Indian Foods Guide

Your Guide to the Best Food on the Planet

The Best Biryani in Dallas


If you happen to live in the Dallas Forth Worth metroplex, there is no shortage of Indian and Pakistani restaurants. With over a 100 desi restaurants, there are many favorites. In this article, we will be exploring the topic of who serves the best biryani in Dallas. Having lived in this area for over 4 years, we have sampled biryanis are many restaurants and have come to the conclusion that the following places serve the best biryanis in town.

BBQ Tonite - BBQ Tonite is a Pakistani restaurant located in Carrollton just of the Bush turnpike. BBQ Tonite is located in a quiet strip mall and is easy to pass by. In our opinion they have the best biryani in Dallas. The biryani is always fresh and they use very good tender Halal meat. Their portions are generous with lot of meat. The biryanis are also flavorful but not very hot. They are reasonably priced at around $7-9/plate. If you like a good Pakistani biryani, then BBQ Tonite is highly recommended.

Al Markaz - also located off the Bush Turnpike is Al Markaz. Al Markaz is probably the most popular biryani place in Carrollton town judging by crowds on the weekend. Their biryanis are also very flavorful with good tender meat. After having sampled both Al Markaz and BBQ Tonite, we feel that the portions at Al Markaz are smaller and they put in less meat as well.


Paradise Biryani Pointe - Paradise opened sometime in 2010 in Irving and served Hyderabadi food including the popular Hyderabadi biryani. With time, the popularity of this place has grown a lot and is the best Hyderabadi biryani in town. The biryani is on the expensive side compared to the other restaurants in Irving but its still very popular because of the great taste. On weekends, you can see the biryanis flying out of the door. The demand is so high that after 11 PM, they shut down the restaurant and serve only biryanis for the late night movie and party crowd.

Spice N Rice Indian Tiffin - located in the India Bazaar strip mall in Valley Ranch, Spice N Rice is a little hole in the wall restaurant. If you are vegetarian, we highly recommend their veg biryani. At around $4-5/plate, its an amazing deal. Their food in general is quite good and very reasonable rates. Verdict - For us, we love BBQ Tonite and they remain our favorite restaurant for Biryanis in the Dallas metroplex. A few new restaurants have opened up in the city like Ziyaafat and Mughlai that we have not sampled yet. Perhaps our opinion will change.

What is your favorite biryani joint in Dallas?

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Master Chef India Season 2


The aspiring MasterChefs better gear up to cook something divine to appease those trained taste buds! Vikas Khanna will start his journey as a judge on MasterChef India 2 soon alongside Ajay Chopra and Kunal Kapoor - resident chefs from the first season. Besides these, the show will be replete with multiple celebrity guests and glamorous offsite locations.

This year in July, Vikas cooked a Saatvik meal for the Dharmic Seva Conference for Hindu American Seva Charities at the White House. Vikas started his own catering business, Lawrence Gardens, at the age of 17. He is the Executive Chef of Junoon Restaurant, a project written about widely in the New York press.  He has authored several books including The Spice Story of India, Modern Indian Cooking and Flavours First that released on 15th August, 2011.

MasterChef India changed many lives in Season 1 and showed India how a mundane activity like cooking can be a ticket to fame and success. Themed "Ab Badlo India, Apne Khaane ka Andaaz", the season aims to bring a change in the way India perceives food. Vikas Khannas gastronomic philosophy is delivering innovative & luxurious meals, laying special emphasis on ingredients, taste, flavours and textures, which have won him many hearts.
                                                                           

STAR Plus launches the second season of Indian televisions clutter breaking show, Master Chef India - Season 2. Hosted and judged by world renowned Indian Chef, Vikas Khanna, this season aims to take viewers on a never-seen-before gastronomical journey - Ab Badlo India, Apne Khaane Ka Andaaz!  Vikas has achieved what many can only dream of. He is thus the perfect role model for anyone aspiring to be the MasterChef India. His journey from Amritsar to New York has been an unbelievable journey of success!

The season begins on Star Plus on Saturday Oct 22nd. Star Plus may be available in your country. Check here for more information on Indian Television stations around the world.  


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World's Most Expensive Indian Food & Curries



Over the last couple of years, we have come across 3 Indian dishes have been deemed to be the most expensive Indian dish in their own "class". We thought it would be a good idea to showcase all the 3 dishes in one article. 

1. World's Most Expensive Curry - Samundari Khazana ($4000)
On the top of the list would be the Samundari Khazana (Treasure from the Sea) which was was created and served at the Bombay Brasserie in upmarket London. The dish was launched to mark the release of the Slumdog Millionaire DVD. The dish was a mix of caviar, sea snails, a whole lobster and even edible gold. You can see the dish being prepared at served here

2. World's Most Expensive Chutney - Chutney for Heros ($600) 
Coming in at No 2, is Chutney for Heroes from the Bindi Restaurant in London. Priced at almost $600 for a 190 ml jar, the chutney contains saffron and 23ct Edible Gold and organic produces to complement a mixture of spices to provide a mouth watering chutney. For more details visit the website

3. World's Most Expensive Butter Chicken - Anaarkali ($150)
Coming in at No 3 and seeming relatively cheap compared to the first two, is Anaarkali Butter Chicken. The Anaarkali Butter chicken is a labor of love for the chef who took almost 2 years to come up with what he felt was the best butter chicken in the world. Using special ingredients, the dish is delivered to your doorstep in a ready-to-heat container. For more details, you can read an older post we had on this dish.


Are these genuine efforts or marketing stunts? With the Samundari Khazana and Chutney, its probably a stunt to drive some attention to their restaurant. I love Indian food (did I have to mention that) and it takes me more than a couple of tries at a dish before we keep ordering it so I would never ever try my hand (and wallet) at this, unless someone else was paying for it. There are plenty of local Indian restaurants that offer wonderful tasty food and I would much rather sample those. 

Would you or have you tried any of these dishes or do you know of other expensive Indian dishes? Please share with us. 


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Indian Street Markets



On our trip to India this year, we got the opportunity to take some pictures of the local markets in Hyderabad. For those living outside India, the closest experience you may have are visits to Farmer's markets.  The street markets are typically by the side of the road and can sometimes stretch out for a long distance. Each vendor either has a little shop or their own little cart on which they sell their wares. In most cases they specialize in one item or a group of items such as certain fruits or certain vegetables. You can find stores selling clothes, vessels, bangles and other household things.

The day begins early for the vendors as they shop for their goods at the wholesale markets. Around 9-10 AM, while the home makers are getting ready for their day ahead, the vendors make their way to the market. By around 11 AM, the vendors have arrived and are ready for a long day ahead.  As the morning unfolds, the hustle and bustle begins to grow with the housewives arriving to do their shopping. The late mornings are very busy with the morning shoppers and there is a bit of slowdown during the afternoon which is usually the time for a little siesta. By 5-6 PM, the markets are bustling again as those returning home spend time at the markets. The vendors typically close shop by 9-10 PM and go home ready to plan their next day.

What the pictures do not convey is the hustle, bustle and the bargaining that goes on in these markets.  The vendor is usually calling out to customers, the customers are haggling for the best prices. The smells of street food, fresh vegetables and fruits, the noise, the crowd is something to be experienced not seen via a picture. We hope that the little slide show below helps you get a feel for the Street Markets in India.

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