Indian Cravings: Hema’s Kitchen

(Chicago) – I have tried a lot of Indian restaurants, mostly buffets, but I couldn’t tell whether the food is good or not.  They all taste the same to me – hot and spicy with strong curry and coconut flavors. I know it is not fair to say. For that, I badly needed some education on Indian food.

So I asked a few Indian friends in Chicago and they generously shared some thoughts about their cuisine. My baseline concept of Indian food is derived only from the restaurants I have visited. And I thought they are great Indian eateries already. “They are all crap.”, as my friend humorously corrected me.  My Indian friends know their food and I believe in them. So I asked where I should go for some distinctive and reasonably priced Indian food; they unanimously directed me to Hema’s Kitchen.

It was a slow Sunday night and my craving for something spicy was intense. I headed to Hema’s with a few friends to satisfy my cravings. These were what we got:

Sheek Khebob Roll -  sheek khebob rolled in paratha or phulka with onion, chillies, tomatoes and green chutney

Aloo Baigan Matar – Potatoes, eggplant and green peas cooked with minced onions, tomatoes, curry leaves and coconut powder

Choosa Tikka Masala – Marinated boneless chicken cooked in a rich creamy sauce

Lamb with Okra – Lamb cubes pan fried with onions, tomatoes, spices and cooked with okra.

Paratha – Hand rolled homemade wheat bread grilled with butter

Naan - leavened bread baked in the tandoor plain or butter

All dishes are hot and spicy still. But for once, I can clearly distinguish the flavor of each of the dishes. Everything remains strongly spiced but the fresh curry is appetizingly fragrant.  My friends and I enjoyed all the food brought to our table and we even asked for more Naan bread to wipe the sauce off the plate.  Food this good should never be wasted.