[YWG] Indian in Winnipeg

[prasantrin]

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Winnipeg News topic, Dejah asked about Indian food in YWG, so I decided to make it one of projects this summer. We were going to do a review of Indian buffets around town, but I prefer to focus on a couple of dishes because...well...I like to eat things I really like.

This year, the focus is on palak paneer and samosas.

Last night, as is our tradition, we went to a restaurant straight from the airport. I just wanted to go home, but my mother seemed disappointed, so I obliged.

First stop, India Palace. I have always wondered how they managed to stay in business. When they were half of Bombay Snack House, the restaurant was in the more "happening" part of Ellice, but now it's further down, located in the space where they used to hold banquets. They've been in this location for quite some time, but I haven't dined there in a very long time. They're still quite busy, though. Not so much with diners (at least not on a Thursday night), but they were doing a lot of take-out orders.

We ordered bhujia, samosas, palak paneer, chappati and mango lassi.

Bhujia is often referred to as pakora (I've been to Indian restaurants where I've asked about bhujia, and I've been told, "It's the same as pakora."), but in my experience, pakora are more like tempura--vegetables dipped in batter and fried. At India Palace (and its predecessor), it's different. It has always been a mash of things, including chickpea flour, that has been fried. I've only had it at India Palace (and BSH), and have never even seen it on the menu of other restaurants. I love it. But not any more...

The patties we had last night were thick (about 1 cm, possibly more) and dry. They used to be thinner, and fried up much darker and crisper. They also used to have more cumin in them, and that's one of the things I loved about them. The current version is not bad, and if I had never had the previous version, I might have enjoyed them more, but still, I was disappointed.

And even greater disappointment was the tamarind sauce. I think they're using tamarind concentrate to make it! It used to be made with real tamarind! It's much sweeter and more syrupy now.

Samosas came next--again, not nearly as good as they used to be. The pastry is much thicker, though is still crispy. The innards were an even bigger disappointment. I didn't see a single piece of whole coriander in the thing! Or taste it! It's still spicy, but perhaps they add some sort of powder now, because I didn't discern any chile flakes (as there used to be).

Palak paneer (spinach and paneer) is one of my favourite dishes. This version tasted a little watery, to me. It was still thick, as I think palak paneer should be, but perhaps they didn't strain the spinach enough, or perhaps they don't use as much spice in it...I don't know. But it didn't have the depth of flavour (or even much flavour at all) I'm used to.

The chappati were thin and delicate, and loaded with ghee. They didn't stand up well to being used to eat the palak paneer, but on their own they were fine. We were also served rice, which was moist (I don't think it was basmati) and tinged with tumeric. It was fine.

Mango lassi could have used more mango, but was good.

I was talking to my mother about my disappointment, and she mentioned they now hire others to make the food, whereas they used to make everything themselves. I think it's great they're doing so well that they can hire staff. But I miss the old food. I think what they serve is probably still good, but I probably won't go there again. Unless the other places in Winnipeg turn out to be worse, that is.

We also took out two gulab jamun. I wanted jilebi, too, but they were out. I haven't tried them, yet, but will report when I do.

[toweringpine]

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Winnipeg News

Bhujia is often referred to as pakora (I've been to Indian restaurants where I've asked about bhujia, and I've been told, "It's the same as pakora."), but in my experience, pakora are more like tempura--vegetables dipped in batter and fried. At India Palace (and its predecessor), it's different. It has always been a mash of things, including chickpea flour, that has been fried.

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I have had a hard time trying to sort of the various bujia, bahdji and pakoras. My father in law ( born near Calcutta ) explained to me that onions battered in gram flour are bahdjis if they have a mix of veggies they are pakora. Budjia is a mixture of vegetables cooked together with spices and is often at least partially mashed.

Every recipe from India seems to have as many variants as there as Indian households and almost as many different spellings.