Indian spices and their health benefits

Indian food is considered as one of the healthiest cuisines of the world. Different cooking styles from different states of India have adapted methods of cooking which uses minimum oil. However it is rich, colorful and full of texture.

To understand the health aspect of Indian curries one has to refer to the various spices and ingredients used in the cooking process.  Most of the spices used are believed to have medicinal values, high in anti oxidants and digestive qualities. They are combined carefully with other ingredients to make it balanced and wholesome.

Pictures by Joey Armstrong

Indian food served at restaurants around the world is enhanced with cream, butter, clarified butter (Ghee) and nuts to make it thick and rich. Examples of these preparations are Butter Chicken, Chicken Korma, Tikka masala etc. However these preparations are only served on special occasions and festivals as a treat.

Homemade curries in India as a part of daily dining mostly contains curries prepared from fresh vegetables, free run chicken, fresh eggs, sauces based on natural ingredients such as onions, tomatoes, tamarind, coconut milk and Lentils. They are usually accompanied by brown rice, rotis and Chapattis which are made from whole wheat and sometimes with multigrain.

Spices and its medicinal values

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a rich source of anti-oxidant, eases digestion, reduces cholesterol levels and blood sugar

Cloves

An active component in clove lends it anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory  properties used to reduce toothache and stomach ache.

Ginger

Ginger is used widely to soothe many medical conditions as it contains components like gingerols, zingibain, bisabolenel, oleoresins, zingiberole. It is used naturally to treat nausea from morning sickness, treat nausea related to motion sickness. Anti-inflammatory properties help ease muscle and joint pain, stimulate circulation, and ease bronchitis and congestion

Turmeric

Often referred as” King of spices” turmeric is used in almost all the curries due to its significance. It is naturally used as anti inflammatory and as a promising diet aid in reducing belly fat. It is also high in anti oxidants and used as home remedy for cuts and wounds

Bay Leaf

Bay leaf has an active ingredient called “Parthenolides” it is helpful in curing migraines and often acts as a natural stress reliever.

Garlic

Garlic is proven to be an anti-septic and helps to cure blemishes and wounds. It is rich in components which help to control cholesterol. It is also known to reduce blood clotting and aids blood circulation

Cardamom

Commonly called as elaichi, cardamom helps in countering stomach acidity it also acts as a great aphrodisiac when its powder is mixed with coffee or tea. It generates appetite, aids in nausea and takes care of the bad breath problem.

Indian Spices when used in right combination can be very beneficial to maintain a good lifestyle.  Even today they are used in Ayurveda which is Indian medicinal practice appeared during the Vedic period in India. Ayurveda is believed to be based on 5 elements of the world earth(Pritvi), water(Jala), Air(Vayu), fire(Agni)  and human body.  It is also sub categorized into Chyle or Plasma, Blood or Ratka, Flesh or masa, fat or medha , Bone marrow or Asti majja and Semen or Sukra Dathu

It is believed that Indian spices help to balance and maintain all the elements of human body mentioned in ayurveda .

These spices should be used as a part of prudent lifestyle. These spices are not medicine and not meant to be eaten raw.

Favorite Indian Resaurant in 2012: Reader’s Choice, NorthShore News

Palki North Vancouver has been chosen yet again by the readers of NorthShore News as their Favorite Indian Restaurant in North Vancouver.

We would like to thank our patrons and employees for contributing to our success.

Palki first opened up its doors in North Vancouver in 2000 and has been going strong for the past 12 years. The word ‘PALKI’ showcases a tradition as old as the sub-continent we call India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.  It is a carriage, painstakingly made of wood and decorated with fine stones, intricate carving and adorned with fresh flowers and garlands.  It is a vehicle on the most momentous journey’s of our lives we call ‘Marriage’.  It also took Nobles and Kinsmen on important tours across the country.

Founder Mr Bhupinder Mroke believes in the philosophy “Athithi Devo Bava” which is words of wisdom from Sanskrit language literally means “Guest is God” . Mr Mroke’s theory as a restauranteur is to prioritize guests before anything. Mr Mroke thinks that is his sole recipe for success.

Palki has been dishing out quality Indian food to its guests since the day it opened and  it is soon set for a major makeover to give its patrons a brand new elegant decor, authentic Indian food and exceptional service.

