I've been hearing about this restaurant for more than a decade. A colleague moved to the area and India House practically achieved speed-dial status in the first month. She rated Indian food on the Sirtaj scale, so I figured that India House must be good. Recently I had a chance to find out for myself, when I made plans to take lunch to a friend and former colleague in the area, who was at home with a newborn.
Takeout lunch seemed kind of pricey, until I started unpacking the bag and discovered that two entrees with rice, bread and relishes could easily be enough to feed four or more enthusiastic diners.
When I ordered tikka masala, I flashed back to the days of ordering from Sirtaj, when there always seemed to be the voice of ... ahem ... a colleague, screaming in the background: "Tell them to make sure the white meat is juicy!" I "should of" done that. The dish was tasty, but the chicken was dry. The flavorful and mildly spicy red sauce helped a bit.
Channa saag -- chickpeas and spinach -- was the star: spicy, creamy, complex, topped with fresh cilantro and julienned fresh ginger. Very, very good.
The entrees came with a huge container of fragrant yellow rice and a couple of tangy relishes, including a brown sauce with an acidic zing. I ordered a side of raita, in case there was any fire to be put out with the nice, creamy blend of yogurt and chopped cucumbers, with a hint of mint and cilantro. And a side of dal seems practically mandatory for an Indian meal. It was ok, very thin, almost sauce consistency.
Two stuffed breads, onion kulcha (stuffed, appropriately enough, with onions, cilantro and spices) and keema nan (stuffed with ground lamb) completed the meal. We hardly put a dent in the bagful of goodies.
I'd like to check out India House again, maybe with a group, to sample more dishes. I suppose the lunch buffet would be a way to do that, or maybe I'll just pick up another bag of takeout when I go to visit the other new baby boy in northern Westchester.
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