Friends Indian Cuisine

FOOD

Butter chicken gives Friends’ lunch buffet a creamy tomato-sauce favorite, with naan for gathering up the sauce. The rotating spread brings together poultry, vegetarian curries, rice, accompaniments and traditional sweets. Its exact selection changes; these dishes describe the buffet’s repertoire rather than a guaranteed daily lineup. The appeal is being able to try several preparations together, with another spoonful of a favorite always a tempting possibility.

Chicken curry and cashew-based chicken korma widen the sauced poultry choices. Korma puts cashews at the center of another creamy preparation, distinct from butter chicken’s tomato sauce, while chicken curry offers a spiced gravy of its own. For anyone who habitually orders the same entrée at an Indian restaurant, a buffet makes exploring those differences a modest undertaking. You can try a little korma without making it your entire lunch.

Bone-in tandoori chicken legs and thighs offer an oven-cooked alternative to the curry pans. Here the chicken itself gets more attention, with rice and condiments providing company on the plate. Raita or chutney can accompany it without adding another main dish. Between tandoori chicken and the sauced preparations, there are several ways to enjoy poultry before considering the chicken in the biryani.

Plain basmati, vegetable rice pilaf and chicken biryani give the rice selection three distinct roles. Basmati goes easily with curry sauces, while the pilaf includes vegetables in the rice. Chicken biryani combines seasoned rice and poultry as a dish in its own right. A small portion leaves room to compare it with the other preparations; rice deserves some attention even when naan was the original plan.

Palak paneer pairs Indian cheese with spinach, and aloo cholay brings potatoes and chickpeas together in a spiced sauce. Mixed vegetable curry adds another vegetarian main. Cheese, chickpeas and vegetables give these dishes different identities, making the meatless choices worth exploring alongside the chicken. A little paneer and a little aloo cholay can make a varied lunch without requiring a plate devoted to every curry available.

Aloo pakora offers potato in chickpea batter, fried as a small starter. Lentil soup provides a bowl alongside the plates, while naan supplies bread for the sauced dishes. These are useful choices to consider individually: pakora for a bite before the mains, soup for a different beginning, or bread to accompany the meal. There is no obligation to fit all three into the first trip.

Yogurt raita, green chutney and sweet-tangy tamarind chutney are worth leaving space for. Chopped red onion, citrus and salad add further accompaniments. A little chutney beside tandoori chicken or a vegetable curry lets you try a different combination without committing to another full serving. The condiments belong in the meal itself, rather than getting overlooked once the main dishes have filled the plate.

Gulab jamun and rice pudding offer two traditional sweet endings: syrup-soaked sweets or a spoonable rice dessert. Their forms are quite different, so the decision needn’t be simply whether to have dessert. A small taste of each is an appealing buffet privilege. Leaving a little room after the curries is sensible, even if lunch has already involved a fairly enthusiastic amount of naan.