Pakistani in South Florida

10436 W. Atlantic Blvd. Coral Springs

954-752-2226

Since it debuted in 2008, India Garden has revamped and refined its sprawling menu, which passes through Kerala and Goa, Indo-China and Sri Lanka. You'll still find familiar dishes in tikka masala and vindaloo and korma, but some of the more adventurous options like duck vellayappam flavored with toddy, kingfish moilee, and cashew-filled chettinadu have been removed. But there's still plenty to pause ovr, like Manchurian chicken made with soy and coriander, and Kerala fish curry with tamarind and mustard. A large list of vegetarian options, crisp dosai, excellent lassis, and a huge buffet round out the menu.

1 article

India House

1711 University Dr. Plantation

954-565-5701

Indian, Pakistani, Recommended, Menu

Since moving from its Oakland Park location to this western Broward spot inside a Quality Inn, India House has continued to turn out stellar food. Its menu is a train ticket through India, stopping in Portuguese-influenced Goa with Goan fish and vinegary vindaloos, weaving through Northern Punjab with its hot-iron "tawa" dishes, even trucking to the south for dosai and Keralese stir-fries. The sheer number of selections can be daunting, but a simple start is best: Perfectly fried and seasoned vegetable pakora ($3.95) are dynamite with the array of homemade chutneys (particularly the anise-studded tamarind variety). So are the wafer-thin lentil papad dropped at each table, and damn, they pair well with a crisp Taj Mahal lager. The quirky hotel setting is strange at first, a little dated with plastic potted plants and banquet-style seating. But it's easy to forget about that in the busy restaurant while chowing down on spicy pieces of karhai-cooked chicken or sizzling tandoor.

2 articles

Indian American Restaurant

8270 Griffin Rd., Davie Fort Lauderdale

954-680-1916

American, Indian, Pakistani, Critics' Pick, Slideshow

Called Indian American, this Davie eatery is a bit of a misnomer. Chef/owner and Pakistani-native Syed Chisti is enthralled by food from all over the world. Indian food, like butter chicken and chicken tikka, are on the menu. But he also serves an array of American and Pakistani fare. Thereâ??s everything you can imagine: pancakes, waffles, omelets, crepes, pizzas, burgers, sandwiches. But the real draw is the rarer options. Try the Nihari, a traditional Pakistani brown stew filled with fragrant spices and ingredients, such as ginger, jalapenos, and garam masala. Similar to Indian cuisine, itâ??s worth checking out.

1 article

Madras Cafe

1434 S. Powerline Rd. Pompano Beach

954-818-0217

Indian, Pakistani, Critics' Pick

Despite a sizable Broward population of immigrants from the subcontinent where vegetarian cooking is a high art, there's a dearth of Indian restaurants here willing to venture into the uncommon cuisine of southern India. But Madras continues to buck the trends, serving idli, sambar, and those delectable little savory doughnuts called dhai vada, plus lesser-known dishes from the southern coast - like the marvelous, hot sour Malabar fish stew made with kingfish and curry leaves. Excellently cooked North Indian clay-oven specials are here too, like chicken tandoori marinated in yogurt that falls off the bone in one lovely bite. And anybody still craving lamb vindaloo and chicken korma won't go hungry. Read our full review.

4 articles

Nirala Sweets BBQ

8913 W. Oakland Park Blvd., Sunrise Plantation

954-578-9060

Bakery, Indian, Pakistani, Recommended, Menu

In 2004, this small Indian storefront sweet shop expanded into the Texas-themed room next door from a forgotten barbecue joint. The deeply strange space now offers the usual weekday Indian lunch buffet alongside the less usual, like kebabs, paya (gelatinous cow foot), and a weekend brunch of halwa puri -- flatbread served with a thick, sweet farina spread and hot, sour pickles. But Nirala truly shines with its namesake sweets. It's the sole American outpost of 58 stores worldwide, and four generations of the Shabbir family make, among other things, their exemplary jalebi, deep-fried spirals of syrup best experienced fresh with still-liquid centers. Or try the kalakand, a concoction of cheese curds, pistachios, sugar, butter, and cardamom. Heavenly.

2 articles

Royal India

3801 Griffin Rd. Fort Lauderdale

954-964-0071

Indian, Pakistani, Recommended, Menu

Excellent spicing distinguishes this crown jewel from the pretenders that crowd the county. Samosas, pakora, and onion bhajia are all grease-free and crisp, and a half-dozen varieties of pliant naan challenge the decisionmaker. Lamb saag and butter shrimp rival each other for succulence. Terrific chutneys, pappadam, and raita at Fort Lauderdale's Royal India.

Taj Fine Indian Cuisine

201 SE 15th Terrace #101 Deerfield Beach

954-427-0423

Indian, Pakistani, Recommended, Best Of, Menu

There's no better way to mop up a sauce made from fresh tomatoes, green peppers, onions, and the remnants of perfectly cooked chunks of tender lamb than with a piece of Taj's chewy onion kulcha, a bread baked on hot tandoor walls. Every dish here is unique, intensely aromatic, with a mixture of spices unlike any of its neighbors. Colors and textures vary from the odd, sweet, brilliantly red pickled potatoes served at the lunch buffet to the dense brown blanket of the mashed eggplant bharta, the soulful green gravy of buttery spinach and cheese saag paneer, the butter and cream-colored chicken korma studded with raisins and almonds, or the bright-pink, yogurt-infused, fall-off-the-bone tandoori chicken pieces. Taj's channa masala manages to be head-clearingly spicy and still intensely comforting. A buffet lunch, served daily, features Punjab-Bengali standbys; dinner is a la carte.

2 articles

Udipi Cafe

2100 N. University Dr. Plantation

954-748-5660

Indian, Pakistani, Vegan, Vegetarian, Recommended, Menu

Our version of the national South Indian chain, Udipi serves exotica like the mildly sour iddly, steamed rice and bean-flour cakes dipped in yogurt/coconut chutney and lentil sauces; the vada, fried lentil doughnuts; and paneer pakoras, fingers of homemade cheese in chickpea sauce. There's "street food" like stuffed puris filled with potatoes, rice, onion, tomatoes, and cilantro and a full list of dosai, some as long as a grown man's arm - enormous rice, bean flour, and cream-of-wheat crepes to pull apart and eat with sambar and chutney. You'll see the gigantic puffballs of filled baturas going by and the house specialties, like pesarat uppuma made of ground moong dal, rice, and cream of wheat with onions and chilies. It's almost impossible to stagger away from Udipi having spent more than 15 bucks, making it one of Broward's most interesting cheap-grub destinations and an absolute paradise for teetotaling vegetarians.

1 article

Usmania

8251 W. Sunrise Blvd. Plantation

954-839-7949

Indian, Pakistani, Recommended

Usmania is the lone South Florida location of the popular Pakistani franchise with outposts in Karachi, Pakistan, and Chicago. It's run by Aftab Katia and his wife, Fouzia, two natives of Karachi with a background in catering. The place is a real family affair: Their children work in the restaurant, and on weekends, it fills with members of a tight-knit community of immigrants. The restaurant makes a host of common Indian and Pakistani dishes like butter chicken, tandoori meats, and korma. But it also serves menu items that you won't find in many local restaurants - some more adventurous than others. There are Indo-Chinese dishes, vegetarian specialties, and biryani. More intriguing options like nihari (Pakistani beef stew), haleem (a thick meat porridge), and brain masala are tempting and rewarding fare.

1 article

Zaika Grill

1491 N. Palm Ave. Pembroke Pines

954-391-9919

Pakistani, Indian, Menu, Slideshow

1 article

Pakistani in South Florida

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