Complicated, addictive sauces and impeccable ingredients star on the menu of this Indian restaurant that turns vegetarian food into a nuanced feast.
Dining critics and regulars rave about the creamy saag paneer, a luscious soupy blend of white, tofu-like cheese cubes and more than a dozen spices. Masalaa’s saag paneer won over my daughter, age 11, who normally shuns spinach, removing spinach shreds from soup or souffles with the meticulousness of an archaeologist picking dirt from a potsherd.
We came for Masalaa’s staggering Sunday lunch buffet, a spread of gorgeously hued vegetable, chick-pea and lentil offerings, rice, salad, lentil pancakes and those weird pastel-colored puddings that look like rejects from a Methodist potluck — a gustatorial remnant of the indignities that the English visited upon its former colony.
Instead, focus on the appetizers and main dishes. The vada (fried lentil pancakes and donuts) are crunchy, yummy and filling. Try at least two kinds of curry, along with the day’s korma (a satiny coconut-based sauce) and a couple of the masalas (potato, vegetable, chick-pea, okra) to expand your culinary horizons. Save space on your plate for the fragrant, tender rice, which helps mitigate the heat of some spices.
Discipline yourself to take only a spoonful or so of each choice instead of piling your plate high. Return visits to the buffet are part of the price, and a table-side-served dosa — a generous crepe filled with potatoes and other veggies — is included in the meal.
Masalaa serves beer and wine, but the best beverage for this food is a lassi (about $3) or chai tea (about $2). South Indian ginger coffee (about $2) is available for caffeine addicts with experimental palates.
After the meal, walk down to visit Bombay Bazaar, the Indian market in the same modest strip mall. The inventory of prepared frozen food, canned products and spices is as impressive as its assortment of Bollywood movies and music.
Claire Martin: 303-954-1477 or cmartin@denverpost.com
Masalaa Indian
Indian food
3140 S. Parker Road, Aurora; 303-755-6272 Monday through Thursday 11:30 a.m. — 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 to 10 p.m.; Friday 11:30 a.m. — 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 to 10:30 p.m.; Saturday noon to 3 p.m. and 5 to 10:30 p.m.; Sunday noon to 3 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m.
Front burner: Complex sauces, all-vegetarian buffet and menu, plus gluten-free menu
Back burner: Can be pricey — one dosa (an Indian variation on the burrito) costs $7.50
Harry’s Bar
There’s something special about hotel bars. The drinks are usually good, and you get to see — and potentially meet — people who don’t live here. Next time you’re downtown for dinner, follow up with a nightcap at Harry’s in the Magnolia Hotel, where the seats are comfortable and the martinis are cold. Easy access to taxis (or rooms upstairs) if you have one too many. 818 17th St., 303-607-9000. Tucker Shaw