Palki’s patrons and Indian food lovers from Northshore have something to look forward to in coming months.

Dal Makhani

Dal Makhani Recipe, Oberoi Style: The Original Recipe sourced from the Chefs

One thing always guaranteed to melt the heart of everyone at your table is Dal Makhani.

Makhani is the Hindi word for “buttery”, and this sure lives up to its name of Buttery Lentils!

Source : Inspired by a great dal at the Oberoi group of hotels, India
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 15 mins plus soaking time
Cooking time: 1.5 hour
Serves: 4 – 6 people, depending how you use it

ingredients
150g whole urad dal (black lentils)
50g rajma (red kidney beans)
50g channa dal (Bengal gram dal, also Ok to use chickpeas/garbanzo beans)
10g ginger, peeled
2 – 3 garlic cloves
2 green chillies
salt to taste

for tadka
50g ghee
1 tspn cumin
2 – 3 garlic cloves
pinch asafoetida powder
0.5 tspn fenugreek seed
100g tomato paste or puree

to finish
100g butter
30 ml cream
0.5 tspn or more chilli powder
0.5 tspn garam masala

method
Soak all of the lentils (urad, rajma and channa dal) in water for 6 hours, or preferably overnight. Wash four times, changing the water each time.

Chop the garlic, ginger and green chillies finely.

Boil all of the lentils with the ginger, garlic, green chillies and salt, and simmer until lentils are well cooked. Drain off excess water and mash the lentils lightly with the back of a ladle.

To make the tadka, heat the ghee or oil in a heavy pan until hot, and add the cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds, and stir until they crackle. Add the garlic and fry until beginning to colour. Add the asafoetida powder and tomato puree and stir for a minute. Add to the cooked dal, mixing well. Bring the dal to the boil again, adding the chilli powder, butter and cream. Simmer gently for 30 minutes.

Add the garam masala and adjust seasonings. YUM.

Tags: dal makhni, Indian Cuisine, Indian restaurants vancouver, receipe

GULAB JAMUN

Ingredients

1. All purpose flour- 1 cup
2. Milk powder-1 1/2 cups
3. Baking soda-1/4 tsp
4. Yogurt or regular heavy cream
5. Oil

For the syrup

1. Sugar- 2 1/2 to 3  cups
2. Water- 3 cups
3. Cardamon pods- 4 nos
4. Saffron -a few strands(optional)

Method

• Sift all purpose flour,milk powder and baking soda together.
• Add sufficient quantity of heavy cream or yogurt  and knead well to form a soft dough.(like chappathi dough)
• Keep aside for 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile combine sugar and water in a pan and cook for 5 minutes or  until it thickens slightly.Add cardamom pods and saffron and keep aside.
• Make small balls out of the dough( almost 25 to 28 nos) and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan and deep fry these balls over medium low heat until it turns dark golden brown in color.
• Drain these cooked balls into the sugar syrup and keep aside until the jamuns are completely soaked in the sugar syrup.

Source: KurryLeaves

Tags: Gulab jamun, indian food vancouver, palki commercial, Palki indian restaurant vancouver

History of the Naan

Naan was originally cooked at the Imperial Court in Delhi

The Naan is one of the most popular flat breads served with South Asian food. In particular, accompanying food from the Northern Area of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajizkistan and surrounding areas.

Have you ever been spoilt for choice for the vast selection of Naan today and wondered about its origin? We explore and discover more about this delightful and enjoyable flat bread which is popular in many parts of the world including the UK, USA and Canada.

The Naan originates from India but is today eaten in most types of South Asian restaurants and homes around the globe. It has transformed from a basic form of bread for many to experimental creations by chefs and food enthusiasts today with different fillings and flavours.

The first recorded history of Naan can be found in the notes of the Indo-Persian poet Amir Kushrau in 1300 AD. Naan was originally cooked at the Imperial Court in Delhi as naan-e-tunuk (light bread) and naan-e-tanuri (cooked in a tandoor oven). During the Mughal era in India from around 1526, Naan accompanied by keema or kebab was a popular breakfast food of the royals.

