Bhansa Restaurant brings a wealth of authentic Indian and Nepali flavors to Greeley
Classic Indian and Nepali dishes are served at Bhansa Restaurant in Greeley, including Makhani (Butter Chicken), Vindaloo and impeccably-crafted naan bread cooked on the tandoori. Photo by Emily Kemme.
By Emily Kemme
Indian food is often bookmarked as one generic cuisine from one country. But applying a broad label doesn’t do justice to the profusion of tastes and depth of flavors these comforting dishes have, and fails to acknowledge the diverse cuisines cooked in neighboring countries on this Southeast Asian subcontinent.
The breadth of cultural influences on what peoples in this region cook and eat are vast and complex. The cuisine draws from recipes and ingredients that have been culinary staples for over five thousand years and includes contemporary republics Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and others.
There have been external influences on the cuisine over that time, too. Located to the south of mainland China and northwest of Australia, the Chinese introduced tea (called “cha” by the Chinese), and exploring Greeks infused delicately fragrant saffron into regional sauces and rice. Portuguese and British colonialism spiced up dishes with red chili and tossed potatoes and cauliflower into the pot. The colorful culinary repertoire has long included a wide range of peppers, nuts and fruits like cashews and raisins.
Bhansa, a new Greeley restaurant serving Indian and Nepali food, opened five months ago, naturally stirring up curiosity about what’s on their menu and where those dishes originated. Bhansa is a Nepali word for kitchen.
Rupesh Nyaupane owns the restaurant with his brother, Prashand. They bring long experience in the business and many of the recipes they cook at Bhansa are those they cooked at home and in their family’s Kathmandu, Nepal restaurant. Rupesh also earned a masters degree in business administration at the University of Pokhara in Nepal, which he said balances business know-how with native culinary mastery.
“The recipes we use are similar to the version my family served in their restaurant. We cook naan, a flat leavened bread from northwest India, in the tandoori clay oven. Momo (the steamed or deep-fried, filled dumplings of Nepal) is cooked the same way as our family does. But our masala is different.”
Understanding what masala is helps dial in the taste, because it’s a ubiquitous word with a relatively simple meaning: “masala” is the generic term for “spice mixture.”
Vegetable samosas are dumplings stuffed with potatoes and vegetables that are deep fried to a perfect crisp. They’re served with house-made chutneys. Photo by Emily Kemme.
But masala also has complex underpinnings, depending on which spices are selected to make it and the quantity used to create a desired fragrance. Even the order of the spices as the dish is cooked establishes subtle nuance and that dusting of mystery.
The ever-present masala on Indian and Nepali menus ends up being a catch-phrase for what might be a blend of bright citrus and pungently sweet green, black or chai tea leaves, or it could refer to a blend of whole or ground coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns, dried chilies, whole cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. You’ll see the word masala in many of the dishes—there’s Chicken Tikka Masala where a spice mixture is sprinkled over chicken before it bakes in the tandoori. And then there’s the masala which perfumes chewy-yet-tender naan bread, making it a tasty tool for swabbing up rich sauces from plates so no drop is left.
Curry is yet another umbrella term, referring to a blend of spices, often turmeric (which gives curry its warm yellow-gold hue), coriander, chili powder, pepper, cumin and ginger, according to What’s For Dinner .
Where the artistry lies is in the preparation and how the mixtures balance the flavor elements that each spice lends to a dish.
At Bhansa, start with vegetable samosa, dumplings stuffed with potatoes and vegetables deep fried to a perfect crisp. The vegetable pockets are served with two house-made chutneys—a tamarind chutney with sweet and bitter elements, and an aromatic, mildly spiced herbal one.
As you might have guessed, chutney is another generic term which means relish or dipping sauce. Chutney can be prepared with tomatoes, ground peanuts, cucumbers, onions, mint or a garden’s worth of fresh herbs. The whimsy and adventure happens when you dip, savor and try to identify the ingredients as they dance across your tongue.
Bhansa’s menu offers a full selection of tandoori entrees marinated according to tradition in yogurt, herbs and spices and then slow-cooked in a clay oven to infuse meat with flavor. Choose from lamb tikka, tandoori chicken, shrimp or salmon; or order the Bhansa Tandoori Grill, which offers a variety of meats so you don’t have to choose.
Comforting tomato-based entrees include classics like Masala (a sauce named for the spice blend), which is prepared with tomato cream sauce spiced with curry and served with a protein of your choice. A blander version that’s close to nirvana is Makhani. It’s often called Butter Chicken because it adds butter to a tomato cream sauce, resulting in satiny bites of chicken bathed in luscious sauce.
Other regional favorites appearing on Bhansa’s extensive menu are Korma (a creamy coconut milk and curry sauce kissed by a delicate mix of spice, nuts and raisins); Saag (pureed spinach, cream and spice) and mounded Biryani, an aromatic Basmati rice infused with saffron and spice then mixed with vegetables, dates and nuts).
If you’re in search of heat, order Vindaloo, a brown gravy-style curry sauce studded with potatoes, onions, tomatoes and bell peppers.
The culture is known for heat that ranges from subtle to scorching—it’s called “Indian Hot” at Bhansa. The restaurant offers five heat levels to choose from, beginning with mild, less mild and nearly hot. If you’re a dare-devil, go hot and order a malty, lightly effervescent Flying Horse Royal Lager from Bangalore, India that’s easy-drinking and ideally should be ordered to calm your tastebuds.
If you’re a dare-devil and go hot with “Indian Hot” or anything less than “Nearly Hot” for the heat options at Bhansa Restaurant, order a malty, lightly effervescent Flying Horse Royal Lager from Bangalore, India. It’s easy-drinking and can calm your tastebuds. Photo by Emily Kemme.
The diverse menu offers options for vegetarian entrees, vegan, and gluten-free entrees.
Along with Indian beer selections, there are Colorado craft beers, Stella Artois, and commercial brews. The ambitious cocktail program is helmed by Prashand, who draws from his experience working in an Indian restaurant. Popular choices are the Chai martini and a mango margarita, but the full bar can mix a wide range of traditional beverages.
As a new restaurant, the atmosphere is streamlined—it could be called a dive—but the barebones decor of banquet-style tables, cozy booths and a red-and-cream brick fireplace belies the lack of aesthetic. There’s not a lot of kitsch here of the sort that’s typically found in Indian and Nepalese restaurants. Perhaps that’s because the main show—and the most important one—is what’s cooking in Bhansa’s kitchen.
Discover the delectable cuisine at Bhansa
Where: 1105 26th Avenue, Greeley, CO 80634
Hours: Monday-Saturday 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Contact: 970-939-5897 | info@thebhansa.com | www.thebhansa.com
Good info: An extensive menu serving traditional Indian and Nepali cuisine | Vegetarian, Vegan and Gluten-free options | Full bar | Good for families and large groups | Dine-in, Take-out, Delivery