Some Savory Food At Streets Of India

Having eaten at many Indian places in LA, I can honestly say that Streets Of India in Encino is one of the most authentic, yet affordable Indian restaurants. Every single time I have eaten there, the food has been consistently delicious and the service has been impeccable. Not only are the prices very reasonable, but they also featured on restaurant.com and other groupon-like deal sites. A couple of my friends and I ventured there for dinner recently, using a $25 restaurant.com gift certificate.

I began the meal with an iced chai latte ($3).

The name was a little deceiving, as it was more of a blended drink than an iced tea. It was very sweet and delicious, although it could have been more frothy. Nevertheless, it was enjoyable and washed down the meal quite well.

Next, our appetizer came out. We ordered the Samosa Plate ($4).

This normally comes with two samosas, but they were nice enough to give us three smaller samosas to make it easier for us to eat. The samosas were wonderfully fried and crispy, but the interior being perfectly spiced and having a lovely blend of peas and potatoes. The accompanying sauces worked very well, adding a light sweetness and extra spice.

Next, we had the Jackfruit Masala ($8).

I am a huge fan of jackfruit and seriously wish I could eat this stuff every day. The texture and very soft and luscious, with a savory, meaty flavor. The sauce was fairly spicy and had a light tomato flavor.

Next, we had the Vegetable Korma ($8).

The vegetable korma was also amazing. The vegetables were perfectly cooked and were soft to the bite. The sauce was so scrumptious and had a wonderfully sweet tomato flavor. It was very creamy and had a subtle taste of coconut milk.

Next, we had the Gobi Manchurian ($9).

This dish took the meal over the top. The cauliflower  and onion pieces were coated in a tempura-like batter and fried to crispy perfection. They were coated in a sweet and tangy glaze that tasted of a combination of soy sauce and tomatoes. This dish was the spiciest and left my mouth on fire.

Each dish came with a choice of rice or dal. With two of the dishes, we opted for rice, while the last, we chose the dal.

The dal was a wonderful accompaniment and was very soupy. It seemed to be more of a lentil soup than a side order of curry. It was very well-seasoned and had a mild spice.

Lastly, we had Paratha bread ($2).

Paratha is somewhere between a side dish and a dessert. The bread is lightly fried and has a slightly sweet flavor. It is covered in a thin layer of oil and is soft and delectable and easy to eat. The crust has a slightly crispy texture, almost mimicking pizza.

Overall, I loved the meal. I wish we had ordered some faux meat, as that is what differentiates Streets Of India from any ordinary Indian restaurant. Still, everything we ordered was delicious and flavorful. We all found ourselves stuffed and found that we ordered just the right amount of food. The meal was also very inexpensive at under $9 a person.