In 1926, overlooking the hustle and bustle of Regent Street, Veeraswamy, Britain’s oldest Indian restaurant served Naan on its menu.

Founded in 1984, Honeytop Speciality Foods became the first company in Europe to supply authentic Naan bread on a commercial scale to major retailers and restaurants. They introduced the first 13 week shelf-life flatbread.The word Naan is derived from the Persian word ‘non’ which refers to bread, and initially appeared in English Literature dating back to 1780 in a travelogue of William Tooke.

In Turkic languages, such as Uzbek, Kazakh and Uyghur, the flatbreads are known as nan.

The ingredients for making Naan usually consists of dry yeast, all-purpose flour, warm water, sugar, salt, ghee and yoghurt. The ingredients are used to make a smooth and stretchy elastic dough which is used to make Naans. Modern recipes sometimes substitute baking powder for the yeast. Milk may be used to give greater volume and thickness to the Naan.

The methods of cooking Naan have evolved over time. Naan is traditionally cooked in a tandoor, or clay oven. This is different from from roti or chapatti, which is usually cooked on a flat or slightly concave iron griddle called a tawa. However, now the method of baking is also used to make a Naan, giving you the opportunity to make them in your everyday oven. Typically, it’s served hot and brushed with ghee (clarified butter) or butter.

So which came first? The Naan, Chapatti or the Pita Bread? Actually, it was the yeast. The yeast was first used in Egypt in 4000 BC but wasn’t understood till much later. Flat breads from 4000 BC-19th Century were un-leavened. People came to grips with the process of the yeast in the 19th Century. Pitta Bread was one of the earliest form of flat bread. Naans were cooked around the 14th Century and Chapatti followed in the 16th Century.

The ‘World’s Biggest Naan Bread’ was made in 2004 by Honeytop Speciality Foods. The Naan measured exactly 10ft by 4ft and celebrated the launch of Brewers Fayre’s Curry Nights in the UK. It took over five hours to make and required eight staff to carry it!

Another major record broken with the Naan was by the restaurant called Indian Ocean. They broke the Naan World Record by making 640 Naan breads in just one hour. They out-numbered their target- 400, set by the Guinness Book of World Records. The Naans were distributed to charity and greatly appreciated by the Salvation Army Hostel in Manchester, UK.

In Birmingham’s Balti restaurants in the UK,  a ‘Family Naan’ can be ordered, which is a large table sized Naan cooked for everyone to share with their balti dish. There are also, many ethnic bakeries opening in the UK, making fresh Naans for customers at fantastic value, for example, four freshly cooked Naans for £1.

There are various derivatives of South Asian flat breads. These are: Chappatti, Bhatura, Dosa, Romali, Puri, Luchi, Tandoori Roti, Pitta Bread, Kulcha, Paratha and of course, Naan. There are also many varieties of Naan, including:

• Plain Naan – simplest form which is brushed with ghee or butter.
• Garlic Naan – topped with crushed garlic and butter.
• Kulcha Naan – has a filling of cooked onions.
• Keema Naan – includes a filling of minced lamb, mutton or goat meat.
• Roghani Naan – sprinkled with sesame seeds, and is popular in Pakistan.
• Peshawari Naan and Kashmiri Naan -  filled with a mixture of nuts and raisins including pistachios.
• Paneer Naan – stuffed with a filling of paneer (cheese) flavoured with ground coriander and paprika.
• Amritsari Naan – stuffed with mash potatoes and spices and also known as ‘Aloo Naan,’ originating from Amritsar, India.

Naans are being used as the base flat bread for many different toppings such a mixed vegetables (sabzi), grilled meats and even the advent of ‘Naan Pizza’ is being seen in stores and at dinner tables.

The Naan today is available in UK supermarkets and produced in high volumes as an accompaniment to a curry or balti; chefs are always creating new varieties of this original flat bread of the Mogul era, and people are also having a go at making it in their own homes. The Naan has made its mark in history as being a staple form of flat bread fully enjoyed by millions around the globe.

Via: Desiblitz

Tags: Indian food, naan, tandoor

Vanfoodies at Palki Indian Restaurant Commercial Drive

I’ll have to be perfectly honest, despite being a long-time Surrey resident, I have had very little experience with South Asian food.

