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(April 1, 2005)
I love Indian food. The tastes, the smells, the textures are all uniquely
appealing to me. And Indian cuisine has resisted the mass marketing
so common to the other chain restaurants we find in Austin. It's a business
of Mom and Pop stores usually, and today's restaurant, The Indian Palace
on Far West Bld is no exception.
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Jangir Dhillon, his wife Jassvir
and their nephew Gurjant are the owners and worker bees in this
neat little restaurant. It hasn't been discovered yet, so its' easy
to get a table. And it's worth a trip for either lunch or dinner.
There is, of course, as is common to Indian restaurants, a daily
buffet for lunch a dinner. If you're on a tight schedule or |
one of those immediate gratification types, this
is an excellent way to sample their varied fare. I like, when possible,
to order off the menu.
I usually start with some Vegetable Samosas, which
are basically the Indian equivalent of turnovers stuffed with green
peas and spiced potatoes. Also neat are the Vegetable Pakoras. This
dish features slices of onion, cauliflower, eggplant and potato lightly
fried in a piquant batter. Very tasty.
I also can't resist the Bhindi Masala. If you like Okra, you'll love
this dish. The flavors from the tomato sauce and the onions are galvanizing.
Great dish to wake up the palate. And do try the lovely Saag Panner.
This Indian favorite consists of fresh creamed spinach within which
lie chunks of savory, house made cheese. Many Indian restaurants have
compromised this dish by using canned spinach. Not the Indian Palace
though.
And of course, their traditional dishes made on
the Tandoor [oven] are as good as you'd expect from a place where the
family lavishes care and attention on every dish. The Tandoori Chicken,
[I prefer the brown meat] is moist and full of that seared flavor imparted
from the tandoor. For seafood fans, the Tandoori Shrimp, aided by an
excellent marinade, has an equally interesting and compelling flavor.
And I really like the Chicken Tikka Masala, which features roasted chicken
bits in a lovely, if slightly caloric, tomato and butter sauce. The
Lamb Korma is another stellar dish. Tender morsels of lamb cooked with
onions, tomato sauce, almonds, and raisins. You want to make sure you
try this at some point. And do order some of their Naan bread. It is
the perfect complement to Indian cuisine. Many variations of this abound:
I prefer the one with the fresh red peppers in it.
The Indian Palace, has recently acquired a beer and wine license. A
chance for you to sample some of the excellent Indian beers that go
so well with the cuisine. The address is 3616 Far West, in the first
strip mall on your right as you head north on Far West. Make it a point
to give this place a shot. You'll be glad you did.
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