Masala Politics

Masala Politics isn’t your typical Indian restaurant that centers on a single regional cuisine. Instead, it offers dishes from various parts of India, bringing diverse flavors to the menu.

As soon as you enter the restaurant, you’re welcomed by the fragrant aroma of Indian spices.

The open kitchen faces the entrance, and you can see the entire staff and cooks, all of whom are Indian.

One notable detail is that the waiter asks about any food allergies before taking your order.

They also offer gluten-free naan, which I’d never encountered at an Indian restaurant.

The owner makes rounds, personally checking in with each table to ensure everything is satisfactory.

While waiting for my food, I was served a light snack: papadum accompanied by mango, mint, and coconut chutneys.

I opted for a mango lassi, which was pleasant but slightly too thick and sweet, overshadowing the yogurt’s flavor.

I ordered two dishes:

Samosa Chaat: Punjabi-spiced potatoes, green peas, honey yogurt, tamarind, mint, and chickpeas.
Dosa: Crispy fermented rice pancake served with sambar, coconut, and tomato chutney.

The Dosa had a perfectly crispy outer layer with a soft interior, but it lacked the tanginess of a fermented batter. There was also an excessive amount of ghee. The sambar was pleasant but could have used more depth of flavor, and the chutney was a bit too salty for my liking.

The Samosa Chaat was flavorful, but it had too much sauce and was a bit too sweet for my palate.

Overall, the food was good, though a bit too sweet for my taste, as I’m more accustomed to savory flavors. Still, it’s a worthwhile spot if you’re in the mood for Indian cuisine.

Masala Politics

Website: https://www.masalapolitics.no/meny
Telephone: +47 96737320
Opening hours:

Monday to Saturday 15:00 p.m. – 23: 00 p.m.
Sunday 15:00 p.m. – 22:00 p.m.

Address: Karl Johans gt. 13, 0154 Oslo, Norway

South Indian breakfast

My brother and I were looking for a place to have Dosa for breakfast and came across this Vegetarian South Indian restaurant in Brickfields—MTR 1924. This vegetarian restaurant was founded in 1924 in Bengaluru, India, hence the name. We visited on Friday morning, a work day, so the restaurant was quite empty.
The restaurant had a simple interior and was orderly and clean. Prices here are a little higher than the average Malaysian Indian breakfast. After trying the food, I knew why the prices were more expensive—good quality ingredients, and you could taste them in the food. The waiter was friendly, and the service was fast.

MTR serves quintessential South Indian dishes such as Idli, Dosa, and Vada.We ordered a plain dosa (11.28 ringgit) , rava dosa (13.63 ringgit), and an uddin vada (5.17 ringgit). Each dish came with lentil sambar and green chutney. The vada (fried lentil doughnut) was one of the best I’ve had in a long time. It was soft and fluffy with a thin, crispy outer crust. The plain Dosa was thicker than usual and, therefore, quite filling. The Rava dosa was thin, crispy, and aromatic. I’ve never had Dosa served with a side of ghee, I was hesitant at first, worried that it might make my Dosa taste oily, but instead, it elevated the flavor of the Dosa, giving it a subtle buttery taste.

If you are in the area, I recommend visiting this restaurant. I would love to go back and try other signature dishes, such as rava idli and masala dosa.

MTR 1924

Website: https://www.mtr1924malaysia.com/

Opening hours: Weekdays – 8:00 a.m. to 15:30 p.m. & 17:00 p.m. to 22:30 p.m. Weekends – 8:00 a.m. – 22:30 p.m.

Telephone: +60 322 764924

Address: 69, Jalan Thambipillay, Brickfields, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Authentic South Indian food in Osaka

On my recent trip to Osaka, I stumbled upon a South Indian restaurant—Cocobanana. The restaurant has a set menu as well as an ala carte menu. I love that the food is served on banana leaves, a traditional South Indian method of serving rice dishes. The prices are reasonable, and the portions are substantial. The cooks are Indian, and one Japanese waitress is friendly and speaks some English.

I had a plain Lassi (200 yen), a Dosa with rice set with chicken curry and coconut fish curry (1300 yen), and paratha (300 yen). The lassi was sweet and refreshing. The curries were mild but delicious, and the paratha was soft and flaky, not too oily.

Overall, I enjoyed the meal and curbed my 3-and-a-half-year craving!