Unlike some folks out there, I can appreciate good food from a wide range of backgrounds, and this proved to be no different.

Overview

It wasn’t long ago that I thought double dating was lame and meant for old people…but here I am in my mid 20’s on a double date. On the plus side, because there were four of us, we were led to the “VIP area” in the back of the restaurant. They had a heavy-looking low-rise table, comfy sofas with lots of pillows, and plants surrounding the area. I felt pampered.

I really appreciate restaurants that make dining a special experience. Sure good food is the most important thing, but when you show your customers that you want them to have a good time and an unique experience, they will thank you for it. (Joyce: This was a complimentary dinner so that could be why we were seated in that area. However, I’m sure you can request for it when you dine there.)

Table

What went in

The menu is very extensive, but well explained. Each item has a description below, very helpful for newbies like myself.

We start with the Wings From Hell. I’m not sure how traditional that is, but the hot sauce was very tasty (it’s more than just sauce, you can taste chunks of the aromatics in the sauce). The chicken was well fried so it still had a little crisp to it. We were given a choice of 1 to 5 from mild to hot. We picked 4 and frankly were a little disappointed. We had hoped for hotter; this was Indian food after all!

Wings from Hell

Then we proceeded with what was likely too much food for four people. We had a few orders of Tandoori Naan, Roti, Garlic Naan, and some rice. On top of that we ordered a Lamb Pasnda, Butter Chicken, Prawn Goan Curry, and Baigan Bhartha.

There’s nothing quite like fresh Naan; the garlic one won our hearts. The Roti tastes considerable healthier, and it is, made with whole wheat flour and water.

I think all curries should be served like this, bubbling slightly on a heated dish. In addition to the great presentation, it kept the dishes hot throughout the duration of the meal.

Heated Dishes

Alright let’s break down the dishes.

Lamb Pasnda:

This is the one I picked out of the menu. It’s a lamb curry marinated in a yogurt based sauce. The lamb was tender and pretty moist, especially considering the method of cooking. The sauce was not quite what I had imagined when I read “yogurt based”. It was thick and heavily seasoned, but not overly salty. There are flavours that I tasted in this dish that to this day I can’t begin to describe. This is what I love about trying out something new. It’s more than just a new restaurant, but a new experience altogether.

Lamb Pasnda

Butter Chicken:

I suppose this is the equivalent of sweet and sour pork in Chinese food. Not in terms of taste or texture, but as the stereotypical ethnic dish in the West (Joyce: translate: a must-order dish). The sauce is amazing. It’s creamy, rich, sweet, with a blast of tomatoes. The chicken on the other hand is less impressive. The breast meat is cut into huge chunks, so there was much less flavour in the meat and was a bit dry. This isn’t necessarily a bad dish, but it could’ve easily been better.

Butter Chicken

Prawn Goan Curry:

Cooked in a combination of coriander and coconut curry, this turned out to be the spiciest dish out of the four. The prawns were juicy and very fresh. Coriander, for those of you who don’t know, is also known as cilantro. I’m not typically a huge fan of cilantro, but in this case it doesn’t come through very strongly. The spiciness was rather over powering, definitely not a dish for the faint of heart. (Joyce: This is a dish that many rave about on Urbanspoon. I have to agree with them that it’s a pretty good dish. Spicy, though.)

Prawn Goan Curry

Baigan Bhartha:

This is a vegetarian curry made with eggplant, onions, and tomatoes. Arrived on the table with a thick and chunky texture, it didn’t look too appetizing. I like eggplant, onions and tomatoes, but the texture and taste didn’t do it for me. It’s the typical mushiness in vegetarian curries but this was the one dish I didn’t appreciate very well.

Baigan Bhartha

What came out

Each curry dish is about $12. The naan bread and roti are only dollars each. The wings are typical wings prices. Everything is priced right for Vancouver. The crazy part was the beer. A pint of beer was $3.25, and that’s not even a special price! Who would’ve thought this would be a great place to grab a few drinks after work? (Joyce: I had the mango lassi, and it was one of the best ones I’ve had to-date. Smooth with more of a mango taste than yogurt flavour.)

Service

No complaints here. We did get some special treatment (because let’s face it, I’m very special), but the other customers got the same warm and welcoming attitude that we did.

