While Desi Contemporary Indian Casual in Campbell is based on classic ingredients, the owners have created the dishes based on their studies of food history and their experiences trying different cuisines while traveling.

“We were surprised by how many dishes around the world are based on their similarities,” Mohit Nagrath, who co-owns the restaurant with his wife Archana, told San José Spotlight. “We wanted to develop a concept that was rooted in Indian cuisine but leveraged those influences and similarities.”

The Nagraths opened Desi in 2019, offering a menu of “big plates” – the tikka masala, curry and paneer dishes you’d expect – while on the other hand there are tempting “street eats” and “quick bites”.

These appetizers are delicious and fun to make. Take Gol Gappe, for example, a North Indian dish consisting of hollow puff pastry balls that are punctured and filled with diced potatoes. Three different flavored waters – tamarind, pineapple juice and spicy mint in any ratio – are spooned in and the whole thing is eaten in one bite.

It is warm and cool, sweet and tart, chewy and crunchy, dry and moist, and bursting with vibrant and complex flavors.

“We call it a water bomb,” Archana told San José Spotlight. “It’s a nostalgic dish for us and very popular.”

The dichotomy of the menu is evident in two appetizer tasting plates.

Tashan, the Indian street food version, consists of shredded paneer in crispy tartlets, cutlets of peas, potatoes, spinach and broccoli on hummus and deep-fried yogurt rice balls with spicy pickle dip. The more culturally diverse version of Delhi Belly consists of fresh panko-breaded tilapia with tartar sauce and spicy chips, “Tikka Chance on Me” bruschetta made with sourdough bread, chicken tikka, onions, peppers and mozzarella, and Desi Tandoori Kukkad, the most tender and juicy tandoor-roasted chicken you’ve ever tasted.

“Over time, we bring more of these elements together and see how they combine,” Archana said. “We tend to keep our spices at a medium level, and we make them all ourselves, like our main ingredient, garam masala.”

The fusion theme, with a solid base of Indian ingredients, extends to the restaurant’s bar, Gabru, a Punjabi word meaning spirited and energetic. The drinks are grouped according to moods and emotions, such as “happy and carefree” or “romantic and bubbly.” It’s all about the Indian concept of “josh” – different levels of energy and enthusiasm.

Bartender Gabriel Sebastian Davis said the most popular drink is Absolute Desi, made with Absolut vodka, lemon elixir and kala khatta syrup, which is extracted from a type of Indian blackberry bush.

“It’s just a well-balanced drink,” Davis told San Jose Spotlight. “It’s a little sweet and kala khatta syrup gives it a unique and very Indian flavor. That’s one of the things we use that most bars just don’t have.”

Aaja Nachle is another typical Indian drink made from white rum, lemon elixir and a herbal elixir called Jaan Paan. It is served with a thick rose jelly called Gulkand which is wrapped in a minty paan leaf and eaten along with the drink. These are completely different and strong flavours but they blend beautifully.

It’s easy to focus only on desi street food and cocktails. But the main courses show the same care and creativity – all hearty and attractively prepared and include saffron or spinach rice, grilled seasonal vegetables and a choice of roast chicken, paneer, blackened chicken or blackened salmon. These are more akin to typical Indian fare, with biryani and grilled sea bass dishes also available on weekends.

Any dishes containing allergens, gluten-free ingredients or halal meat are clearly marked on the menu and many vegetarian dishes can be prepared vegan upon request.

“We have a simple menu,” Mohit said. “Mediterranean food, Thai food, Mexican food are popular right now. Indian food hasn’t reached that level yet. We want to elevate that forward-thinking contemporary food. That’s what drives us every day.”

Contact Robert Eliason at (email protected).