Shalimar Restaurant: Louisville, KY
September 24, 2010
It's true what they say: you don't know what you have until it's gone. That was certainly the case when it came to me and my mom's cooking. When I was a kid, it seemed like we had Indian food for dinner all the time, but I never wanted to eat it because it was too spicy or too messy or too different. It wasn't until I was older (and slightly less...well, childish) that I realized what a privilege it was to have good, home-cooked Indian food almost any day of the week. I also realized just what a masterful cook my mom is. I remember asking her for recipes so that I could attempt to recreate some of her masterpieces. She replied that she didn't use recipes; she'd made these things so many times, she had just memorized everything in them, so I resorted to watching her and trying to write things down; this was impossible as well since she never measured anything, yet everything she ever made for us was great. And now that Tom and I live more than 600 miles away and can't just come over for dinner whenever we want, I appreciate my mom's artistry in the kitchen even more. One afternoon I found myself craving those familiar flavors while I was looking for a place to go on our next date night. Shalimar seemed like as good a place as any, and we were not disappointed. Even our drinks deserved a place in this entry.
Starter: Pappadam
They brought these out to our table when we were first seated, like how they bring you bread at other places. Now, I've heard these described as flatbread, but based on my experience, they're really more like thin wafers, made with black gram or rice flour and deep-fried. These were nice and crispy and surprisingly not oily, just something nice to snack on while waiting for our other food.
Tom's Beverage: Chai
Most people already know what chai is, but I love it so much, I'm going to talk about it anyway. It's an incredible tea that originated in South Asia and is made with tons of different spices like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and even a little bit of pepper. It's swept the US in recent years, showing up at just about any coffee shop you walk into, but the chai at Shalimar was unlike any I'd had before. First of all, it tasted like it had been brewed, not made from a powder or a syrup/concentrate. Second, it was creamy, but it tasted more like tea and less like flavored milk. And finally (this was the kicker): it tasted...nutty! I swear, I tasted some cashew in there. *sigh* Amazing. If this is how it tastes in India, someone book me a flight.
Most people already know what chai is, but I love it so much, I'm going to talk about it anyway. It's an incredible tea that originated in South Asia and is made with tons of different spices like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and even a little bit of pepper. It's swept the US in recent years, showing up at just about any coffee shop you walk into, but the chai at Shalimar was unlike any I'd had before. First of all, it tasted like it had been brewed, not made from a powder or a syrup/concentrate. Second, it was creamy, but it tasted more like tea and less like flavored milk. And finally (this was the kicker): it tasted...nutty! I swear, I tasted some cashew in there. *sigh* Amazing. If this is how it tastes in India, someone book me a flight.
My Beverage: Mango Lassi
It might just be the Indian in me, but I believe that just about anything can be made better by adding a mango. Lassi is a drink made with plain yogurt, and it can be made either sweet or savory. This one is sweet because it's blended with mango puree. It was so creamy and delicious, I could've ordered another one for dessert if I'd had any room left in my tummy. It's also an especially good choice if you order a spicy entree; Tom definitely reached for this a few times throughout the meal!
Bread: Poori
These start off as flat little rounds of dough that are deep-fried. Once they hit the oil, they puff up so the top half is thin and crispy while the bottom half is still a little soft. When I was growing up, I always considered these a special treat, and since Tom had never had them before, I insisted on ordering them. They were good for sopping up some of the different chutneys and sauces that were in other items, but as a stand-alone, I think we might have been better off with chapatis or naan.
Appetizer: Samosas
These are little triangles of dough stuffed with spicy peas and potatoes, then deep fried. Yum! And they were served with three different chutneys: mint, tamarind, and onion. All three were fabulous. The onion packed a good amount of heat, and the mint was nice and cool. I think my favorite was probably the tamarind, though. This surprised me because my previous experiences with tamarind paste were not pleasant, but this chutney was sweet and sour and just delicious.
Entree: Chicken Korma
The difficult thing for me was trying to find an entree on the menu that didn't sound like anything my mom had ever made for us. Anything else, I would've been too tempted to compare, and it probably wouldn't have been as good. But the chicken korma (pronounced KOOR-mah, as my mom later informed me) sounded different enough, so I gave it a shot. Korma is similar to curry in that it involves a sauce with a good variety of spices, but it's set apart by the addition of cashews, raisins, and just a hint of cream. Oh...wow. It was incredible! There were so many different and wonderful flavors going on all at the same time, but so well-executed: the spicy curry, the sweet raisins, the buttery cashews... And it's amazing what just a little splash of cream does for the entire dish; it just seemed to tie the whole thing together. I just can't say enough how much I enjoyed this. The chicken was cooked nicely too, but to be completely honest, I was almost full before I realized that I hadn't even tried the chicken yet; that's how good this sauce was!
I can see how Shalimar's location might be a bit misleading. It's in the middle of a shopping center, but on the inside, it's very elegant and intimate. I imagine they keep it classy for lunch as well, but maybe a bit less dramatic. Don't ever be fooled by appearances! I think Mom would approve, though. (And that's a pretty big statement!)
