On cool fall days, after an unbearably long work week, it’s good to find comfort in food: warm and spicy, heaping helpings of excellently prepared entrées and salads and desserts that never end. And you want something inexpensive in a cozy atmosphere.
Too bad Mom’s house is so far away.
Throw aside your negative impressions of buffets. Drive to that strip mall. Then slip through the double doors of India’s Restaurant and find yourself basking in another world, where all of your senses are gently titillated.
India’s has been serving curries and chutney, pakoras and paneers for nearly three decades, so it’s just like going home again.
While the buffet ($7.95) is just a shell of the extensive menu, there’s enough variety to satiate your desire for a good-for-you, delicious lunch.
Begin with the tried-and-true lettuce salad, but don’t overlook the spiced chickpeas with cucumbers or the onion salad brightened by tomatoes and peppers.
The mango chutney is pure heaven. Try it as a topping on other dishes or use it as a sweet spread on the hot, soft nan (bread).
The vegetable pakoras (fritters) – veggies rolled in layers of thin dough then deep-fried – are a crunchy-soft combination of flavors.
Although the buffet selections may change day to day, one that remains constant is the dal, a flavorful lentil and bean mixture in a delicately spiced sauce that I like to pair with rice. Saag paneer, spinach cooked with homemade cheese and spices, also has earned a favored spot on the warming table.
Two chicken dishes usually make an appearance for the midday meal: Both the tandoori chicken, marinated then roasted on skewers, and the curried chicken are excellent.
Mixed vegetables – a combination of peas, cauliflower, carrots, sweet green pepper – is another staple for the table. On this visit they were cooked to perfection and oh, so satisfying.
(I did not try the curried eggs, but another diner proclaimed them very good.)
Dessert usually is either kheer, a delicately sweet rice pudding with almonds and raisins, or gulab jamun, cream-cheese balls in syrup.
Of course, tasting one of these delights means you actually saved room after a few trips to the buffet table, a hard feat to accomplish.
It’s tempting to overindulge. The key is scrupulous sampling.
Fill your metal plate, then settle down at your white-cloth-covered table.
Order a chai or an Indian beer.
Savor each mouthful, the bright cloth ceiling decorations, the native music.
Repeat as needed.
Cynthia Pasquale: 303-954-1722 or cpasquale@denverpost.com
India’s Restaurant Indian.
3333 S. Tamarac Drive, Denver, 303-755-4284.
Lunch: Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-2:15 p.m. and noon-2:15 p.m. Saturday.
Front burner: Food that is consistently well-prepared and expertly spiced. Return for dinner and be more adventurous with your selections.
Back burner: Lunch is a busy two-hour window, so arrive early to make sure your favorites don’t run out.
Food Best
Mr. Lucky’s
Nothing amps up an appetite like raking leaves. Quit procrastinating and get yours done by lunchtime, then reward yourself with a sandwich from Mr. Lucky’s. Meat eaters should choose the Mad Cow, a stack of roast beef, provolone and horseradish mayo, while vegetarians dig into the Avocado Almond, with avocado, toasted almonds and plenty of fixin’s. Good cookies too. Free delivery within a 2-mile radius of the joint. 711 E. Sixth Ave., 303-861-5825.
Tucker Shaw
