We made a quick trip to Benton and Bryant yesterday, about 45 miles one-way. Our first stop was at a furniture store; we do not need any furniture, but my favorite wife decided she needed to see what sort of stuff the place stocks, anyway. Then, we went to Sutherland’s, a building supply place, like Home Depot or Lowes, but grittier and closer to the old-style lumberyard/home center.
From there, we headed over to Bryant to find Desi Den, an Indian restaurant we’d seen during a stayover in Benton on a house-hunting trip a few months ago. They have a lunch buffet Thursday through Saturday, we learned…a good lunch buffet including saag paneer, aloo gobi, chana masala, baingan bartha, chicken korma, chicken tikka masala, naan, etc., etc. The regular menu includes a number of lamb and goat dishes, including vindaloo…one of my favorites. I asked if the vindaloos are ever included on the buffet. “No, they are very spicy,” was the reply. There were other menu items that looked interesting, things with which I was unfamiliar until searching them out after we got home: chicken jalfrezi, kadal chicken, and shahi bhindi. We left satisfied, carrying a paper copy of their menu and a commitment to return.
Next stop, Target, where among other things on the shopping list was Mexican oregano, something not stocked by the stores in Hot Springs. We found that the Target does not carry it, either. But having just had a wonderful Indian lunch, we were delighted to find that an item my wife bought on a whim the last visit was still in stock. Last time in the store, she picked up an item from a clearance table; it was Target’s own brand (Archer Farms) of an “Indian-Inspired Vindaloo Meal Kit.” Normally, in my experience, such stuff is far from satisfactory, but this stuff was actually very good and very spicy! After we had that “kit,” we went online to find that it has been discontinued…oh, no, no more Archer Farms Indian-Inspired Vindaloo Meal Kit! But yesterday, we found, and bought, the six remaining boxes from the store. Though I prefer to make my Indian food from scratch, these “kits” are exceptional, especially for the price we paid: $1.98 per box. The spices, alone, would cost more than that, if I were to make it on my own. And the kit includes everything (even basmati rice) but the meat.
Once home, I used half of the giant zucchini we bought on Thursday to make dinner, cutting it into chunks, mixing it with tomatoes and Italian seasonings, and cooking it in a pot on top of the stove. Though it took quite some time for the zucchini to get tender, it was a pretty decent vegetarian meal, all we needed after the lunch buffet.
As I was finishing up the last of my bowl of zucchini, I began thinking how I might prepare the other half. Aha! In place of the Italian seasonings, I can use sambar powder to give it an entirely different flavor. My mind is still on Indian food.
