City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (515) 279-2118

Address: 5514 Douglas Ave.

Description: It’s a bit of a drive out to this restaurant, on a commercial strip near Merle Hay Mall, and the setting is institutional and uninspiring, but it’s still worth the trip: This is good Indian food with pungent flavors that don’t get too spicy. Appetizers are very modestly priced, giving you the opportunity to try several items, with the vegetable platter serving up an array of items, including samosas and crackling hot papadum. The tandoori chicken comes out sizzling and is juicy and tasty, with its red skin positively glowing. Lamb vindaloo, which is one of the hotter items on the menu, has just the right mixture of spices, and a nice ratio of lamb to potatoes in the greenish sauce. The curries are good as well, especially the chicken, which sits in an amber sauce, as is the chicken tikka masala. Other choices include chicken tikka and seafood options like saag shrimp, lobster masala, and karahi shrimp. Naan bread is puffy and hot-out-of-the-oven fresh. There are several vegetarian options, including saag paneer, alu gobhi, malal kofta, and mushroom matar, a vegan option of fresh peas with mushrooms. The rice pudding is a nice end-of-meal palate cleanser. Lunch buffet served on weekdays. Closed Sunday.