Star of India

FOOD

Star of India’s weekend lunch buffet offers a broad Indian meal, with clay-oven chicken and sauced dishes alongside substantial vegetarian cooking. There is room for brothy lentil soup and fried appetizers as well as the curries, while vegetable biryani, plain rice and flatbread complete the savory selection. The dishes change, so these describe the kitchen’s repertoire rather than a fixed daily lineup.

Tandoori chicken brings clay-oven roasting to the meal. The bone-in pieces have browned, charred patches across their seasoned exterior, with no surrounding curry sauce. Star of India prepares its tandoori chicken with homemade curd, herbs and spices before cooking it in a clay oven. Curd is cultured dairy, similar to yogurt, and a traditional ingredient in tandoori marinades. The marinade seasons the chicken before the oven gives its surface a roasted finish.

Chicken karahi comes with sizable pieces of onion and bell pepper in a sauce that clings to the chicken. Those vegetables are a noticeable part of Star of India’s preparation, rather than disappearing into a smooth gravy. A karahi is the deep, curved cooking pan from which the dish takes its name. Here, the chicken and vegetables remain distinct pieces within the sauce.

Chana masala gives chickpeas a full main-course treatment. The restaurant cooks them with onion, tomato, green pepper and herbs, and the whole chickpeas are coated in a thick sauce. They retain their shape, bringing a gently firm texture to the dish. Chana means chickpeas, a useful distinction when choosing between this preparation and the buffet’s lentil soup.

Saag paneer brings cooked greens and Indian fresh cheese to the vegetarian selection. Paneer is a mild, unaged cheese that holds its shape when cooked, rather than melting into the sauce. Its pieces contrast with the softer greens, and the combination is a familiar North Indian preparation. Saag refers to greens, so the name alone does not specify which leafy vegetables a kitchen uses.

Vegetable biryani gives the rice its own seasoning and vegetable accompaniment. Biryani is a spiced rice dish, rather than simply the rice served beneath a curry; the vegetable version can be enjoyed as part of a vegetarian meal or alongside chicken. Plain long-grain white rice is available too, offering a simpler accompaniment when the karahi or chana masala supplies the sauce and seasoning.

Lentils also appear in a brothy soup. Dal is a broad term used for pulses and their cooked preparations, which can range from thick to quite soupy; the specific lentil variety here is not identified. Assorted fried appetizers broaden the selection further, adding savory bites alongside the soup and curries. Their particular assortment belongs to the day’s changing spread.

Flatbread accompanies the buffet, served in folded wedges with browned, blistered patches across its surface. Tear it into pieces to gather the onion-rich karahi, chickpeas or greens and paneer. With both bread and rice available, the meal includes the familiar accompaniments to these different Indian preparations.