A Photo-Finish of Great North Indian Dishes at Sigree

In 2017, Anshu Seth was involved in a serious kitchen fire that left her fighting for her life. She was in the ICU for three months, and doctors feared that Anshu would never work in a kitchen again.

Not only did she return, but she also revitalized a once struggling restaurant that was on the brink of folding. Mohit Seth, Anshu’s husband, spoke with us about his wife’s incredible resolve.

“We were near closure,” Mohit says. “But because of her, we not only survived but persevered. Anshu built Sigree with her will and determination.”

Together, Anshu and Mohit own Sigree Indian Cuisine in Addison, at Belt Line and Midway. Mohit says that Anshu is the culinary engine behind Sigree, which offers an extensive menu of North Indian-influenced fare. Because of the abundance of tempting options, choosing from the menu can be a battle. We wanted to try it all and second-guessed our picks more than once. Fortunately, it’s hard to go wrong.

Before ordering, each table gets papadam, a wafer-thin dough of black gram bean flour, baked until cracker dry and served with savory green chutney and sweet tamarind chutney.
We started with an order of the lahasuni gobi ($8.99), which is battered cauliflower glazed in a sweet and spicy garlic chili sauce. This plate brings some legitimate heat, but you can have the spice level turned down when ordering. We were big fans of this vibrant appetizer.

An order of cream cheese cutlets ($5.99) — deep-fried potato patties and paneer cream cheese — was also a hit with the table.

As we polished off the appetizers, our parade of entrées began to roll out. We wondered if we had bitten off more than we could chew.
The tandoori chicken ($10.99) is marinated in yogurt, roasted in a tandoor and served still sizzling. The lamb rogan josh ($15.99), a bold tomato curry with tender braised lamb, is doused heavily with paprika, turmeric, cardamom and cinnamon. This is an intensely rich dish.

We rounded out our meal with saag paneer ($12.99), puréed spinach stewed with spices like coriander and laced with cubes of addictive paneer cheese. This was a needed change of pace from our otherwise meat-heavy entrées.

If we had to pick a star of the evening, the chicken korma ($14.99) gets the nod in a photo finish. A milder, creamier curry with a tinge of sweetness poured over rice, it was outstanding.

Against all odds, we managed to save enough room for one dessert to share. The rabdi ($4.99) is sweetened condensed milk reduced on low heat, chilled and then topped with nuts. Deliciously effective in its simplicity.

Sigree Indian Cuisine, 4145 Belt Line Road, No. 218. Tuesday–Thursday 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m.–10:00 p.m.; Friday 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m.–11:00 p.m.; Saturday noon–3:00 p.m., 5:30 p.m.–11:00 p.m.; Sunday noon–3:00 p.m., 5:30–9:00 p.m.