Curry Hunt (Or, How Search is Not My Friend Today)

The help-me-find-an-Indian-restaurant is a common query on these parts, but this question is slightly different.

Okay, not really.

I frequent the Pakistani joints (Khan, Sabri), Uru-Swati, Usmaniya, and so forth; I don't have a curry joint to call my own. Naturally, an old friend is back in town this weekend and wants precisely what I draw a blank on: a good lamb curry.

Thoughts? Thanks.

Any particular location - downtown or Devon or other? & what style of lamb curry?

Howdy Chez -

I'm not a huge fan of lamb (yet, anyway) but a suggestion:
Plug in the word "gosht" into a search in the "eating in Chicago" forum. You'll have something to start with.

Sabri Nehari does a nice Karahi Gosht. Of course it is Pakastani, so it is not like an Indian curry. The dish is more like a spicy lamb stew, but it is delicious.

Sabri Nehari
2502 ½ W Devon Ave
(773) 743-6200

Isn't karahi gosht a form of lamb curry?

seebee wrote:Isn't karahi gosht a form of lamb curry?

It is indeed. It's just a type of lamb curry that's been cooked in a karahi.

Khaopaat wrote:

seebee wrote:Isn't karahi gosht a form of lamb curry?

It is indeed. It's just a type of lamb curry that's been cooked in a karahi.

I was going to ammend my post above to point that out. When I wrote that Sabri Nehari's Karahi Gosht isn't like an Indian curry, I meant that it has a thicker and meatier sauce than one associates with other types of curry, more like a lamb gravy made with tomatoes and chilis. It may not be exactly what the OP had in mind.

To clarify: definitely looking for something not of Sabri's Kahari Gosht variety, which I've had and would equate with more of, yes, a stew. I'm talking a classic Indian curry of the creamy sort.

On Devon would be nice, tambien.

thanks.

so, something like a makhani or korma would be considered more "Indian?"

(sorry to hijack, but I'm learning something here, please humor me for just a sec..)

Lamb isn't traditionally made makhani style (i.e. butter-style - it doesn't mesh well with the lamb fat, but works well with drier chicken cuts); korma is yoghurt-based rather than cream.

For lamb it would be more likely be a pasanda type curry or malai. Your best bet on Devon is Indian Garden or Tiffin, though frankly for that style of curry I think you're better off downtown at Gaylord (which had a fab "pasanda" lamb curry with cream, almonds & pista, & cardamom on their menu at Clark Street, I'm not sure if its on the current Gold Coast menu) or at India House on Grand. its not a style which I think is done well on Devon because it doesn't hold well & demands a much less fatty cut of lamb to work with the cream, & you're more likely to find that in the downtown restaurants.

seebee wrote:so, something like a makhani or korma would be considered more "Indian?"

(sorry to hijack, but I'm learning something here, please humor me for just a sec..)

Thanks for the calling out; I should have clarified that I meant classic as in "classic" to someone who has had food from the subcontinent at most three times. Her taste-memory within this culinary idiom is fledgling, you know?

If anyone has Devon suggestions, let me know--just trying to save her some Friday Night Edens grief, though that curry mentioned in Athena's post sounds great...

chezbrad wrote:...I meant classic as in "classic" to someone who has had food from the subcontinent at most three times. Her taste-memory within this culinary idiom is fledgling, you know?

If anyone has Devon suggestions, let me know--just trying to save her some Friday Night Edens grief, though that curry mentioned in Athena's post sounds great...

In that case, I probably would go with Tiffin as Athena suggested (unless somebody has a better suggestion). I have had the Lamb Pasanda there, and while it was pretty good, it was somewhat understated for my taste. However, it is probably perfect for your guest, and both the room and service are pleasant. Plus, while it is upscale by Devon standards, it's significantly cheaper than the downtown alternatives.

BTW, thanks Athena for the short lesson on curries, the info will come in handy.

seebee wrote:so, something like a makhani or korma would be considered more "Indian?"
(sorry to hijack, but I'm learning something here, please humor me for just a sec..)

