off for an indian tonight, you lot choose my curry.

[HarryFossettsHat]

Ayup fellow planners.

Friday afternoon and boredom have struck, and immediately my mind wanders to food. I'm off to bradford tonight for a curry. I usually go for Karahi Gosht, Lamb Madras or a Handi Gosht (naturally accompanied with rice, naan, pickle tray and a large Kingfisher). These bore me now in a hundred different ways.

anyone else got any favourites that they'd like to share, and then I can try tonight?

For the record I like it spicy, enough to get my nose dribbling, but not too daft that I sweat blood and start to cry.

I should REALLY be trying to write a Planning Supporting Statement for an application for a new sports stand at an international standard venue, and also writing a policy appraisal for residential development on a former hospital site, but I seriously can't be arsed to do them.

[TOFB]

HFH, nice to see you checking back in. In most parts of the US, Indian food is not as big as in the UK. Bigger Cities somewhat, but here in the Midwest, Taco Bell is considered ethic food. I fondly recall a giant Indian food bender I enjoyed in Birmingham after a little pick up 'footie' (as you would say) washed down with massive quantities of ale and scrumpy.

[Jaxspra]

ughguh I shouldn't have opened this thread....I LOVE indian food and once I get my mind set on it there is no turning back...and of course everytime I eat it I end up sleepy the rest of the afternoon because I eat WAY too much. We have quite a few indian restaurants around here....thanks a lot, guess I know what i will be having for lunch!!

[JNA]

Friday afternoon and boredom have struck, and immediately my mind wanders to ______.

SAW
The proper Cyburbian response would be to
"leaving work early" or "drinking beer" or "taking a nap in my desk fort"

[HarryFossettsHat]

yeah, sorry JNA, dropped a b*ll*ck there haven't i?! How can I ever call myself a true planner But don't worry, beer will be drank, sleep will be had and desk forts built in my dreams (this is a practice yet to catch on in private practice within the UK, i feel we're missing out)

Jaxspra - apologies. Enjoy though! mmmmmm...samosa...pakora...prawn paratha... *drools on new tie*

TOFB - Taco Bell. never had one. I feel I'm not missing out on much, but then missing out on so much at the same time

[biscuit]

Man this thread is making me miss working in the city because an Indian lunch buffet sound awesome right now.

I say that you go for something creamy and relentlessly unhealthy like some chicken tikka masala, or malai kofta. Extra spicy of course.

[HarryFossettsHat]

GOOD SHOUT BISCUIT! *sticks thumb up in general direction of biscuit*

never had a malai kofta, if its on the menu I'm having it. I've no idea even what it is. I try to avoid Tikka Masala as its about as far removed from authentic Indian as Pizza Hut or Subway, it is a purely British curry (like Madras).

Knowledge is power my friend!

[Tranplanner]

The hotter the better...hopefully I will stumble across an Indian place during my site visits today.

[Maister]

The hotter the better. No comprimise. You havne't lived until you've experieced the 'tindaloo trots'!

[GeogPlanner]

my standard indian meal consists of

samosa
chicken tikka with lemon
naan (basmatia rice wrapped inside)
and a refreshing iced tea

[biscuit]

I try to avoid Tikka Masala as its about as far removed from authentic Indian as Pizza Hut or Subway, it is a purely British curry (like Madras).

I don't care if Tikka Masala originated in South Hooterville, West (by God) Virginia. It's just good food.

It just dawned on me that if I were still at the old job I would likely be leaving the office in the next half hour to enjoy "Somosa Friday" at the closest Indian buffet. That will not be happening again anytime soon now that I'm working in the land of TGIFridays and Quizno's.

[HarryFossettsHat]

I don't care if Tikka Masala originated in South Hooterville, West (by God) Virginia. It's just good food.

A very fair point!

1.5 hours til i leave work, 4 hours til i sit down to eat.

[Greenescapist]

There's a lot of Indian food where I live- I live Saag Paneer, Dal dishes, and Vindaloo fish, chicken, or just vegetables. Sometimes samosas can be good, they they are really hit or miss, I find.

