Khana is a very user-friendly purveyor of Indian
cuisine. They’ll cheerfully answer any
questions which might come from the uninitiated, and believe me, I put them
through their paces. I got both a meal
and an education on my lunch hour.
Indian cuisine is all about the spices, lots of them. As many as ten spices can be combined to form
what is known as a masala, which is then used to flavor sauces, soups or a main
dish (known as a curry). This isn’t the
pitiful shake of salt and pepper Americans are used to. Exotics such as saffron, cardamom, and curry
leaves are added to more familiar players such as ginger, nutmeg, and hot chilies
to create unusual yet mouth-watering combinations.
The
Vegan Coconut Malai Curry comes with slender, long grain basmati
rice, blended with cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaves. Malai translates as “cream”, but in this vegan
incarnation it’s rich nutty coconut milk, blended with a flavorful curry.
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| The Vegan Coconut Malai Curry |
For
the side carbohydrate I substituted the traditional naan flatbread because naan
contains yogurt and egg. Paratha bread
is a flaky wheat flour creation that is India’s answer to the croissant.
My lunch partner ordered the Samosa.
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| Samosa and Sambar |
It is little crispy pastry pillows stuffed with potatoes and
peas. They are complimented by ramekins of tamarind (a pulpy fruit) and
cilantro chutney. It was a cold day, so
she also ordered the Sambar, a spicy
lentil soup with green beans, carrots and squash.
Neither of us left hungry, nor did I suffer the indigestion
for which I had braced myself. Either my
pallet has matured, or these folks really know how to make excellent Indian
food. I would check the box next to
“both of the above”.
A word about where we ate as well as what we ate. The décor is as authentic as the food. Check out the imported hand-carved pendant
lights. Khana is also eco-conscious, outfitted
with sustainably forested furniture, and using biodegradable serving ware for
to-go orders.
So, for your next vegan adventure, travel to the subcontinent,
or better yet, to 2101 North College Avenue in Fayetteville to Khana Indian
Grill.
Very interesting blog. Alot of blogs I see these days don't really provide anything that I'm interested in, but I'm most definately interested in this one. Just thought that I would post and let you know.
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