Saturday marks Diwali, an Indian festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil in a blaze of brightly coloured lights. Visits with friends and family are also punctuated with snacks and sweets.
Try these Indian take-out options to enjoy with loved ones on a cold weekend.
Mirchi
825-12th Ave. S.W., Calgary
(403) 245-3663
mirchirest.com
Nearby residents and taxi drivers have already figured out Mirchi’s delicious curries and spicy kebobs are a fabulous alternative to not cooking at home. The Mirchi kebob ($8.99) is mouth-watering and lives up to the billing that it has “more kick than a Bollywood hero.” Chicken karahi ($12) is fragrant and full of tender pieces of meat, kissed by fresh ginger slivers.
Tiffin Curry & Roti House
188-28th St. S.E., Calgary
(403) 273-2420
Tiffincurry.com
Three meat and three veggie curries are made fresh every day in this cafeteria-style restaurant. Lamb, beef, cauliflower and potato are all part of the rotation. Combos are well-priced: One meat and one veggie curry with rice and three rotis costs just $11.95. Tiffin is named after the stacking lunch containers that are delivered by the thousands every lunch hour to workers in Mumbai. You can buy your own re-usable thermal container from Tiffin, which then gets you 10 per cent off combo meals every time you use it.
Nirvana
5075 Falconridge Blvd. N.E., Calgary
(403) 590-9797
nirvanacalgary.com
Nirvana is a gorgeous restaurant, with high ceilings, soft chandeliers, dark wood furniture and a stone water fountain. It has a very large menu ranging from Punjab fish pakoras ($6) to South India dosas ($8) to Chinese chicken fried rice ($9). You can pop by just to visit the front dessert counter with its selection of pretty Indian sweets and pastries. Jalebi is an addictive bright-orange, deep-fried, pretzel-shaped treat soaked in syrup. Or try barfi, made of condensed milk and sugar.
