Sunday Night Supper: Chennai Garden

Sunday night with Shann, Noelle, Josh and Steph at my favourite Indian restaurant in the city. It was Don who introduced me to Chennai Garden early 2008, and I've been hooked ever since. Weekends are the best time to visit. Only then do they offer a repertoire of special dishes available on Saturday and Sunday. These dishes include:

- Rava Iddly - two steamed soogi flour cakes served with sambar & coconut chutney
- Kangipuram Iddly - two cream of rice cakes with green chili & cashews served with sambar & chutney
- Lemon Rice - lemon sautéed rice served with pickled vegetables, sambar & chutney
- Coconut Rice - coconut sautéed rice served with pickled vegetables, sambar & chutney
- Yogurt Rice - yogurt sautéed rice served with pickled vegetables, sambar & chutney
- Tamarind Rice- tamarind sautéed rice served with pickled vegetables, sambar & chutney
- Chole Batura - large puffy bread served with spicy chickpeas
- Uppuma - cream of wheat cooked with sautéed onion, tomato, green chili, green pea and indian herbs
- Pongal - rice and lentil cooked with spices and butter served with medu vada, sambar and chutney

The two I couldn't do without is the Chole Batura and the Lemon Rice (pictured at top). Photos can't do the sheer size of the Chole Batura justice...it is absolutely massive! Comes piping hot to the table, crisp, bubbly with a wedge of lemon to cut the grease. A dish of spicy chickpeas and raw onion slices to accompany.
On Sunday we had a few dishes off the "regular" menu as well. Palak Paneer is always a crowd pleaser...I've yet to meet anyone that isn't fond of palak paneer. All curries are priced $8-$10 and come with pilaf rice.
Other favourites (sometimes it seems like everything on the menu is a "favourite" ;) include Gunpowder Masala Dosai...a dosai with red chili powder blend, and dishes of chana dal, coconut chutney, sambar.
The Paper Masala Dosai, filled with spicy onion mashed potatoes, is a sight to behold. Also comes with coconut chutney and sambar on the side.

And Chana Masala to round out the meal :)
Oh yes, and don't forget...Masala Chai for everyone! Now our meal is complete.

Chennai Garden
129 East 27th Street
New York, NY 10016
(212) 689-1999