EVERETT – With the opening of Mumtaj Indian Cuisine less than a month ago, Everett’s downtown added a new ethnic option.
Mumtaj is decorated with embroidered wall hangings from India. When I visited for lunch on a recent Saturday, Indian music played softly in the background as I was instantly greeted just inside the door.
At first, I was the only customer. But others soon followed, taking advantage of the $6.99 all-you-can-eat lunch buffet that features 40 selections. My server indicated that the selections change daily so some of the choices will be different when you visit.
I went down the line of covered dishes four times. On my first trip, I filled my plate with salad selections that included potato and macaroni salad, spiced carrot strips and two cucumber dishes. One mixed cucumbers with yogurt and the second combined cucumbers with bell peppers and onions in a vinaigrette dressing. All of my choices were good, but the spiced carrots captured my taste buds.
On my second visit to the food line, I focused on the meat selections. I scooped up a few lamb meatballs, a piece of tandoori chicken, some chicken curry and a little tomato butter chicken. The lamb meatballs in rich gravy were delicious, as was the spicy chicken curry. The aroma of the tandoori chicken was as enticing as the flavor. But, the tomato butter chicken won my heart. It’s a specialty of Mumtaj and deserves its status at the top of the menu.
Indian cuisine offers the widest and best vegetarian selections. After a long holiday in the heart of America’s cattle country, I needed veggies. My third platter was filled with vegetable curry, saag aloo, which is spinach cooked with potatoes and Indian spices, and aloo ghobi, a combination of braised cauliflower and potatoes with a secret combination of spices. I added a serving of basmati rice accented with carrots and celery and naan bread. Once again, everything was delicious, but the vegetable curry, with chunks of eggplant and slices of okra, became my instant favorite.
I ended with a dish of rice pudding, accented with cashews, and a serving of mango custard pudding. Throughout my meal, I enjoyed a glass of mango lasse, which is made with mango juice and yogurt. The rice pudding is one of my favorites, and Mumtaj makes a good one, but the mango custard isn’t on every Indian restaurant’s menu. It’s as delicious as it is different.
For those new to Indian cuisine, Mumtaj’s extensive buffet serves dishes that will let the novice select something familiar. For example, an excellent lunch can be made from the mixed green salad with a standard dressing, beef pepper steak or tandoori chicken, basmati rice, naan bread and rice pudding. Add some vegetable curry for spice and variety, and you’ve begun your adventure into Indian cuisine.
Herald restaurant reviewers accept no invitations to review, but readers’ suggestions are always welcome. Reviewers arrive unannounced, and The Herald pays their tabs.
Anna Poole: features@heraldnet.com.
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