Fried Until Dounts

So last night was a girls' night out at an Indian restaurant with Jilly Moose, OK Cap, Anna Banana II, Luxuli, and me, Famous Hat.  The restaurant we went to had both the more familiar northern India fare, such as nan bread and tandoori chicken, and southern Indian cuisine we were less familiar with.  We were starving (after watching Toy Story 3 - highly recommended!), so we ordered a northern appetizer - pekoras - and a southern appetizer.  I can't remember the name, but the description in the menu will be seared into my memory for ever:  "Fried until dounts."  I was enchanted enough by that description, but when we asked the waiter to recommend a southern appetizer, he mentioned that very item.

Unfortunately, I did not take a picture of the fried until dounts.  They were very cute and certainly appeared to be what we guessed the description was trying to get at, which was fried lentil donuts.  They looked just like little donuts, were deep fried, and tasted like they might have been made of lentils.  Luxuli and I were adventurous and ordered from the southern menu, and my meal appeared to be a giant fish pancake.  It was delicious, even if it sounds weird.  (The others got more familiar northern food, tandoori chicken and curry shrimp.)  Then we all ordered the pistachio saffron and coconut ice cream, except for Anna Banana II... but the waiter brought five and told her that hers was on the house.  What a wonderful meal!  They also gave unlimited refills on chai, so I had more than might have been advisable at that hour, but I slept well anyway.

So if you go to an Indian restaurant that served southern-style appetizers, be sure to get the fried until dounts.  The pekora was good too, but it was just deep-fried cheese.  Didn't we invent that here?  And be sure not to pass up the pistachio saffron and coconut ice cream!

Famous Hat