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New Chandler restaurant enhances Indian cuisine

BY SRIANTHI PERERA

GetOut Contributor

Feringhee Modern Indian Cuisine has just opened its doors to reveal rich aromas, flavors and tastes near the Chandler Fashion Center.

Consider an average dinner: The Dum Jackfruit Biryani comes in a pot sealed with a crust of dough, which is cut by the server to release a tantalizing whiff of spicy yellow basmati rice nestling underneath. The cover prevents the air from leaking, retains moisture and helps the rice to absorb the flavors of jackfruit and spices while steaming.

The basmati and the jackfruit are layered and slow-cooked to perfection. The dish pairs deliciously with Old Delhi Butter Chicken and a raita – or yogurt – mixed with dabs of avocado and sprinkles of boondi (balled chickpea flour sweetened and fried).

Feringhee (translates to “foreigner”) is the brainchild of Madhavi Reddy, who has created an elegant restaurant to showcase food from the diverse regions of India. The dishes are traditional but served with contemporary flair to elevate it from mere street food or offerings from sidewalk cafes.

“In the US there’s not much appreciation for Indian cuisine – there are fine dining in other cuisines, but not Indian cuisine,” she said. “I went a little above and beyond.”

Initial research in the Valley indicated a paucity of such establishments. “We thought we have to bring Phoenix up to that level. That was the interest for me to create one,” she said. “It wasn’t an easy journey for me; it was hard.”

The pandemic took its toll on planning and executing her intricately developed business; the restaurant took more than three years to come to fruition.

Reddy teamed with Sujan Sarkar, a creator of two modern Indian restaurant brands, and Karan Mittal, a young chef hailing from Delhi and with international experience and culinary honors.

Feringhee’s menu features sharing plates, such as Masala Ricotta Kulcha (fava bean and gooseberry pickle); small plates such as Tandoori Shrimp with Bengal kasundi (a dipping sauce with mustard seeds and dried mango), lime caviar and mint chutney; and large plates such as Goan Swordfish and Kashmiri Lamb Shank.

The well-stocked bar includes dozens of spirits, 65 types of wine and 20 varieties of beer, some of which are brewed locally and others as far away as India or Belgium. The cocktails are handcrafted using regional ingredients of India.

Patrons are encouraged to savor, sip and linger.

“We start from sharing plates and enjoying the atmosphere. It’s not just ‘eat your dinner and go,’” Reddy said.

With a lot of specialized ingredients that are locally sourced, Feringhee prefers its diners to make advanced reservations. Currently, it is only open for dinner, from Tuesdays to Sundays, and weekends have been busy. Reservations will help to avoid turning away walk-in customers, with the extra time useful to plan resources, and the overall experience would be better for guests, Reddy said.

“We want people to have a journey of whatever the cuisine we have, that’s the goal,” she said. “It needs some experience, that means it needs planning.”

Because of the restaurant’s desirable location near the Price Corridor and its many corporate offices, lunch may be introduced at a later date. There is also a plan to hold musical evenings.

Reddy, a Chandler resident, has been in the United States for more than 20 years. Her first foray into the restaurant industry was with Pastries n Chaat, an Indian bakery and restaurant serving casual fare, once a chain concept with six outlets across the Valley, and now operating only in Tempe. Feringhee’s location was one of the Pastries n Chaat outlets.

In 2020, Reddy also established a grocery store, Saffron, with branches in Scottsdale and Phoenix and Peoria to come.

Top: Rich aromas and tasty dishes await visitors to Feringhee Modern Indian Cuisine in Chandler. (Jill McNamara Photography) Bottom: Madhavi Reddy owns Feringhee Modern Indian Cui-

sine near Chandler Fashion Center. (David Minton/GetOut Sta Photographer)

Married to a physician, Reddy has a “day job” as a business analyst in a prominent bank. She’s also raising two teenage daughters who are nearing college age.

Where did she draw the inspiration to launch into the restaurant industry?

“I grew up in a farming community, and my father was a landlord,” she said. This was in Telangana, located in the south-central stretch of India, in a city called Karimnagar.

Bountiful harvests of produce, lavish servings of food, gatherings and festivals were the mainstays of her life, growing up. The family farm grew rice, corn and peanuts and nurtured fruit orchards.

“It was all about food in our house: produce, food, welcoming people, it’s like a festival every time, people came over,” she recalled.

Naturally, her passion was to study agriculture, so she obtained a bachelor of science in agriculture and a degree in business administration. Then, life happened, and she moved to Arizona in 2001 and married soon after.

Her liking for produce lingered.

