Seekh Kabab and You Shall Find

Note the lovely presentation - much nicer than eating straight from the carton while leaning over the sink...

Thursday nights are generally “on-your-own” for dinner night chez nous.  So, I ordered take-out from my favorite place in the neighborhood, Shalimar. It’s perfect for just me, since Chris won’t eat there.  Something about it being “filthy”.  Granted, it’s a little less than pristine (ahem) when compared to a nice sit-down place like Sultan.  And it can be a bit chaotic (woe to the first time visitor who doesn’t understand the “system” for obtaining food…  Even ordering take-out is almost stressful enough to require a Valium…  Though I go often enough that the gentlemen working at the counter recognize me – and always kindly fill up my Tupperware container with mint chutney – ’cause you can never have too much mint chutney). But it is so freakin’ delicious.

I had my usual order of seekh kababs – ground lamb, heavily spiced with cumin, cardomom, garlic and probably a bunch of other spices, cooked up on a skewer in the tandoori oven, with a crispy outside and a meaty interior.  My mouth is actually watering just describing them…  An order of daal, yellow lentils cooked up in a curry with chiles – spicy and comforting.  And some onion kulcha (naan stuffed with onions), always hot out of the oven, the exterior a bit crunchy with some almost-charred bits, but tender and pillowy-soft on the inside.  Plenty of mint chutney to go alongside…

I skipped the kheer for dessert (a soupy rice pudding with almonds and cardamom pods), since I’m on a slimming regimen in preparation for next weekend’s Dore Alley fair, but I can tell you from experience that it is wonderful.  Creamy and rich, but refreshing and soothing after a spicy meal.  Guess I’ll look forward to having some whenever Chris stops telling me how fat I am…  Sigh…