Raj India Cuisine

As was too busy to go to restaurant, was forced to get to-go. I still got a good idea of the place though.

LOCATION:

Nice, in the middle of a large intersection in Oakland. But with that also comes a parking problem. After circling the block several times, my mom finally found a parking spot.

DECOR/THE PLACE ITSELF:

Small, but in a cozy way. Plenty of tables, and it also has a side table/counter! It has a modern decor, with fresh flowers and classy chandeliers. One thing: the tables and chairs give off a cafeteria feel and might need to be updated to match the rest of the modern decor. A half wall sperates the kitchen noise from the dining area. A cheery bright green awning welcomes you in.

SERVICE:

Very nice, quick, polite, and spoke good english.

FOOD:

Overall, excellent.

MEAT SAMOSA-Crispy pastry stuffed with spiced peas and minced lamb. First off, DELICOUS! I loved the contrast between the mediocre flavor of the bread and the spicy ground lamb.

MIXED VEGTABLE MASALA-Mixed vegtables prepared in a secret stock with garlic, onion, ginger, fresh tomato and mild sauce. Good, nice crunch combined with a spice.

SHAHI PANEER-Homemade cheese highlighted with creamy sauce. A nice twist on the normal cheese, although on first look it seems a bit like tofu. But otherwise, good texture combo and taste.

TANDOORI PRAWN-Prawns marinated in yogurt, herbs, and spices. Awesome! Tangy and crispy.

LAMB CURRY-Lamb in a special blend herbs and spices. Good, nice texture.

LAMB SAAG-Boneless lamb cooked with fresh spinach and fresh herbs. Nice flavor, has a crunchy-creamy quality.

CHICKEN MADRAS-Chicken cooked with coconut milk in a medium spiced sauce. Perfectly spiced, with a delicously cooked chicken.

MENU-

Excellent variety of foods, convinently archived into logical headings. Easy to understand, with good descriptions (I used them, just decided to credit them here :) ).

Inside of restraunt

Street view

Dessert!

Dessert Time!

Safeway-your ticket to a better night's sleep!

Umm yeah, finally finished 1 video, although my computer crashed 6 times and I am now using my mom's computer, I finally finished 1 2.5 minute video. :)

PICTURES!

THEY HAVE ARRIVED!  The pictures (sorry, videos aren't ready yet) from Keeesha and my cooking attempt have been successfully downloaded onto this computer... which means ya'll get to see them! Unfortunatly, there aren't many pictures- only ones of the Potato Bajji and the Nimbu Pani:

Me putting a freshly fried potato slice on a paper towel!

Us tasting the Potato Bajji!

Potato Bajji arranged nicely :D

 Potato Bajji- the close up!

Our drink, Nimbu Pani, finished in a glass!

Dates! (the fruit)

        If you read my post on the Nimbu Pani drink we cooked, than you might have noticed that we used dates (not the Saturday night kind) for sweetener.
    Be back soon!!
---gracie

Fruits from India!

              Did you know there is actually a breadfruit?! Yup, it's real, and it's eaten in India! If you play ZombieFarm®, like me (I love it), than you probably unlocked breadfruit and thought that, well, it was made up. Fictional, doesn't exist. Well this proves me (and all you other nonbelievers) that the zombie is indeed real and is eaten by lots of peasants (and others, but mainly peasants) all around south Asia.  Wait... did I say zombies?! I meant breadfruit, forgive me (ha ha that was actually funny :D).  But really, I've seen pictures and it looks like a big green melon with warty skin, and unfortunately, nothing like bread.  They have large, thick leaves and a milky juice.  Breadfruit is grown on trees in south India, but also in the Caribbean and areas around the Philippines, where the plant is native.  In many tropical regions, the breadfruit is a staple food (our class learned what staple foods are on Catalina Island, and I feel good using it :D).  Now, you're probably wondering why it's called a Breadfruit. I mean, it obviously doesn't look like bread, and bread certainly does not grow on trees.  So what is a melon-looking thing doing with the name like that?  The answer lies in the flavor: cooked, it happens to taste like potatoes, or like...fresh baked bread!  Bingo! You guessed it (well, actually I wrote it down, but...)!  Breadfruit is a plant with a very high annual yield.  In southern India, a single tree can produce 150-200 fruits a year!
          Thanks for reading!
--gracie

{ Regional Cuisine of the Day } June 2nd

Today's {Regional Cuisine of the Day} is....

Oriya! (From the region Orissa)

The cuisine Oriya barely uses spices, and if it is used, very little is used. Seafood is very popular, especially crab and shrimp. Chicken and mutton are also popular. Oriya also has many desserts/sweets.

WHAT IS A TANDOOR OVEN?

         I know I've mentioned a tandoor oven before, (such as in the Tandoori Chicken at the restaurant I reviewed), but I've never actually explained what it is!  Tandoor ovens are shaped like a cylinder and are usually made of clay.  Azerbaijan, India, Turkey, Iran, Armenia, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, the Balkans, the Middle East, Central Asia, along with Burma and Bangladesh are places in which the tandoor oven is used for cooking.  A charcoal or wood fire traditionally heats the tandoor, burning inside it.  Some modern day tandoors use gas instead.  The food in the oven is exposed to "live-fire, radiant heat cooking, and hot-air, convection cooking."  The temperature in the tandoor oven can reach 900 degrees F!  Wow, now I can understand why my Tandoori Chicken was so HOT! Tandoori Chicken and Chicken Tikka can be cooked in a tandoor.   Naan, the Indian bread, is also baked in one.  
        I have to go now, but I'll add more about the tandoor later! 
    --gracie
LATER:
             Yoski! (my made up word)! I'm back with more about the tandoor oven! 

 "Tandoori" is a word that describes a dish that has been cooked in a tandoor oven, or to be more exact, it means 'pertaining to the tandoor."  Popularized during the Muslim rule in South Asia, the tandoor has travelled all the way to the Middle East with the Roma people (not actually from Rome~ the Roma people began in the Thar Desert Tribes).  Tandoori food is displayed the culinary pride of the people of India because it is prepared with great care.  The tandoor oven at Flavors of India looks different than the oven in the picture above because they are made up of different styles and materials.
     --gracie

What is "kokum"?

As you probably saw in my {Regional Cuisine of the Day} June 1st post, I mentioned "kokum". So, now you are probably wondering...what IS this kokum you speak of?

Kokum is a dark, purplish black fruit. With curled edges and a thick, plum-like skin, it resembles a citrus fruit with seeds in different chambers. It has a sweet/sour taste. It is nativeto southern regions of coastal India.

{ Regional Cuisine of the Day } June 1

Todays { Regional Cuisine of the Day } is....

Maharashtra!

Maharashtra is a combination of Goan ( See my Goan {Regional Cuisine of the Day} post), Brahmin, Malvani, ect. cuisines. But ironically it has it's own spices, and tastes too. Fish, coconuts, and rice are in abundance. If you are wondering why most {Regional Cuisine of the Day}s have fish in abundance, it's because (don't ask me why) most cuisines I choose are coastal cuisines. Kokum is also used in quite a few recipes (See my "kokum" post).