Chicken Chili, one of the restaurant's signature dishes.
The Jewel in the Crown is an authentic Indian restaurant located in a beautiful section of downtown Newburyport. The family-run restaurant has been open for five years. Owner and manager Balwinder Singh manages six other restaurants and has been in the business for more than 20 years.
Having spent some time in both the north and south of India, I have had the good fortune to eat some delicious food in this diverse cuisine. Unfortunately, I have not found that same quality in many Indian restaurants in this country. The Jewel in the Crown is an exception.
Because there are so many interesting choices on the menu,
I highly recommend that you go with a large group and sample a variety of dishes. The night I visited, I asked old friends and new to join me, and no one was disappointed.
I started with an array of both vegetable and meat appetizers. Cheese Pakora, Vegetable Samosa and Aloo Tikki, a stuffed potato resembling a small pancake, were some of the choices my guests and I ate with gusto. These fried snacks were light, tasty and not a bit greasy. Served on small plates with mesclun lettuce and a variety of chutneys — such as tamarind, hot onion and cilantro — all the appetizers made for a very satisfying beginning.
Chef Avtar Singh and The Jewel in the Crown's owner Balwinder Singh.
Next arrived my Masala Dosa, a very thin crepe made with rice and black lentils and stuffed with potatoes and onion. It was served with a Sambar, or vegetable stew, made from tamarind and dal. If you order nothing else, put this exceptional dosa on your list. It’s crisp, fresh, slightly spicy, and mouth-watering good. The accompanying stew was mildly pungent and complemented the dosa well.
Since there were six of us, we all ordered different entrees and eagerly passed them around to taste. My selection, Palak Paneer, was my favorite. A subtle blend of fresh spinach, ginger and homemade cheese, it arrived on a burner with a small fire underneath to keep it warm. The delicate texture of the soft cheese cubes melted in my mouth. The spices and herbs in this dish were used both with subtlety and sophistication. Another entree, Aloo Ghobi, was a delicious combination of fresh cauliflower and potatoes cooked gently with spices.
No Indian dinner is complete without dal, a thick, spicy stew that is often the mainstay of Indian cuisine and is always eaten with rice. The Dal Maharani was rich, with a slightly smoky flavor and topped with shredded makan which is a kind of Pakistani butter. It’s made with black lentils or urad dal, one of the most prized dals of India.
The last entree, Vegetable Korma, was a mixed vegetable dish cooked with cashews, cream and raisins. It was a little heavy for my palate, but the blend of seasonings was quite tasty. The homemade breads were excellent. My Garlic Naan was a fresh, oven-baked flatbread that I eagerly used to wipe my plate clean. All the dishes are served with a delicate and aromatic basmati rice, and there is an abundant selection of vegetarian choices.
Finally, if you love creamy desserts that aren’t sweet, try the Badami Kheer, or homemade rice pudding. It’s the best kheer I’ve ever tasted. The Rasmalai, a homemade cottage cheese dessert sweetened with milk, was too sweet for my taste.
The ambience is pleasant, but the fresh food, consistency and good service are the main ingredients contributing to the success of this gem of a restaurant. It is worth the trip.
The Jewel in the Crown is located at 23 Pleasant St., Newburyport, MA and is open daily from 11:30am. (978) 463-0956. www.newburyportjewel.com.
Good Eats – The Jewel in the Crown
Chicken Chili, one of the restaurant's signature dishes.
The Jewel in the Crown is an authentic Indian restaurant located in a beautiful section of downtown Newburyport. The family-run restaurant has been open for five years. Owner and manager Balwinder Singh manages six other restaurants and has been in the business for more than 20 years.
Having spent some time in both the north and south of India, I have had the good fortune to eat some delicious food in this diverse cuisine. Unfortunately, I have not found that same quality in many Indian restaurants in this country. The Jewel in the Crown is an exception.
Because there are so many interesting choices on the menu,
I highly recommend that you go with a large group and sample a variety of dishes. The night I visited, I asked old friends and new to join me, and no one was disappointed.
I started with an array of both vegetable and meat appetizers. Cheese Pakora, Vegetable Samosa and Aloo Tikki, a stuffed potato resembling a small pancake, were some of the choices my guests and I ate with gusto. These fried snacks were light, tasty and not a bit greasy. Served on small plates with mesclun lettuce and a variety of chutneys — such as tamarind, hot onion and cilantro — all the appetizers made for a very satisfying beginning.
Chef Avtar Singh and The Jewel in the Crown's owner Balwinder Singh.
Next arrived my Masala Dosa, a very thin crepe made with rice and black lentils and stuffed with potatoes and onion. It was served with a Sambar, or vegetable stew, made from tamarind and dal. If you order nothing else, put this exceptional dosa on your list. It’s crisp, fresh, slightly spicy, and mouth-watering good. The accompanying stew was mildly pungent and complemented the dosa well.
Since there were six of us, we all ordered different entrees and eagerly passed them around to taste. My selection, Palak Paneer, was my favorite. A subtle blend of fresh spinach, ginger and homemade cheese, it arrived on a burner with a small fire underneath to keep it warm. The delicate texture of the soft cheese cubes melted in my mouth. The spices and herbs in this dish were used both with subtlety and sophistication. Another entree, Aloo Ghobi, was a delicious combination of fresh cauliflower and potatoes cooked gently with spices.
No Indian dinner is complete without dal, a thick, spicy stew that is often the mainstay of Indian cuisine and is always eaten with rice. The Dal Maharani was rich, with a slightly smoky flavor and topped with shredded makan which is a kind of Pakistani butter. It’s made with black lentils or urad dal, one of the most prized dals of India.
The last entree, Vegetable Korma, was a mixed vegetable dish cooked with cashews, cream and raisins. It was a little heavy for my palate, but the blend of seasonings was quite tasty. The homemade breads were excellent. My Garlic Naan was a fresh, oven-baked flatbread that I eagerly used to wipe my plate clean. All the dishes are served with a delicate and aromatic basmati rice, and there is an abundant selection of vegetarian choices.
Finally, if you love creamy desserts that aren’t sweet, try the Badami Kheer, or homemade rice pudding. It’s the best kheer I’ve ever tasted. The Rasmalai, a homemade cottage cheese dessert sweetened with milk, was too sweet for my taste.
The ambience is pleasant, but the fresh food, consistency and good service are the main ingredients contributing to the success of this gem of a restaurant. It is worth the trip.
The Jewel in the Crown is located at 23 Pleasant St., Newburyport, MA and is open daily from 11:30am. (978) 463-0956. www.newburyportjewel.com.