheat bread sub rolls mdash an Indianised sub sandwich mdash to Powairsquos office crowd We get the shawarma paneer tikka sub with toum a garlic sauce Rs 275 that gives us a chaatlike blend of Lebanese flavours with pickled beets and an amaranth garnish It also comes with green chutney for a spice kick on a bed of iceberg lettuce that didnrsquot have the anticipated crunchFor mains the smoked butter paneer R400 and its chicken variant Rs 400 are topped with kasuri methi offering a balance of smoky sweet and spicy notes The chicken is tandoorcharred while sugar is swapped for jaggery It wins our vote because it isnrsquot dripping with butter The smoked dal makhani and Punjabi rajma Rs 400 are tweaked family recipes that are complemented by soft whole wheat naansWe end with an offthemenu dessert mdash kheer with dulce de leche and a hazelnutcardamom crumble The dulce is smooth and perfectly sweetened while the crumble lends the kheer a crunchy texture that adds to the flavours of the dish ldquoIf you like it Irsquoll add it to the menurdquo chef Vansh tells us You can thank us laterThe Indian ProjectOn All days 12 pm to 11 pmAt Saki Vihar Road PowaiLog on to Swiggy and ZomatoCall 9769932780 for event catering services or delivery