G.R.i.D. (Get Rich in Dallas)

Last week, I finally got to check out the Clay Pit Indian restaurant in Addison up close. I was fairly excited because one party I went to was catered by the place and the food was surprisingly delicious for this non-Indian eating fool. So, it reopened my mind to the idea of giving the cuisine a try.

I had been olfactorally scarred because my dad, a chef, would make curry at home when I was a kid and let me tell you, that is some funk you do NOT want permeating the house. The grody green color and the pungent rank made me want to runaway from home more often than not. So, mind you, Indian food has just never been high on my list.

An acquaintance of mine however does PR for Clay Pit and always talked them up and then had her party with yummy treats from there. I distinctly remember the puff pastry samosas which were just to die for. So fluffy and savory, we ordered those to begin with - one chicken one veggie. They did not disappoint at all. Not that I have much to compare them too but they came off as ideally made. The chicken was flavorful and seemed plenty for the small appetizer and the vegetable was filling which usually isn’t the case for me. Although a bit on the heavy side for starters, they were a delicious beginning along with the “chips” and dips they had offered. I wasn’t feeling so afraid anymore. Although I cannot detail the rush of fear and queasiness that filled me when smelling that same odor that I had endured as a child.

Bread is never a bad thing for me either so I figured our decision to order some naan would be a good one. And it was. I forget which flavor but the bread was appropriately fresh and felt more like a puffier flour tortilla. Dipped in the yogurt based Tandoori sauce (I hope I have that name right) made it infinitely more enjoyable.

I kept thinking Clay Pit was the $hit with all these delicious offerings. And then the main course came. Feeling emboldened by the tasty food I had already eaten, I ventured into trying the lamb biryani (Ustad ki Dum Biryani) - marinated lamb with saffron flavored basmati rice, mint & spices cooked on a slow fire. Biryani in itself is a type of dish described as ” a classic Nawabi (Indian royalty) dish that is popular all over India. It is derived from the Persian word ‘Birian’, which means ‘roasted before cooking’. Biryani is a mixture of Basmati rice, meat/vegetables, yogurt and spices.”

Upon coming out, it looked like a cool pot pie. In a large bowl, the top was covered by more bread that was covering it like a lid. This made me perk up even more. I love me some pot pies. After peeling away the yummy bread, I saw a colorful mixture of rice and spices and meat. My fork dug in and then trekked into my mouth. My  mouth didn’t move right away. It was spicy. And a bitter spicy. I downed it and grabbed for my drink pronto. Oh no.

My dinner date’s meal of stuffed chicken medallions looked (and tasted) good. I looked at it with much envy but I figured I’d get through mine. I’m trying to increase my palate’s taste with hotter spicier foods so I poured on the Tandoori sauce thinking it would cool it down and make it tastier. No. And there was no salt on the table to pour on either. Plus, my tea refills were happening so fast that I couldn’t even wash it down with a nicely sweetened drink because after a drink, here came the server with the tea pitcher. I had just a tad more forkfuls of the dish and realized, this just ain’t gonna happen. This plate was gross and a double cheeseburger was sounding oh-so good. So I asked them to pack it up to go and generously donated it to my dinner date’s refrigerator. Incidentally, it Biryani doesn’t make for good leftovers either.

Being already biased against Indian food probably doesn’t help but I give myself some credit for giving it a shot and I would totally nosh on the medallions as well as more samosas. Would I go back? I’m not completely against the idea. I may try to steer the dining selection elsewhere but at least now I know what NOT to order.