RECIPE NOTE: “This dish is simple to put together but packs a punch with spices and a cheat’s chilli sauce. Chaat masala is essential – and addictive!”
With just 10 chairs and a home kitchen, Helly Raichura helped transform Melbourne’s perception of Indian food. Her supper club Enter Via Laundry (EVL) only began as a “side gig” to Raichura’s HR day job; an outlet to throw her energies into, cooking for family and friends. But word of mouth spread, and Raichura soon had a wait list up to 18 months long. While EVL now has a permanent home in Carlton North, the intimacy remains (it still only seats 20), as has the fastidious exploration of one regional Indian cuisine at a time. With each menu, the entire EVL concept shifts – necessitating all-new training, a pantry of new ingredients, fresh wine lists, a swap-out of equipment and even new playlists.
The project exposes diners to the vast diversity of Indian cuisine, which is too often still homogenised into a handful of interchangeable classics (hello, butter chicken).
“I think the greatest misconception is when you see Indian food to be always greasy, and spicy, with a lot of fat in