Conclusion

This was a great learning experience for me, and what I learned the most was that I don’t know nearly enough about South Asian cuisine. I simply can’t comprehend some of the intricate spices and the flavours they brought on. I guess I’ll just have eat more of it…such a chore.

With that said, Palki Restaurant was a helluva experience for the inexperienced. Go give it a try.

Rating

(Max Score: 10; Base Score: 5)

What went in (+/-2, 0) = 1
What came out (+/-1, 0) = 0
Service (+/-1, 0) = 1
Mr.’s Bonus (+/-1) = 1

Total Score – 8/10

Palki Restaurant
1130 Commercial Drive
Vancouver

Tags: Commercial drive, Indian Cuisine, indian food vancouver, Indian restaurants vancouver, Palki indian restaurant vancouver, Palki Re

Food Queen on Palki

Palki

Palki is an Indian restaurant located on Commercial Drive in Vancouver. The inside of the restaurant is modern and clean but still has traditional Indian touches. It was a lot nicer inside than a lot of Indian restaurants I’ve been to and it was the perfect atmosphere for a nice relaxing dinner.

The menu looked like a little book which I thought was cute. The menu was full of a variety of appetizers, tandoor specials and different meat and vegetarian curry dishes.

I love mangoes and fruity drinks so I started off by ordering a mango lassi. The mango lassi was my favourite part of the whole meal. I don’t mean that as any insult to the food because it was also good but I found this drink especially delicious. Burger Knight isn’t a huge fan of mangoes and he had one sip of mine and had to order one. The drink was sweet but it was offset by the tartness of the yogurt. I was told that they make their own yogurt in house and I definitely noticed a difference because it was deliciously thick and creamy. The mango flavor stood out which I liked because sometimes mango is gets over shadowed by other flavors. I highly recommend this drink.

For an appetizer we ordered chicken pakora. The boneless pieces of chicken were juicy and very large especially compared to other restaurants. The batter was crispy and light and they were served fresh and hot. We both really liked this dish and it was our favourite of the night.

The chicken was served with two dipping sauces. The green one is a mint cilantro sauce and the brown one is a sweet tamarind sauce. Both of the sauces were tasty and flavorful and it was hard to decide which one was better. I slightly preferred the mint cilantro sauce since its one of my favourite spices but the tamarind was so different it was hard to compare them.

Next up was the chicken tikka dish which was pieces of boneless chicken marinated in yogurt and Indian spiced and grilled in the tandoor. The flavor of the yogurt stood out in the chicken and the meat was moist. The plate comes out sizzling hot and I like the smokey flavor that cooking it in the tandoor adds to the meat.

For a curry dish we ordered the beef vindaloo at a medium level of spice. I don’t see tons of beef curry dishes on Indian menus so I was interested to try one. Vindaloo is my favourite type of curry sauce because it comes with potatoes and I like the tartness the vinegar in the sauce adds to the dish. I was surprised at how much meat was in the dish. The pieces of beef were soft and soaked up the yummy sauce nicely. The medium spice was a good balance and not overly spicy.

We also ordered some plain rice on the side to soak up the curry sauce. The rice was light and fluffy and its the perfect carrier for the extra curry sauce.

You can’t eat Indian food without ordering naan so we got an order of plain and an order of garlic. Above is a pictures of the plain naan. Call me boring but my favourite kind of naan is plain. Naan is already perfect so why mess with it by adding other things?

Burger Knight on the other hand preferred the garlic naan. Both of the naan were light and fluffy and had some nice crispy pieces on the outside from the tandoor.

Everything we ordered from Palki was fresh and tasted great. The service was very friendly and we both were thoroughly impressed with our meal. All of the dishes were good portion sizes for the price and we would come here again if we are ever in the area.

Recommendation:

Yes for authentic tasty Indian food in Vancouver.

Disclosure: I did not pay for my meal.

Tags: Commercial drive, Indian Cuisine, Indian food, indian food vancouver, palki commercial

East Van Rules

Palki Restaurant

I’ve been in the market for a good Indian place nearby for a while now, so when Palki Restaurant invited me to try them out, I told them I’d stop by the next time I had a craving for curry.

My family is nuts for Indian food, so when they arrived on Thursday, we headed pretty much straight to Palki. The facade is rather dark and unassuming, which explains why I’ve never noticed it before. It used to be a Turkish place called Rime, which I remember visiting in my pre-blogging days. Palki’s interior, done up in shades of purple, has a lovely feel which belies the reasonable prices on the menu.

Said menu has the usual suspects, along with an impressive array of other options. We all enjoyed everything we tasted. Our only complaint was that some of the naan was a bit overcooked. My sister thought the bathroom was a bit unkempt, and not in keeping with the rest of the place. I forgot to check it myself, but they may want to keep a closer eye on it. The service was super friendly and prompt.

The five of us were absolutely stuffed, some of us were tipsy, and we had substantial leftovers, so we were surprised that the bill came to less than $200 including tax and tip. I am all about cheap and delicious eats in my neighbourhood, so I’ll definitely be back to Palki!

Original Review: Click Here

Modern Mix Vancouver on Palki

In the heart of the community of restaurants on Commercial Drive is the second location of Palki, an Indian restaurant (opened by Bhupinder Mroke) for food lovers looking to experience an authentic cultural experience.  Modern Mix Vancouver writers Carolyn (lifestyle), Eudora (fashion), Alicia (fitness) and Vanessa (editor) were delighted to have the opportunity to meet together for some delicious Indian food.

Eudora’s initial thought upon walking in the restaurant was that the décor “felt more modern than other Indian restaurants she had previously been in.  Palki was very modern and sleek decor with dark colors”.  In Carolyn’s words, “deep warm purples balanced with rich orange yellow make you feel like you’ve been transported to another place. Nestled in the middle of this location is the coziest spot of all with two bench seats, a luxurious looking wooden table and striped blue and white pillows that make you feel like royalty. For someone who believes a good dining experience balances between the settings & flavors this seating arrangement was absolutely perfect.”

One of Carolyn’s favorite things about Indian food is that you get to eat with your hands. In India, they say “If you can’t trust your hands, how can you trust a fork or a spoon?”. That being said, she was delighted to use naan bread as her main utensil for the night. For lovers of bread or, naan, you will appreciate that this place makes all of their bread fresh, on site using the hot walls of a clay oven.

Garlic Naan

At Palki, it won’t take you long after your first taste to realize you will be coming back again soon. (In fact, Carolyn has already been back to Palki with her family!)  For a table of four, their recommendation is starter, plus three main dishes and of course, naan bread & rice.  Eudora’s observation is that the food was traditionally presented, in small potswhich were kept heated by candles underneath.  Here are some dishes we ordered at Palki:

• Palki’s Mixed Platter ($11.00) – Consists of Vegetable Samosa, Chicken Pakora, Vegetable Pakora. The perfect way to start your meal with a mixture of different things to try. Each item has a unique flavor that sets your appetite for the rest of the night.
• Garlic Naan ($3.00) – An Indian style garlic and basil bread. As always, a customer favourite. Palki naan is a bit different than I have had in the past in that you can actually see the little bits of garlic and spices that have been used to marinate the bread. A perfect compliment to any of the main dishes.
• Prawn Goan Curry ($13.95) – Juicy, bite-sized shrimp in a thick coconut curry sauce.
• Butter Chicken ($11.50) – Boneless chicken in a rich butter and cream sauce.
• Chicken Tikka Masala ($11.95) - An amazing dish consisting of boneless chicken cooked in a creamy potato gravy.
  bursting with flavor that will keep you wanting more. Not too spicy with just the right mix of ingredients.

Butter Chicken

Tikka Masala

Indian food is not something Carolyn can often make for herself so she truly appreciated coming across a restaurant that can help her satisfy those taste buds at an extremely affordable price.  Alicia adds, that despite Palki’s affordable pricing, she “found that both the food and the atmosphere belonged in a restaurant where you would expect to pay more”.  According to Eudora, Palki’s tried, trusted and true method of operating its restaurants and serving nothing but authentic Indian cuisine has landed them the attention of local social and food bloggers in Vancouver, who have so far, all raved about everything from their exceptional service, wide variety of menu items, and the taste of what can be considered comfort food.

