India in... Humble, Texas - where yours truly hails from.
(Go Wildcats!)
(right, like this theater nerd ever actually went to a football game during any of her high school years.)
A few weeks ago (I'm super behind on blog posts, by the by), I met up with my friend Meredith and her son/my godson Lincoln for lunch at the Indian restaurant Curry Sultan in Humble, which is a northeastern suburb of Houston.
Located in a strip center - which, fun fact, I'm pretty sure once housed a Jazzercise studio (if anyone can verify this, my soul is yours) - the restaurant is basic, casual, and no-frills. Meredith has been coming here regularly and singing its praises, so I was excited to try this restaurant out!
I got there shamefully early (if anyone has learned how to correctly gauge the amount of time it takes to get from Houston to the 'burbs, my soul and my FitBit are yours), so I decided to order a chai tea while I waited.
I requested my tea to be mixed with almond milk in place of cow's milk to make it vegan, and I was not disappointed. It certainly wasn't as heavy or thick as standard chai tea with dairy milk, but I was okay with that. It was sweet, smooth, nutty, and tasty!
Meredith and her handsome little red-headed boy arrived, and we were presented with some crunchy noodles, which I of course could nosh on for days.
In my month+ of being a vegan, I have to admit to you all that I don't know how long it will keep up. It's not because I don't like it - In fact, I love it! Physically, I feel fantastic, and I love being able to sustain myself on foods that are free from animal products. However, even in a big city like Houston, it is very tricky learning how to navigate dining out.
Case in point - Curry Sultan is an Indian food restaurant, so really, how hard can it be to eat there as a vegan? Not hard, BUT I learned that day you have to be verrrry careful when reading menus. Several dishes on the menu were labeled "vegan," but they in fact contained paneer (cheese). I asked them if maybe it was a vegan cheese they used, and they said no, it had milk in it.
So read the descriptions people!
I read the descriptions and chatted with the friendly wait staff, and I decided to start with the masala papads for my first course of food.
This was by far one of the most unique Indian dishes I've tried here in Greater Houston. Thin, crisp, disc-shaped "toast" made with lentil and rice flour was served with a side mixture of onions, potatoes, and green chilies. The discs were nutty, earthy, and had an unusual (but good) fragrance. Even though the toasts had a light layer of a silky oil coating around them, they still managed to be firm. I broke these into little pieces for Lincoln and he seemed into it, except for when he threw it on the floor (if anyone can teach me how to speak "baby," my soul and my FitBit and all of my Candy Crush boosters are yours). The accompanying mixture of veggies was fluffy and light, and added a nice contrast to the papads.
For my final round of food, I ordered the Aloo matar. Spiced potatoes and peas were simmered gently in a tomato-based sauce, and served with a side of rice. The aloo matar was a thick, acidic, aromatic, hearty stew, and I absolutely adored every bite! The rice leveled out some of the acidity, and added a softness to this earthy, stick-to-your-bones (yet healthy) dish. It was absolutely fabulous.
If you find yourself in the Humble/Kingwood suburbs of Houston, and you're having a hankering for some good Indian food, you can't go wrong with the restaurant Curry Sultan!
(If you take me there, my soul and my FitBit and all of my candy crush boosters and my two Kenny G. CDs from the 90s are yours.)
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