View Dining Pick of the Week: Mantra Masala

7785 N. Durango Drive, No. 105, 702-830-7930

After successfully operating in the southwest for nine years, Mantra Masala owner/executive chef Tapan Bose has expanded to Centennial Hills. Bose recently opened the carry-out restaurant offering the same food as the fine dining location. “Our food is very healthy. My father only uses halal chicken and lamb,” said Ryli Bose. “All meat is cleaned and trimmed in house and then roasted in the tandoor, which is a traditional Indian oven made of clay and one of the hottest ovens in the world. All of the curry sauces we make follow Ayurvedic healing practices. The spices we use are of great quality and have a lot of medicinal properties.” From freshly baked breads to chicken, lamb, seafood, vegetarian and rice plates, the restaurant features traditional Indian cuisine with an exotic array of spices. To start, patrons can choose from seven appetizers, including samosa ($4.95) with potato and assorted vegetables in a pastry shell and padi chat ($5.95), crisp wafers with potato, chick peas, tamarind sauce, mint chutney, spiced yogurt and raw mango powder. Main dishes are divided by chicken, lamb, seafood and vegetarian options. Chicken options include tikka masala ($14.95), made with the chef’s signature marinade and tandoor-roasted with spiced tomato sauce, while lamb choices include mantra ($17.95), yogurt-marinated meat with cashew gravy, spice blend and mint. Lamb sag walla ($16.95) is served with a spinach puree and garlic sauce. Among the seafood options is shrimp masala ($17.95) with cardamom curry and spice blend and goa prawn curry ($17.95) with tamarind, coconut milk and spice blend. There are 12 meatless dishes to choose from, including vegetable basil curry ($14.95) with assorted vegetables, basil, roasted cumin, coriander and fenugreek, and malai kofta ($12.95), vegetable dumplings with onion, ginger, garlic and cashew gravy. No meal is complete without a side of naan (Mantra Masala offers six types of the house-made flatbread that is cooked in the tandoor) or rice (choose from five styles). For most dishes, customers are asked how spicy they want their dish, going from one to 10. In addition to soda, Indian-style beverages include masala chai served hot or spiced chai served cold ($2.95), with cinnamon, cardamom and clove. Mango lassi ($3.50) is made with yogurt, mango puree and rose petal water, while badami lassi ($4) has mango lassi, minced almonds and rose petal water. Mantra Masala is open from noon to 9:30 p.m. daily. For more information, visit mantramasala.com.