Dish of the Month (DoTM) – APRIL 2017 – SOUTH ASIAN

i went into this in a recent DOTM nomination thread. back in the CH days, i was IMO curtly admonished for suggesting a nomination deemed too broad. the curtness combined with the apparent inconsistency of application of standard put me off more than i should have allowed it to. but i would be remiss not to acknowledge that i kinda know what i like, and when i’m curious, i’m very curious, and when i’m not curious, i’m often completely indifferent.

Yeah, I think @paranoidgarliclover is more easy going. I know I’ve gotten persnickety about posting things mostly eaten that month. But that’s my problem and not a rule :wink:.

FWIW, the comment did not come from the person administrating DOTM on CH.

Well then f-em.


Chicken Dum Biryani (Biriyani), Chicken Samosa, Naan


I didn’t have the vegetable samosa, but the chicken was delicious :relaxed:; slightly spicy, sautéed ground chicken in a nice, flaky wrapper. I believe the naan is leavened, but it reminded me of a thin, soft, matzo cracker. The sample of biryani (flavored rice, chix, spices) was good enough to take an order home.

Butter Chicken, Basmati Rice, Daal (yellow lentils), Goat Curry, Bengan (eggplant), Condiments of Mint Sauce, Raita (yogurt, cucumber, mint) & Achaar (tart, pickled vedg/fruit)


The red sauce is hiding the tender pieces of white meat chicken in the butter chix dish; it was my favorite of the combo tray.

Buffet

A full menu & buffet is available

Indian Ground Chicken Tacos - When fusion goes well


These had everything you’d expect in a taco but w/the surprising twist of Masala seasoning. The spices on the tacos have a slightly milder heat (less garam :relieved:).

I misspoke when writing of Samosa House’s spice level “Don’t let the friendly vegetarian label fool you.” S.H. is a picnic compared to Masala Grill :fire:! You nutty heat lovers will get the works: sweat, runny nose, inflamed stomach… Ahh joy!

Masala Grill Indian Fusion Kitchen
5607 San Vicente Blvd
Miracle-Mile

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i bear the person no ill will.

secretasianman: if it was me who “curtly admonished” you, please let me apologize. my intention was to be an easy-going secretary of the DOTM thread.

thanks, neal, i appreciate your saying this, but it wasn’t you. and as i said before, i let the incident bother me more than it should have.

Sorry @nosh. I didn’t mean you. You seemed pretty easy going on the CH DoTM thread as well.

It was my favorite thread… next to the oddly fascinating cookbook-ers.

I wanted a lil snack, so I wandered into Samosa House East in Culver and tried their Dahi Puri. First time trying this dish anywhere, actually. I really enjoyed them. Great crunches to be had. The spice was nice. And the yogurt was a babbling brook.

As I sat outside by the fragrant jasmine, they walked around, handing out samosas on the house. The samosa was OK, but it was an awfully nice gesture and makes me want to return again soon.


blurry picture taken from Yelp

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Well, that took a little googling :relaxed:. Were yours the mashed potato or chickpeas?

I agree about the samosas. But yes, they are nice people; one gave me a tutorial on their wall art of Hindu goddesses.

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Chickpeaz

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The samosas seem crispier and lighter at the Westt Washington location. And they have a great grocery store with tons of imported English items: candies, Maggi, Violet honeycomb bars, Marmite, beans, plus all those seasoning packets that English people use to make curry at home.

I don’t really eat any of that, but my expat friends and family love whenever I show up with that stuff.

11510 W Washington Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90066
http://www.samosahouse.com
(310) 398-6766

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Hi Bookwich -

That seems to be the concensus. I’ll check them out when on that side again. That’s what I liked about Saffron’s samosas - lighter, crispier, fillings weren’t dense.

You’re a spice girl, so I’m curious; what do you think of the “seasoning packets” for curry? I haven’t made it to @Jemange’s rec Spice Station in Silverlake, but I’m tired of one note store bought.

Thanks!

I don’t like Indian curries, so I haven’t tried them myself. But it’s one of those things people use for a quick weeknight dinner, similarl to taco seasoning packets here.

My niece loves them, she spent her formative years in London, then came back here for college and deciding what to do for the rest of her life. She uses the packets I give her to make curries when she gets homesick.

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Okay, thanks.

I like Indian curries, but nope, the taco seasoning version of curry is not what I’m looking for.

That’s cute about your niece though. We all have those little comfort things that may not be haute cuisine, but bring back a feeling or memory.

:curry:

Just had another outstanding meal at Zafran Pot. Chicken chops with vegetable biryani. Buffet is great but be sure to order off the menu for the best experience.

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Karachi-style chicken biryani from Zam Zam Market. So friggin’ good. @skramzlife, this is the place you need to go for your fix. They prepare fresh batches at 3-4pm daily and have lamb on Saturday. Be sure to call ahead to reserve your food.

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I know we’re not doing DoTM :disappointed_relieved: but I think these threads are still handy when searching for a particular food - a sort of one stop shopping thread.

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