Tarrytown’s eclectic food scene is fortunate to retain Indian cuisine, now that Swagat has settled comfortably into Cafe Tandoor’s old location on Broadway. Derived from ancient Sanskrit, the Hindi word, “Swagat,” means “welcome,” and the brothers, Abu Sayed and Abu Obaidullah, together with a brother-in-law, Ibrahim Hussein, are striving to welcome visitors to the culturally rich, flavorful and healthy traditional cuisine that has been a lifetime passion for them.

Sayed has been in the restaurant business for 22 years, ever since he came to this country. “The restaurant business is hard work,” he said, “but I love it,” and this love is evident in the variety and authenticity of the menu, and in the care with which his chef cooks.

In addition to observing Halal dietary principles, Swagat concentrates on serving India’s northern regional cuisine, which is lighter than many southern Indian specialties and provides a vast array of vegetarian choices. There is no better way to dive into the fragrant, complex cuisine than to order the Mila Jhula: a choice of assorted vegetarian appetizers. This selection includes a delicate potato and pea stuffed samosa, onion bhajiya – a crisp lentil and onion fritter -- assorted pakora – fried vegetables – and tandoori sabzi- assorted vegetables broiled in the tandoor clay oven. Couple that with the assorted non-vegetarian appetizer platter, which combines chicken pakora - crisp chicken breast slivers marinated in spices, malai kabab - grilled chicken cubes marinated in sour cream with herbs and mint, and the delectable seek kebab - minced meat with aromatic herbs cooked in a tandoor. Various lentil soups are also available as a starter.

All dishes at Swagat are moderately priced and spiced: more or less spice can be requested as desired. Fourteen vegetarian specialties make choosing from the menu a serious difficulty, but you can’t go wrong with saag paneer, cubes of home-made cheese in a velvety lightly spiced spinach sauce, or baigan bhurta, delicately mashed eggplant sautéed with tomatoes, herbs and spices. Mushrooms, chickpeas, okra all get their own presentations, providing differing complex tastes in each dish.

A multitude of chicken, lamb and fish specialties cooked in the tandoor or simmered in aromatic sauces and served in festive copper bowls, are all accompanied by fragrant basmati rice. Chicken tikka masala, succulent chicken cooked in a tomato and fenugreek creamy sauce is ethereal, as is an unusual chicken nizami, chicken simmered in a peanut, almond and sesame seed sauce. Marinated meats or fish cooked in a tandoor, so healthy and flavorful from being cooked at a high heat that sears in the juices and flavor, are served with a side order of daal (lentils). Most unusual, there are a variety of goat dishes, goat being a meat that is rare on American menus, but common in India (it often also turns up in Caribbean cuisine).

Basmati rice specialties include both biryani and pulao. The chicken, lamb, shrimp or vegetable biryani are created by cooking the main ingredients separately from the rice and then gently folding it all together. For the vegetarian pulaos, rice and vegetables are simmered together and redolent of the famed Indian ingredient ghee – clarified butter.

No Indian feast is complete without a sampling of breads: fluffy yet chewy tandoor baked naan, the crispy flat bread called kulcha, stuffed with onion, cheese or spinach, deep fried fluffy poori, or whole wheat paratha, plain or stuffed with a variety of vegetables or meats. Never able to decide which one to choose, I opt for the bread basket and consume as many as possible.

If you’ve left room for desert, Swagat serves a refreshing mango ice cream, kheer, a rice pudding garnished with pistachios and raisins, or the classic gulab jamun, a lightly fried cheese ball soaked in sugar syrup.

Drinks become their own specialty at Swagat since Halal restrictions do not allow alcohol. Lassi, India’s famed yogurt drink can be ordered either sweet or salty; better yet, try the mango lassi for a real treat. Freshly squeezed lemonade or a tin ranga made with mango, cranberry and seltzer are perfect accompaniments for an Indian meal. This summer, Sayed expects to be serving cherry, orange, strawberry, pineapple and banana shakes, ideal complements for summer’s heat.

With two tandoors in action, an array of fresh ingredients, spices and herbs on hand, fair prices, and a full repertory of Indian dishes available to take out, Swagat is certainly a welcome addition to the river towns.