Pickled goat. Actually, it’s called goat pickle. No, it’s not like pickled herring or even pickled pigs feet.
We learned about goat pickle at the new Aman Cuisine of India in a strip mall just off Mukilteo Speedway. Aren’t so many great little restaurants in our county located in strip malls?
Anyway, my co-worker, Phyllis Date, lives nearby and had dined previously at Aman. She’s the one who ordered ahead to get the goat pickle. It’s not on the takeout menu, so you know it’s a specialty.
It takes two days to make it (soaking first in vinegar or lime juice), and it results in a wonderful stew that is not sour, gamy or chewy.
The goat meat often is stewed with garlic, turmeric, chili powder, nigella seeds, fennel, cumin, cardamom, cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon, salt and sometimes nuts.
Our serving of goat pickle ($12.95) was made with goat ribs, and the meat was very tender. We were pleasantly surprised, having gone to the restaurant with pickled pigs feet on our minds.
First we enjoyed vegetable samosas, which are crispy pyramid-shaped mashed potatoes and peas; vegetable pakora, made with garden vegetables fried in chickpea batter; spinach naan, which is leavened bread stuffed with spinach, nuts and chopped garlic — all for $3.95 each; and vegetable biryani, which is basmati rice with vegetables, nuts and spices served with raita, a yogurt-cucumber sauce for $11.95.
If you are a vegetarian, Aman is a great place to eat, with many vegetable entrees.
For our main dishes, however, we stuck with meat. We ordered butter chicken, which was served in a creamy tomato gravy for $12.95; lamb coconut curry for $13.95, and, of course, the goat pickle.
(If this sounds like a lot of food, it was. However, my husband dined with me and Phyllis, and I ate the leftovers for lunch the next day.)
My chai tea was the best I’ve ever had. Not too sweet.
Next time I visit Aman, I am going to try the chicken saag masala — which Phyllis raves about — the coconut prawn curry and, for dessert, the rasmali, which are cheese patties in milk with cardamom and topped with grated pistachios.
So glad Phyllis tipped us off to Aman. And that she ordered the pickled goat.
Aman Cuisine of India
12926 Mukilteo Speedway, Suite E-15, Lynnwood; 425-322-4379; www.amancuisineofindia.com.
Hours: Lunch is served 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and noon to 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Dinner is 4:30 to 9 p.m. daily.
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