[The One]

Thai Food...............Now thats a tasty meal.....

or in a lingo you might get: courtesy of the Cockney Translator at
http://www.nakedtranslations.com/en/2004/02/000068.php


Ya 'eaven and 'ell should enjoy the chuffin' thai In The Nude, includin' pad thai and thai Rosy Lee.

or even better:

Skip the bloody indian In The Nude China Plate and Scapa Fla straight ter the nearest thai restaurant for sum real asian In The Nude!

[HarryFossettsHat]

Thai would be my call, but unfortunately its my mates shout as he's leaving the Beautiful North to go back to his roots Daaaaahn Saaaaarf.

I can only do the best with whats put in front of me!

[Whose Yur Planner]

When I was growing up, some family friends were from India. I remember one night they asked us over for a home made Indian meals. That was my first experience with curry, though I think she toned it down. A quick question, does Indian food use peppermint as a condiment? I remember going to an Indian restuarant and they had little dishes of peppermint that you were supposed to put on the food.

[Jaxspra]

I am outtie to the indian buffet just across the river from me...will let you all know how it was when I get back!!

WYP - I know the Indian restaurant that I frequent has a mint sauce on the condiment side and almost any other I have been to do use mint sauce as condiment....

Lets discuss indian dessert...

[kjel]

Jax: my hands down favorite Indian dessert is ras malai.

HFH: Sorry I came to the party late today. Navratam korma, malai kofta, veg tawa, chicken or paneer makthani, and any kind of biriyani are our favorite dishes. If you can find a good dosa place you should go!

I live near Edison, NJ which is the India ex-pat center of the US. I've never eaten at an Indian restaurant here because I cook Indian food regularly and with some skill according to my Indian friends who joke that my kitchen is the best restaurant in town. Having spent a month in India I had a great time feasting on everything put in front of me and little of it resembled what is served here in the US which is largely Punjabi type fare with a little Mughal cuisine thrown in for show. Indian cuisine has a very different philosophy surrounding its food and cuisine in how they pair dishes together to make them nutritionally complete and many of the spices used have therapeutic uses to them.

[iamme]

I'm probobly a bit late to be much help, but one of my favorite dishes is Palak Paneer. It is a spinachy curry made with cheese chumks in it. It is very tasty and takes on spice very nicely.

[Planit]

One of the best meals and most fun I had going out to dinner when I was in England several years ago was going to a Balti House in Birmingham. Alas no such similar cuisine here, but 2 fairly good Thai places.

On the heat index, I enjoy mine about an 8. My mouth is watering now, but like biscuit, I'll have to settle for Moe's SW or Quizno's for lunch today.

[HarryFossettsHat]

Well chap and chappesses, after all your recommendations I plumped for my standard Lamb Karahi...I have my reasons though!

Lamb Karahi is my tester dish - its my favourite dish in my favourite restaurant so when i go somewhere new i opt for that as a comparison...geeky i know but I'm a planner, we're allowed to be geeks.

Anyway, glad I did that as it was fairly poor, and my fellow diners agreed with me as half of the other meals were swimming in ghee. Meat was far too finely chopped for my liking too reminding me a little of dog food...

We won't be rushing back. Not even much of a kick to it either. Poor show all round. In summary - avoid Mr Khan's in Bradford!

[zman]

Lamb Karahi is my tester dish - its my favourite dish in my favourite restaurant so when i go somewhere new i opt for that as a comparison...geeky i know but I'm a planner, we're allowed to be geeks.

I do this with Rueben Sandwiches.

[kjel]

I do this with Rueben Sandwiches.

That's my deli standard as well

[natski]

Nope not a fan of Indian food really- but i guess i havent had a really good meal yet.

My weakness is thai food- hmmm love it!

Its morning tea time here and im thinking about thai already

HFH i think when im in England in Sept im going to have to try some indian places to get the true british experience! Any suggestions? I will be in London, Oxford and Bath (sorry wont be visiting your region due to time constraints!)

[Dan]

Amherst, New York, a suburb of Buffalo where much of my family lives, is packed with Indian restaurants. It's a fairly diverse suburb, and it's home to the majority of Buffalo area Indians. Never eaten in any of the town's Indian restaurants, but given the large population, I'd imagine the curry wouldn't be watered down.