When Heena Patel first moved to the Bay Area in California, she started selling her homemade Gujarati food at the local farmers market. She’d often come home without making a profit, but she refused to give up on her dream — or her cuisine.
Patel is now the James Beard-nominated owner and chef of Besharam, a regional Gujarati restaurant in San Francisco that pays tribute to the dishes of her heritage and childhood.
“Just as my guests step outside their comfort zones, I do the same with them, trusting they’ll embrace my menu with an open mind,” Patel told Business Insider. “That’s how I hope to put Gujarati food on the map.”
Patel also hopes to help diners expand their perception of Indian cuisine. Here are her tips for finding a great Indian restaurant.
Okra and bitter melon are green flags
“Produce like okra, bitter melon, and opo squash are common in Indian cooking,” Patel said. “So if you see these ingredients on a menu, you’re in for a treat.”
One of Patel’s favorite okra dishes is bhindi masala, which she said “allows okra to shine with its crisp texture.”
A variety of regional dishes on the menu
“India has so much to offer, and each dish is rich with history,” Patel said. “Growing up, we tried foods from many different regions that have enriched my palate and helped shape me as a chef.”
“If you see menus that highlight different dishes from various regions in India, it is a good indication that the chef is focused on authentic regional cuisine,” she added.
When it comes to Gujarati dishes, Patel recommends trying rotla — a traditional flatbread which, unlike naan, is unleavened — and dhokla, a savory sponge cake.
For North Indian cuisine, Patel loves sarson ka saag — a Punjabi dish of mustard greens cooked with spices — and the lamb kebabs of Uttar Pradesh.
You can’t go wrong with vindaloo, a spicy and tangy curry dish from Goa in western India, or sambhar, a lentil-based stew from Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state. Bengal’s mishti doi dessert will give you a taste of the east, while chana samosas from Chhattisgarh will take you to India’s central region.
The bread is key
“It is definitely worth trying an Indian restaurant that makes rotis and naan in-house,” Patel told Business Insider.
Indian cuisine also features a variety of flatbreads popular in different regions. Patel recommends trying rotli, paratha, and bhakri.
And once you’ve found a great restaurant, don’t play it safe and always stick to the same dishes.
“Indian food isn’t just about individual dishes; it’s about building each bite with different flavors,” Patel said. “A curry or a dal on its own is just one part of the experience.”
“The real magic happens when you layer flavors by adding chutneys, pickles, rotis, and rice,” she added. “My advice? Trust your server.”
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