RESTAURANT REVIEW
BIRYANI , ANYONE ? REVIEWED BY Monalisa Tailor , MD
I
remember when I was in high school in Bowling Green , we heard about the Indian restaurant Shalimar in Louisville . People would get it catered for their parties . There was only that restaurant plus a few in Nashville that were worth mentioning . That was now about 20 years ago , and the Indian food scene in Louisville has expanded . If I ’ m craving the classics of palak paneer ( spinach and cheese in a creamy sauce ) or biryani ( flavorful rice dish ), I ’ m going to be heading to Bombay Grill off Hurstbourne or Dakshin off Bardstown Road . We are lucky to have so many incredible Indian restaurants popping up in Louisville that explore different versions of Indian cuisine , and I want to highlight four of them for you . a street vendor and eat it as you walk . Chaat are typically covered in chutneys and some of the best delicacies you ’ ll ever have . Crispy , sweet , spicy , tangy and crunchy : you get all the flavors and textures in one . That ’ s why I love Shreeji , I ’ ve never even tried the entrees .
If you are not familiar with Indian food , ask questions , study the pictures , then ask again . My favorite is samosa chaat , a fried turnover covered in chutneys : green ( cilantro and mint , spicy ), red ( tamarind and sweet ), plus yogurt , topped with onions and sev , which are fried chickpeas chips . I love their pani poori too , it ’ s delicious , but too annoying to make at home . The poori are puffs of fried dough , easy to pop , filled with potatoes , chickpeas , onions and tomatoes . You drizzle chutneys on them and then drown them in pani ( spiced mint and tamarind water ). Not putting your own work into it makes them taste even better - bring hand wipes !
SHREEJI
You can find Shreeji in a strip mall off Hurstbourne Parkway at Bunsen Way . It ’ s one of my favorite all-vegetarian street food restaurants . In India , street food is typically called “ chaat .” You get it from
EGGHOLIC
The latest find that has , ironically , opened in the same strip mall is EggHolic . This is not vegetarian and it ’ s a franchise based out of Chicago . The concept is utilizing eggs in Surat street food . Surat is a
20 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE