Indian style

Vegetable tawa, rice, paneer tikka masala:

Out to Lunch: Spice South

The wonders of a good Indian lunch buffet. This lunch at Spice South was a big splurge, calorie-wise. I'm not sure where I'd even start trying to calculate calories. But it was delicious. The great thing about Spice South is that they don't dumb down the spices for the lunch buffet - this stuff is serious. Also, in some Indian restaurants everything tastes kind of the same. These folks make each dish taste distinct.

Plate of vegetarian dishes:

Clockwise from the top there's green peas and carrots, potatoes in stew, okra and green peppers, a pappadam, and dry-cooked potatoes. 

Plate of chicken:

Clockwise from the top, tandoori chicken, curry chicken, naan, and chicken tikka masala.

And dessert:

Warm rice pudding with raisins and spices (predominantly cardamom).

A big meal, and a splurge, but I did try to keep it from becoming a total pig-out. I took small portions of each dish, did not eat rice (except for dessert), and only had one piece of naan.

As I always say to myself in this kind of situation, "All you can eat" doesn't have to mean "Eat all you can!"

Indian Style

Dal Makhani (black lentils and kidney beans in a spicy cream sauce) and Mutter Paneer (fresh cheese and green peas in a spicy sauce) with brown rice.

How did I learn to make these exotic delicacies? Easy! I bought these spice mixes at an international grocery store, and followed the instructions on the back.

Leftover Lunch: Chana Masala with Naan

Today's lunch is what remains of last night's dinner: about 3/4 cup of Chana Masala and half a piece of Trader Joe's naan.

It tastes better than it looks, I swear!

Chana masala: 250 calories (est.)
1/2 piece naan: 125 calories