“I always had the passion of bringing something to the Valley, doing something to the community,” she said. “I host social events at home, it was always there in me, to bring stuff to the community. What I miss back home, I want to bring to the community.”

Creating Feringhee is perhaps the next best thing to returning to her roots.

She chose to paint the walls in sky blue and a shade of soft mustard in the color of unpolished rice. An enormous mural of a bedecked face of an Indian woman holds a prominent spot in the décor. Chandeliers, glass mirrors and the attending Oriental opulence beckon.

“As soon as they walk in, I want them to feel Indian,” she said, of her diners.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating of it.

What’s for dessert?

Chandler is far from the coast, but there’s no harm in indulging in a fantasy with eyes closed. The dessert was inspired by far away Chennai, which is a south Indian coastal city famous for its swaying coconut palms.

It is called Tender Coconut Panna Cotta; elaneer (tender coconut cream), berries, toasted flakes of almond and coconut and passion fruit sorbet. The melt-in-the-mouth concoction is served inside a polished coconut shell sitting on a rope of coconut fiber.

“It’s based on a personal memory when I was in Chennai,” Mittal said. “Elaneer payasam is the soft malai (cream) of the tender coconut. They used to make a payasam with freshly pressed coconut milk with some condensed milk and with malai on top. That was super delicious.

“We created that memory.”

Feringhee Modern Indian Cuisine is at 3491 W. Frye Road, Chandler. Details: feringhee.com

Big Chandler Museum exhibits in final weeks

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Chandler Museum, 300 S. Chandler Village Drive, Chandler is offering a variety of free programs next month as well as a new exhibit.

The museum is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. It is closed Mondays. Information: 480-7822717 or chandlermuseum.org.Exhibits.

Most of the programming events offer a chance to reserve a seat. Go to eventbrite. com/d/az and search by “Chandler Museum.”

EXHIBITS

Dust Bowl Migrants in Chandler (Through Aug. 13)

In the late 1930s Chandler had an influx of Dust Bowl migrants who fled their homes in search of a better life. Government photographers Dorothea Lange and Russell Lee documented unique stories showing these migrants and their dwellings, which were often temporary. This exhibition is a history of Dust Bowl Chandler through unique black and white photographs. It examines what home looked like and makes connections between 1930s Chandler and Chandler today. It includes themes of housing, migration, agriculture, technology, self-sufficiency, and empathy. Play Day at the Chandler Museum Aug. 27 is theme “Retro 80s,” and looks at the toys of that decade. (Chandler Museum) U.S. history. Between 1942 and 1964, millions of Mexican men came to the U.S. on short-term labor contracts. Six bilingual posters not only tell a story of exploitation but also one of opportunity. They offer historical context, ask big questions, challenge perceptions, tell powerful stories, and provide a platform that encourages dialogue and civic engagement.

PROGRAMS

The exhibition features over 50 contemporary photographs chronicling the lives of contemporary migrant farm workers. Photojournalist David Bacon’s evocative, powerful photographs alongside moving oral narratives from migrant farm workers gives viewers a reality check on the food they eat and the lives of the people who harvest it. The exhibition is fully translated into both English and Spanish.

Bittersweet Harvest: The Bracero Program, 1942-1964 (through Aug. 28)

This poster exhibition explores the little-known story of the Bracero Program, the largest guest worker program in

History Bites, noon-12:30 p.m. Aug. 2

Explore querencia, a love of or attachment to place, and learn how Latinx migrants develop this bond by cultivating networks that contribute to the city’s socioeconomic, political, and cultural fabric.

Dr. Rafael Martínez, ASU faculty member and community historian, will reveal how this concept guides humanities research right here in Arizona by identifying Latinx barrios in the East Valley operating as querencias at the fringes.

“Then we will challenge ourselves to move beyond nostalgia and memory to think and write more critically about querencia, considering the different social, political, and environmental factors that influence how we create our own sense of place,” the museum said in a release.

Play Day, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Aug. 27

1980s Retro. The Museum reawakens the toys that defined the decade of big hair, bold style, and bright colors.

C-Town Suitcase Club, 10:30-11:15 a.m.

From the humble bicycle to the large farm equipment and everything in between. Steer your way to fun with wheeled vehicles.

These 45-minute programs are led by friendly educators who compare everyday items, then and now. With new themes each month, program participants will begin together with a central topic and then break off into family groups to engage in several activity stations. Geared toward ages 3-5.

Museum Helpers, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Aug. 31

Become a museum helper, learn what people at the museum do to take care of artifacts, and create your own exhibit idea.

Art Tots. 10:340-11 a.m. Aug. 10 and Aug. 24

This event has participants exploring art through the five senses of sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch. Geared toward ages 3-5.