I wouldnt consider them more or less Indian than anything else - theyre all Indian, just different kinds of Indian

Frankly, to me (having grown up in India), when I think "curry" what comes to mind for me is coconut-based curry - which I suppose is maybe from the southern part originally (though I didnt grow up in the south). Thats a very Indian curry - just more prevalent in the south.. its what is usually referred to as "curry" in India, though, and a lamb version is not the default-style (maybe more fish, shrimp etc instead, even egg). Similarly, korma's and makhani's are authentically Indian too.. but from other areas. Makhani I would not consider neccesarily a "default curry" for Indians (not referred to as "curry" in India for one)- but it is the most common form of gravy-dish in the Punjab and north India, a very large area and for a large population. And, as Athena pointed out, most often available in Chicken form - ie Chicken Makhani, or Butter Chicken (famously from Ludhiana in a book title recently discussed on here is the sort of iconic dish (you dont really hear of "Lamb makhani" much, in contrast).

To me, kadai-gosht would very much be a standard Indian curry in that broader definition, the one Iam likeliest to eat personally... but then thats because the most *popular* non-chicken meat in India overall is goat, and kadai-gosht is basically the default "goat-gravy dish" you'll get in many places. Lamb is much rarer in India in general - most popular in places like Kashmir, but really not very prevalent in the rest of the country. In terms of non-chicken meats-in-gravy-dishes, Id say "kadai gosht" is probably the iconic dish in many parts of the country.

Put it this way - if youre looking for a default lamb/goat "curry".. IMHO kadai-gosht (at Usmaniy for eg, oily in a good way, non-creamy, spicier) is the way to go for most Indians. If youre looking for a default chicken "curry".. maybe Chicken Makhani (creamy, lighter orange in color, very non-spicy) is the way to go. If youre looking for default fish curry.. then Fish Curry or Shrimp Curry is what youd look for on the menu in India (and you wont really find a great version of those anywhere in Chicago, I dont think) - non-creamy, coconut-based curry, usually hotter than the first two.

For the OP's question, a lot of the above is probably not hugely relevant For the person who has eaten Indian food only about 3 times... my guess would be that its probably the ubiquitous "Mughlai style" thats been consumed - ie tandoori chicken, creamy-non-spicy-butter-chicken etc. For that, Tiffin or India House are probably decent bets on Devon, and would provide a familiar-ish taste. (Id still suggest taking them to Khan's or Usmaniya instead though Usmaniya is a friendly enough place in terms of decor and "look", and the food is really quite non-spicy in terms of heat - request especially non-spicy there, get a kadai-chicken or kadai-gosht and my guess would be that the non-Indian-eating friend might handle it quite well).

c8w

If anyone has Devon suggestions, let me know--just trying to save her some Friday Night Edens grief, though that curry mentioned in Athena's post sounds great...

Tiffin definitely then, & there's plenty of other good options on their menu (I really like their tandoori salmon). Though I haven't tried their lamb pasanda, the lamb vindaloo is very good & would be a nice contrast if you wanted to compare lamb dishes. They also serve a respectable bhuna ghosht, which is the more traditional name for karadai dishes (bhuna literally means a dry saute & refers to the cooking style, karadai is a type of wok-like pan in which you "bhuna" spices & meat/veg etc - karadai is a more popular, modern term popularized by desis in the UK as was their use of the term "balti", literally a "bucket", which holds a wetter style curry, but neither are something you'll hear used much in North India).

c8w wrote: its probably the ubiquitous "Mughlai style" thats been consumed

Turns out this is correct: she was not referring to a Pasanda-style curry but a tomato and cream-based one. Should we still route ourselves to Tiffin and/or India House, or is there a another spot for this sort of thing?

Incidentally, her first experience with subcontinental food was a trip to Khan with me for boti, seekh kabobs, dal, et al., but she seems taken by the Anglo-cized style.

Tiffin sounds like it would fit the bill.