Punjab Palace

You know it's an authentic Indian restaurant when there's a tv with Bollywood music videos playing continuously in the background. (This did result in my wanting to dance in he middle of the restaurant, but I held back.) Punjab Palace in Allston is just a stone's throw from my front door and though I'd passed it countless times and heard good things, I never tried it out until this week. I'm a big fan of Indian food and I've had some great authentic Indian meals before (the best was in Brick Lane, London, I must say) so my standards are pretty high. And Punjab Palace is quite good.

Punjabi cuisine, from the Punjab region of northwest India, is diverse and filled with vegetarian dishes. Vegetable dishes with paneer, as well as the popular Tandoori food preparation, are typical of Punjabi cuisine; pakoras and naan bread are also classic staples. So it was only fitting that we sample the lot at Punjab Palace, from the vegetable samosas to the onion naan - their homemade bread selection has a variety of savory and sweet breads, from garlic naan or keema pratha (whole wheat tava bread stuffed with minced lamb and peas), to pashwari naan, made with coconut, raisin, and honey. From the extensive vegetarian menu including various traditional combinations of chickpeas, potatoes, and lentils we selected the dal makhani - I love these creamed lentils and suggest that if you like spicy, go for the extra spicy! The delicate flavor is naturally mild and takes well to extra heat. They also have okra cooked in Indian spices, a definite must-try for culinary novices experimenting with real Indian food.

In addition to Punjab Palace's separate Tandoori menu, another sign of its authenticity is the absence of beef on the menu - meat options are lamb, chicken, seafood and goat, but following Hindu tradition cow is considered sacred - Hindu cooking is heavily vegetarian, in fact - (and Muslim law deems pork unclean) so the red meat of choice is lamb. For each protein at Punjab Palace are the classic masala, curry, vindaloo, and saag (spinach), and many more to choose from, so it's a good place to dine out with large groups so everyone can share. And of course finish it off with a cool and creamy mango lassi! And a Bollywood dance party ...