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Search results for Indian

The Round-up:

• Food - 3.5 out of 5
• Service - 2.5 out of 5
• Decor - 3 out of 5
• Total - 9 out of 15

1009 Albert St., Regina, SK.
Phone: 306-543-1000

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Location, location, location.

It's the single-most important factor for many places of business.

In fact, there wouldn't be half as many Starbucks in the world if the company's executives weren't so incredibly good at sourcing hot locations in major cities.

So, if location is everything then Regina's Spices of Punjab Indian restaurant should be a massive, embarrassing flop.

Located on the main floor of the Inntowner Motel on Albert Street (yes, that motel) and tucked behind a random clothing store, Spices of Punjab should have died a slow and painful death mere months into its lifetime.

In fact, popular wisdom says that any new restaurant will go under within a year (probably sooner) if it doesn't have things right. Spices of Punjab is going on two years old. That means something -- something good.

It helps that owner Darren Singh is a member of the family that opened India House on Victoria Avenue a decade ago. India House has changed hands now, and sadly gone downhill. Still, the place was wildly popular when it first opened.

Singh continues the tradition of a tasty and reasonably priced lunch buffet from Monday to Saturday for just $10. Spices of Punjab was packed when I went a few months ago at lunch, so the food on the buffet line was fresh and hot.

Buffet choices include rice, naan, a few curries (usually one chicken, one lamb, one veggie) along with delicious bright-red Tandoori Chicken brought to your table by the servers. All said, the buffet definitely hits the spot. Even more so if you're on a short lunch.

Dinner time is quieter but more relaxing. The dining room is decorated in reds and greens with plenty of Indian artwork. As a bonus, it's bright and clean, something you wouldn't guess by looking at the motel's exterior.

On the other hand, service can be less friendly at night. Our waitress on a Thursday seemed irritated when we asked for a booth after she tried taking us to a table. It was 7 p.m. and only two other tables were seated. We didn't think getting a booth for two was such a huge deal. (The waitress later warmed up to us, for the record).

My dining companion, the World Traveller, and I placed a massive order. We'd both been craving Indian for weeks.

We started with Pakoras (deep-fried chopped vegetables with chutney) and Samosas. Then we went on to ask for Butter Chicken, Aloo Gobi (a cauliflower and potato curry), Chicken Biryani (a mixed rice dish), and Garlic Naan Bread.

The World Traveller used to live in England, where curry is as popular as submarine sandwich shops are here. She has also been practically everywhere on the planet (what gave that away?). She knows her stuff and was mostly impressed with the food, all of which got to the table in very good time.

The only disappointment for me was the Chicken Biryani. It's much smaller in size than what India House used to serve and didn't have the same flavour that I remember from years ago. Spices of Punjab has also done away with the Biryani's cashew nuts as an ingredient. Yes, cashews are expensive but they were the best part of the India House version.

I said to the World Traveller that I felt slightly guilty turning into the parking lot in front of the motel when we first arrived.

She laughed at me. Seriously though, sometimes certain people visit certain motels for certain reasons. Certainly you know what I mean?

That's OK, I will be back. Location be damned.

Spices of Punjab is worth an awkward moment or two in front of a shady motel.

spicesofpunjab.com
FYI: Website was out of date and incomplete at time of writing. Double check any information on the site by calling directly.

If you love Indian cuisine, this dish will hit the spot while trimming your waistline! It's creamy, curryful (I just made that up), and very pretty too. Our whole family loved it.

Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6
Gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, dairy-free and Trim Healthy Mama friendly!
Ingredients:

• butter or coconut oil (I use Nuvita or Tropical Traditions) for sauteing. You could also use coconut butter ghee.
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 Tbsp curry powder (or to taste)
• 1 small cauliflower, in florets
• 3 carrots, sliced diagonally (use broccoli for a THM S meal)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 cups cooked chicken, sliced in 2" pieces
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• Handful of spinach, chopped
• Sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste

Directions:
Saute onion, curry, cauliflower, and carrots in butter or coconut oil. When vegetables are tender-crisp, and garlic and chicken and saute briefly. Add coconut milk and spinach. Cover and bring to a simmer. Season with sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste.

You can make this in the morning and keep it warm in the crock pot all day.

For Trim Healthy Mamas, you can serve eat this on its own or serve over a bed of greens for a delicious, Satisfying meal. For a Crossover, serve with rice or quinoa, or enjoy inside a low-carb wrap such as Joseph's.

In the interest of full disclosure, some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I receive an affiliate commission. I only recommend products I use personally. Your purchases through these links help support Growing Home. Thank you for your continued support!
Linking to: Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, The Better Mom, Frugally Sustainable, The Prairie Homestead, Stacy Makes Cents, Gluten-Free Wednesdays

My Pinterest page has a board entitled "Feminine Flair." It's pictures are full of ruffles, lace, and lovely dresses - things that spell f-e-m-i-n-i-n-e to me. If I knew how to sew well and money was no object, I suppose I'd dress like this all the time.

The truth is, you'll often find me in a pair of blue jeans. I'm slowly building up the number of skirts in my wardrobe, but more often then not, the practicality of wearing a pair of pants with toddlers around the house and a sizable garden wins over a sweeping skirt. Some have asked why I believe it's permissible for a woman to wear pants, citing Deuteronomy 22:5 as a case for skirts only.

“A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the LORD your God."
If the reason a woman must not wear pants is because they pertain to men, what do we do with Boaz, King Saul, and Aaron who were all cited as wearing skirts or cloaks as was the custom in Biblical times? Men of ancient Greece and Rome wore skirts, as did American Indian and Scottish males.

It makes me cringe when I hear people say, "That passage of Scripture doesn't apply to me because it's relating to a cultural issue of their day." The infamous cop-out may be over used, but there is still a danger of reading into a passage in order to make it suit our fancy. Deuteronomy 22:5 is not speaking about whether a woman should wear pants or skirts, but against transvestism - cross-dressing to appear as someone of the opposite sex.

The manner in how a culture dresses differs from one era and place to the next. What doesn't change is our responsibility to appear distinctly female. To pervert our designated sexuality (which God called very good) by blurring the gender lines in the way we dress is an abomination to the Lord.

In any case, modesty is the principal of female attire. There are women, even in the church, who wear skirts that are far less modest than any pair of blue jeans I have ever seen. That's not necessarily an argument for wearing pants to church, but a plea to switch from a hooker-style skirt where the outline of your thong is clearly visible, to something that speaks of gracefulness and humility within. (1 Peter 3:3-6)

Be it pants or a skirts, a woman's job is to dress like a female. There is room for creativity and a personal sense of style in God's design. Whatever you choose to throw on in the morning, may it be something that exudes those qualities of a woman which God calls very precious in His sight: gentleness, submissiveness, and a quiet spirit.