Indian takeout spot Ruby Murrays opens in Southampton market
Saag Paneer at Ruby Murrays in Southampton. Credit: Karl Ault
The streets of Southampton smelled like Indian spices on a recent Friday night as customers waited in their cars for boxes of chicken tikka masala.
Before Ruby Murrays even opened its doors for the first time in January, Edward Brooks had already sold out all his chicken tikka to those smart enough to book ahead on the website. But the lesser-known British-style curries were mostly available: braised lamb rogan josh and spinach saag paneer with a side of naan bread and soft basmati rice. The cooks fired them up in the back of the Wishbone Farms specialty food store on Hampton Road, as takeout customers queued up between the aisles of preserved lemons and organic Sfoglini pasta.
A native of Scotland, Brooks may be the first person to bring the United Kingdom's unique brand of Indian food to Long Island. Centuries of trade and colonization have made Indian flavors a major part of British cuisine and its national identity. Chicken tikka masala is widely considered the United Kingdom's national dish. It's a riff on a traditional Indian recipe with a yogurty tomato base that's been softened and adapted for British palates. Curry houses can be found in every neighborhood, and there's even a Cockney slang term for getting a curry, going out for a "Ruby Murray." (It's important to note that the word curry itself has become a controversial topic due to the way it generalizes India's vast array of sauce-based dishes.)
Brooks, a certified public accountant who moved to the Hamptons during the pandemic, had come to miss the food back home. So he found an open kitchen space and hired classically trained chef David Benavidez to execute the menu for takeout service and delivery through Ruby Murrays' website. Neither he nor general manager Ryan Glasson had ever professionally cooked Indian food. But the three worked together to perfect the dishes, starting from recipes Brooks found on the internet. They prepare everything from scratch except for the samosas and the naan bread, which requires a tandoor oven to bake.
The eight mains include vegetarian entrees such as chickpea tikka masala and cashew milk yogurt korma thickened up with diced sweet potatoes. Benavidez's interpretation of the northern Indian dish lamb saag was lighter than the typical spinach puree, with significantly less cream and spice.
For now they only deliver to the Hamptons. But business has been going so well that Brooks plans to open more takeout locations over the next few months.
"There's definitely a gap in that market, and people want more," he said.
Ruby Murrays operates out of Wishbone Farms at 54 Hampton Road, Southampton; open for takeout and delivery to the Hamptons 5-9 p.m. Friday through Sunday, rubymurrays.world
Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.
