I’m heading off to India and Nepal this Spring (that is, assuming the snow melts and Spring actually arrives). I’ve never been to India before and as is my usual practice, I decided to do some pre-journey research. When I mention to others that I will be visiting India they always seem to ask how I like Indian food. Well, to be honest, I have never before even sampled Indian food. After all, I grew up in Michigan and live in the Kansas City area. That’s pretty much Mid-America. I can tell you lots about barbecue – but Indian Cuisine? Not so much. That being the case, I figured it was time to explore some of this Indian food. Food – that’s my favorite kind of research (right after research on photography gear that is.)
With the help of my iPhone and the app “Yelp” I discovered a number of restaurants specializing in Indian Cuisine. And much to my surprise, one receiving outstanding reviews is only about two miles from my home. So, armed with an address, a growing hunger, and a sense of adventure I headed out for Korma Sutra which bills itself as offering “Sensuous Cuisine of India.” Sound interesting? You bet!
Korma Sutra is a modest little restaurant located in a somewhat upscale corner strip mall. It’s definitely not “glitzy” or ostentatious. If you didn’t know it was there – you wouldn’t notice it. But it enjoys a good reputation and even on a midweek night the majority of tables were occupied. That was encouraging.
Being a total Indian Food Novice, I spent some time with the menu which fortunately was written in English and provided some basic description of items. I was there for research and it seemed I should try something that sounded truly Indian so I selected the Lamb Masala which the menu describes as “Tender, boneless lamb in tandoor clay oven with rich Indian spices, raisins, and cashews.” It’s served with saffron basmati rice. I ordered some traditional Indian Naan (flat bread) to compliment the meal.
Waiting for my meal, the proprietor provided some delicious chai along with a tasty little appetizer. Various reviews of this restaurant had mentioned the gregarious hospitality of the owner and he was true to form during my visit, engaging me as well as other diners with comments and conversation in a pleasant, fun loving and welcoming manner.
I didn’t want to make too big a deal of photographing in the restaurant, but here are a couple of quick iPhone grab shots of my meal. The presentation at the table is much better than shown here – trust me.
Feeling adventurous, I ordered my Masala “medium spicy”. It was delicious. A tasty sauce with the medium spice working for my midwestern palate. The chunks of lamb were plentiful, tender, and delicious.
I had previously 
heard of Naan but this was another first encounter for me. The serving consisted of two large pieces of nicely browned naan – warm, soft and delicious – it was the perfect accompaniment to the Masala.
I have to say that I consider this, my first exposure to Indian Cuisine, to be a big “win.” There may be those that might say that this was perhaps a bit of an Americanized version of Indian food and I’m in no position to argue or debate. But even if that is so, it’s still a whole lot closer to authentic Indian food than I have ever been. I loved it. I will definitely return to Korma Sutra to do further “research” in the future. (I’ll also slow down and try to provide some better photos.) And I’m feeling a bit more confident of my ability to eat well on my upcoming Journey to India.
Experience the Food …… And Enjoy The Adventure!
Dr.B, The Photo Trekker
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