And of course, what Indian meal would be complete without a cup of Chai tea? For anyone who loves a cup of warm milk tea, this was a perfect way to end and an extremely filling meal.

Tags: Commercial drive, Indian Cuisine, Indian food, indian food vancouver, palki commercial, Palki indian restaurant vancouver, restaurant

MePlusFood on Palki

For Pics click here: http://www.meplusfood.com/restaurants/palki-indian-restaurant

Last week, the manager of Palki Indian Restaurant on Commercial Drive invited us to their restaurant to taste some of their dishes.  The front of the restaurant is a bit dark, and may be a bit hard to notice (they are planning to update the front facade though). The interior looks really good, maybe because they have a nice purple colour on the walls, similar to our MePlusFood purple.

Anyways, upon entering, we were quickly greeted by our server. Our friend was running a little bit late, so we browsed through the menu, and chatted with our very knowledgable server. He offered us some Mango Lasii, which is a house-made yogurt drink. It was delicious, and definitely recommend ordering it. It was a thinner yogurt, with mango syrup mixed in. It was very refreshing, and will help with the very flavourful and spicy food. We were also given some Papadum to start. It was very crisp, and had a lot of spices mixed in. Very flavourful as well.

For our meal, we had a couple of things that we wanted to try, but also asked our server for some recommendations. For sure, we wanted Paneer Pakora (our favourite!), Garlic Naan, and Channa Masala. The rest we left up to our server to give us some recommendations. We ended up getting a sample platter with Vegetable Pakora, Vegetable Samosas, and Chicken Pakora, Cilantro and Onion Naan, Butter Chicken (because we asked for their most popular dish), Channa Masala and Lamb Rogan Josh. We all asked for all our dishes to be “hot”.

This is definitely the best Paneer Pakora that I’ve had. It was fried in a spicy batter, and also stuffed with a bit of herbs. The batter was crisp, slightly airy, and very flavourful, and the paneer had a nice texture. Dipping it in the green sauce was awesome. If you haven’t had Paneer Pakora, you should definitely try it. Paneer is a type of cheese, that is kind of similar to a tofu texture. It doesn’t have that much flavour on its own, but when paired with the right ingredients (like it is here), it’s awesome! I thought the vegetable pakora was packed with flavours too, and the samosa was pretty good too. Really good with the tamarind sauce. My least favourite of the appetizers was the chicken pakora because I felt it was a bit dry and not as tender.

Our mains came out on metal serving bowls, with a candle underneath to keep it warm. We noticed that Palki used quite a bit of ginger in their dishes. My favourite of the three was the Butter Chicken. Chicken was tender, and the sauce goes really good with the rice, or sopped up with the naan. The Lamb Rogan Josh was my next favourite. I thought this had a bit too much ginger flavour though. The Channa Masala was my least favourite because I’m not a big fan of chick peas. My friend who eats it regularly said it was cooked well though, and he approves it. We asked for our meal to be hot (in terms of spicy). It didn’t hit me right away, but after a few bites then I could feel the heat. At first I was like, this wasn’t so bad, but then it gets to you after some time. It still wasn’t killer spicy, but it does have a nice heat.  The garlic and cilantro and onion naans were good too. Perfect for dipping into the really saucy dishes, but also full of flavour on their own.

For dessert, we had Kheer, and Gulab Jamun. Our favourite was definitely the Gulab Jamun. It was crazy sweet, as it’s kind of like a fried donut sitting in a very sugary syrup. It does help to clear your taste buds from all the spices. Our server said that Indian desserts are usually very sweet because of that reason. Our Indian friend said that the Kheer  (rice pudding) was decent, but one friend didn’t like it at all.

Our main server was awesome, and very accommodating. When he brought out each dish, he explained what it was, and some details on how its prepared. He kept us well informed because most of us don’t really know what goes into the preparation of Indian cuisine. I’m starting to like it more and more now, and need to venture out and try more than just Butter Chicken.

They have another location in North Vancouver which was opened 12 years ago by Bhupinder Mroke. The Commercial Drive location is newer, but still seems pretty popular locally. The North Vancouver location is really close to the Lions Gate hospital on 116 15th St East, North Vancouver.

Tags: Commercial drive, Indian food, indian food vancouver, palki commercial, Palki indian restaurant vancouver