lal mirch

lal mirch
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (49/143)
who knew there was excellent indian food in studio city? even though the name is unusual, lal mirch looks like many other generic indian restaurants--nice, but somewhat outdated decor with a buffet for lunch. the experience however, stood out. for me, it was love at first bite. everything we had was so good. it's the kind of indian food i crave--a rich mixture of spices in a thick sauce paired with tasty starch you eat with your hands.

the vegetable samosas, which come with a cilantro chutney and a tamarind chutney, are a perfect starter. crispy outside, spiced potatoes, corn, peas and beans. most places only have two ingredients in their samosas, but you could tell these had something extra.

the entrees we ordered, the shrimp tikka masala and vegetable korma, fueled my butter addiction. they were so amazingly crispy, perfectly spiced and creamy. i kind of wished we received more shrimp in our tikka masala, but it was fine because the sauce was a meal in itself slathered on some buttery parathas (in case all that ghee in the sauces weren't enough). i couldn't decide between naan and paratha, but either way would have been great. the parathas are like butter soaked tortillas, but with a slight crunch to them. they seem so simple at first, but the more you eat the more you want to keep dipping them in sauce and consuming until you explode.

the vegetable korma consisted of cauliflower, peas, carrots, potatoes in a turmeric yellow coconut curry. i liked the added texture and subtle nutty flavor from the coconut. i haven't tried their chicken tikka masala, which seems to be the thing to get, but judging by their shrimp tikka masala, i'm sure it's good too. tangy, sweet, salty and creamy, it brings together some fragrant spices and delicious flavors. their vegetable biryani had similar vegetables to the korma, and was also tasty and hearty--equal parts vegetables to rice.

oh, and the mango lassi i had was one of the best i have tasted. there was something much more complex here than i have had at other places. the bf doesn't like mango or yogurt, but he could appreciate the flavors.

service was so friendly and fast. this place is worth driving far to get good food.