Tastes Of India Spice Up Huntington
By Luann & Amanda./ foodie@longislandernews.com

Every day on Main Street can be an Indian feast if you know where to look.

Main Street’s House of India has been a family-run cultural hub for Huntington village since 2001. Celebrating 10 years this month, chef/owner Sukhdev Singh has much to be proud of, cooking up tastes from his native country for local patrons.

House of India has authenticity written all over it, from hearing tales of the homeland to the décor. During our visit last week, we listened as Singh told us of the grandeur of a two-week wedding feast back home that he recently returned from, while his wife, Ushe Rani, dressed in a beautiful pink sari, told us about traditional Indian dances and dress. The room is decorated with chandeliers and artwork of places like the Taj Mahal lines the walls.

The menu is full of traditional dishes, some of which we were familiar with and others we had never heard of. Luckily for us, our waiter, Singh’s son Kam, and his father were able to make stellar recommendations.

We started with a few Indian drink specialties. We first woke our taste buds with Mango Lassi ($4.95), a thick, smoothie-like drink made with homemade yogurt and mango flavor. We then went a little lighter with an Indian wine, a rosé from Vinsura Vineyards (2009, Nashik). A blend of Chenin blanc and cabernet, the wine is light, smooth and reminded us of a cool summer night; it complemented the spices that followed perfectly.

Both the Vegetable Samosas and Bhujia appetizers are sure winners. The samosas ($4.50 for two) are large, crisp puffs stuffed with potatoes, peas and Indian spices – a delicious teaser of what Indian food is all about. Bhujia ($5.95), a plate of vegetable fritters, reminded us much of a knish, filled with onion, green pepper, potatoes and spinach. Alongside these came an array of tasty dips and spreads – a smooth mint sauce, a cool cucumber/yogurt-like dip, zesty onion chutney which had a slight kick to it, and tamarind, a sweet brown sauce. All were excellent, though the onion chutney and tamarind delivered the most flavor.

We know nan (leavened bread) is a must-have at Indian restaurants, so we went with the Garlic version ($3.95) and something more adventurous, the Piswari nan, which ended up being one our favorite dishes of the night. Piswari nan ($5.95) is flour bread stuffed with almonds, cashews, nuts, raisins, pistachios and coconut powder.
Deliciously sweet and nutty, we could have had it for dessert.

We had trouble picking a favorite from our entrees. If you’re with a group, consider asking for one big plate of rice and sharing a few dishes; the variety is worth it.
Chicken Tandoori ($13.95 half/$24.95 full) comes out sizzling like a fajita. Served on the bone with grilled vegetables, the chicken is marinated in yogurt, garlic, ginger, vinegar and Indian spices and cooked on skewers in a charcoal clay oven. House of India makes sure to keep the chicken moist but still with a fiery barbecue-like taste to it.

We couldn’t get enough of the Butter Chicken ($16.95), boneless chicken cooked in a fresh, creamy tomato sauce, blended and smooth. This was the only dish we ordered “medium” on the spice meter – the rest we ordered mild – and the heat kept on coming, reducing the tomato flavor to merely a hint. It’s the kind of heat you love in a spicy dish.

House of India does a great job with lamb as well. In Rogan Josh ($17.95), tender lamb is cooked with yogurt, tomatoes, onions, ginger, garlic and spices in a curry sauce. With many flavors at work, they blended into a combination pleasing to the palate after the spicy Butter Chicken. Lamb Shag ($17.95) is another to try if you like spinach with some pop to it.

The restaurant also boasts an array of vegetable specialties, not surprising given our fondness of our two appetizers. We found the Channasaag ($14.95) particularly good, made with spinach and chick peas in a spicy curry sauce. It’s all the flavor without the meat.
The Chicken Tandoori, as well as other lamb, chicken and vegetable curries, is on the luncheon menu. For $9.95 Tuesday through Sunday, patrons get a curry dish, cup of soup, nan, rice and onion chutney.

The Indian specialties continue into dessert. Consider the Gulab Jamun ($4.50). Small deep-fried balls of dough are soaked in sweetness and served warm in a pool of honey syrup and rosewater. The sweet treat is a great way to end your meal.

With more on the menu we’re excited to try, we eagerly await the summer when the windows on Main Street fly open and the flavors of India come alive.

House of India
256B Main Street
Huntington village
631-271-0059
www.houseofindiarestaurant.com