The Raj - Sandton

The Raj Restaurants were started by Dr Arun Jairath, an Opthamologist who came to the country 21 years ago from UK. His passion to provide the best of Indian cuisine led to the opening of the first Raj Restaurant in 1995 in Midrand, Kyalami. A year later the Raj in Rivonia opened followed by the first fast food outlet opened in the Domestic Terminal at the Johannesburg International Airport in 2004.

 

The new flagship restaurant has recently opened up in the Michelangelo Towers in Sandton as well as a restaurant in the Main Hotel at Sun City. Two more successful Fast Food outlets have been opened at the Sandridge Shopping Centre in Kyalami and the Entertainment Centre at Sun City.

The service is efficient and friendly and the food is undeniably the most authentic Indian cuisine available in the country. The food is spicy, delicious and very traditional with the menu offering a large variety of authentic Indian culinary styles such as Tikka Masala, Vindaloo, Khorma and Bhoona.

 

Popular dishes include the well known Butter Chicken - a delicate combination of flavoured Tandoori chicken in cardamom, tomato and cashew nut gravy. A favourite lamb dish is Kaliya Kesar - deboned cubes of lamb cooked in a creamy saffron and yoghurt gravy enriched with cashew nuts and almonds. Vegetarians are well catered for with many dishes made with Paneer - homemade cheese, such as Paneer Makhni (paneer in a tomato, butter and cream sauce), or Saag Panner (paneer sautéed in a spinach gravy tempered with garlic and cumin), another vegetarian favourite is Dal Makhni - black lentils cooked on a slow fire with fresh herbs, sundried spices and fresh cream.