Monday, November 14, 2011

Brij Mohan Brings Exciting Flavor Combinations to Indian Fare

      I’m continuing my quest to better understand Indian cuisine with Anisha coming to my aid.  One of her favorite restaurants is Brij Mohan because of its consistent preparation, sweets, and flavors of Southern Indian fare.  Eric and Lisa had tried it out when I was out of town, so we were happy to suggest it to Marty and Michael when we decided to meet for dinner.

      It’s a storefront restaurant that’s spacious inside with orders placed at the counter.  I never know what to order so having the chance to sit, contemplate the descriptions, and go with what sounded best was all we could do.  Where was Anisha when we needed her?  Eric couldn’t remember what he and Lisa had for an appetizer (which they found to be their favorite) so we started with
the Vegetable Samosa.  The Choley Bhature seemed a good alternative to the Naan Breads (to which there were several variations) since it came with two puff sourdough breads.  For the entrée we decided to share the Navratan Korma.  Marty and Michael pretty much ordered the same thing with the exception of their main course.

      The staff was friendly, smiling, and knowledgeable.  It was a happy place and patrons were flocking to the counter to place their orders.  Selections are served on paper plates but don’t think that the casual presentation compromises the quality of their food.  

Vegetable Samosa
Arriving first at our table was the vegetable samosa.  Cooked potatoes and peas were stuffed inside the pastries, and then deep fried for the crispy outer shell.  The spices were mild and we found them to be a bit bland overall; basically, it was an Indian version of a stuffed baked potato.  It wasn’t the appetizer that Eric had previously had so he was a little disappointed.  

Choley Bhature



Choley bhature came next and was chickpeas cooked in a mild curry sauce.  Like a stew, it was tasty when combined with the sliced onion and carrot salad that accompanied it.  The two oversized deep fried puffs had a thin outer crust that was all air inside.  We chose the sourdough version and found them perfect for sopping up the beans.  

Navratan Korma
The navratan korma was our favorite.  Fresh vegetables and dried fruits cooked in a creamy gravy that had great flavors from the ingredients and a sweet aftertaste.  We love Mango Lassis and theirs were some of the creamiest and potent that we have had.  

Kakaland for Dessert
I wanted to complete our meal with one of the many desserts from the display case.  I had narrowed it down to a coconut concoction, but they did not have those that night.  Instead, I went with the Kakaland described as “a soft texture that melts in your mouth”.  We found them to be disappointing as they rather fell apart when cut with a fork.  When I asked Anisha about them she said they should have never been described in that way as they are more the consistency of cottage cheese.  That was exactly the texture they were.  I need her as a flea in my ear whenever we hit an Indian restaurant!   

Brij Mohan Indian Sweets & Restaurant on Urbanspoon





I like happy places.  It makes me think of my home.

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