Double Dippers Repeat the Treat

An earthquake and a hurricane were not the only things to pass through DC the week of Aug. 22. Our Dupont Circle restaurant was delighted to host two groups of repeat visitors who dined with us two nights in a row. Pictured above, Carla Johannesmeyer of Charleston, S.C., dined with her husband on Tuesday (“earthquake day”) and came back for more by herself on Wednesday. The couple ordered small plates the first night and Ms. Johannesmeyer chose classic curries the second night.

An Englishwoman living in San Francisco came alone Monday night and ordered the popular spinach and cheese dish sag paneer with our house special creamy black lentils, ma ki dal. On Tuesday, she returned with two friends and chose paneer makhni, one of our off-menu vegetarian curries (pictured above.) The dish is made with cubes of Indian cheese (paneer) in a mouth-watering creamy tomato curry.

With so many temptations on the menu, we warmly welcome double dippers. We look forward to serving you … again … and again.

Glorious Desserts for a Stormy Night

Two of six Sprinkles cupcakes gobbled up in Georgetown

 Question: What’s better than Indian comfort food in a hurricane? Answer: Indian comfort food with Sprinkles gourmet cupcakes for dessert. Some Washingtonians weathered the storm to dine with us tonight and we rewarded them with soulful spices and comforting curries. When the last table was cleared and the guests had gone home, the Georgetown staff rewarded ourselves with exquisite cupcakes from our neighboring cupcakery, Sprinkles DC. We thank our guests for joining us tonight and we thank Sprinkles for treating us to a sunshiny taste of LA. (Unfortunately, our pictures didn’t come out, so use your imagination to envision six lovely cupcakes in the hands of six happy staff members).

Specials of the Week for August 26-Sept. 2

Here are the weekly specials at Heritage India Georgetown.

Bartenders Specials

Guava Martini
Raise a glass to sunny days and balmy nights with this refreshing cocktail of fresh guava juice, Absolut Citron, Triple Sec and lime juice.

Raspberry Lassi
A refreshing summer cooler (non-alcoholic) made with fresh raspberry puree churned with yogurt and sugar syrup.


Starter

Hariyali Aloo Tikki
Spinach, potato and sweet corn patties served with spicy chickpeas and topped with tamarind sauce.

Entrées

Lemon Pepper Murgh Kabob
Boneless cubes of white meat chicken in a cream cheese, lemon pepper and ginger garlic marinade, grilled in the Indian Tandoor oven and served with a light dusting of rock salt.

Batata Chilli Fry

Batata Chilli Fry (pictured above)
Batata, the commonly used term for potato in western India, is fried with fresh green chillies, a dash of garlic and sour mix spices. These Indian French fries are tangy, spicy and hot!

Special Tea: Herbal Orange Iced Tea

Chef Steps Out from Behind the Kitchen Door

Chef Dawa, who is usually ensconced in the Georgetown kitchen, steps out into the dining room to pose with the chicken pakoras he has prepared as a special starter this week. See the description below and then we’ll see you in our dining room soon. Call or book your reservation online using the links in the right-hand column.

Specials of the Week for August 19-26

Here are the weekly specials at Heritage India Georgetown.

Bartenders Specials

Ginatini (Ginger Tamarind Martini)
Raise a glass to sunny days and balmy nights with this refreshing cocktail of fresh tamarind pulp, ginger, cane sugar and a zest of lime and vodka.

Banana Lassi
A refreshing summer cooler (non-alcoholic) made with fresh banana puree churned with yogurt and sugar syrup.

Starter: Chicken pakoras (pictured above): cubes of chicken in a lightly spiced chickpea batter, fried and served with tamarind sauce.

Entrées

Murgh Begum Bahar
A traditional dish from Kashmir with chicken in a light tomato, fennel and ginger sauce. Similar to our popular butter chicken (murgh makhani) but without the creamy base. The deep flavor of slow-cooked tomatoes is highlighted in this curry sauce, which bears resemblance to a gourmet Italian sauce with a decidedly Indian accent.

Phool Gobi Bahar
The vegetarian version of the above with fresh cauliflower florettes

Special Tea: Herbal Orange Iced Tea

Weekly Specials in the Spirit of Independence

Aug. 15 is Indian Independence Day and Heritage India is celebrating with a special dish all week. First, some nibbles of brain food:

Read a brief description of Indian Independence Day

See the New York Times story and original front page from Independence Day, Aug. 15, 1947

Learn about the national song of India, “Vande Mataram,” meaning “I bow to thee, Mother” 

Click the flag for information about its history and significance

Now, the weekly specials at our Georgetown location for Aug. 12-19:

Bartenders Specials

Crash and Burn
Raise a glass to sunny days and balmy nights with this refreshing cocktail of seven liquors, tropical fruit juices and a splash of 151 Rum to finish

Blueberrry Lassi
A refreshing non-alcoholic summer cooler of fresh blueberries churned with yogurt and sugar syrup

Starter: Tiranga Paneer Kabab
A flag of patriotic flavors, as described in the post below

Entrees
 
Murgh do Piaza
Boneless cubes of chicken in a rich onion sauce

Sarson Saag
Fresh mustard ground with spinach and roasted spices

Special tea: Mango iced tea

A Flag of Flavors for Indian Independence Day, Aug. 15

Indian Independence Day is August 15 and our weekly featured special at Georgetown is a visual representation of the tricolor Indian flag. Tiranga Paneer Kabab is starter of cottage cheese with rows of mango and coriander chutney to represent the orange and green stripes of the flag. The cheese is marinated in yogurt, cumin and our exclusive garam masala seasoning. The spicy coriander and sweet mango will enliven your taste buds with their complementary flavors and liberate you from an ordinary meal. Come and celebrate Indian Independence Day with us and taste our special tribute to the motherland ... only at the Georgetown location this week!

¡Viva Vegans!

Vegetarians have long known that Heritage India offers abundant choices. Now the news is out that vegans, too, will find a wide selection of flavorful dishes.

The Veracious Vegan recently blogged about an experience at our Dupont Circle restaurant, which features small plates and street food in addition to the well-known curries. Spicy tofu with mustard seeds and plum tomatoes, for example, is our definition of a “vegan’s dream come true.” Hungry for more? We advise you to do as the Veracious Vegan did and ask your server about the full range of vegan options.

Our Georgetown location has the widest variety of entrée-sized vegan curries. Some dishes are also available at the Dupont Circle restaurant. While we welcome you to dine in, you can also enjoy our vegan treats at home with a carryout or delivery order.

Heritage India Georgetown vegan entrées include:

KURKURI BHINDI: Crisp okra tossed with onions and topped with dry mango powder

ALOO GOBI MASALA: Potatoes and cauliflower sautéed with onions, tomatoes and herbs

GOBI MASALA: Cauliflower in tomato onion sauce

DHINGRI MATTAR: A fresh green peas and mushroom curry

VEGETABLE VINDALOO: A spicy vegetable curry
   
ALOO MATTAR: Potato and peas curry   

VEGETABLE JALFREZI: Fresh vegetables sautéed in fresh herbs and spices

BHARTHA: Eggplant puree with tomato and onion

LENTILS OF THE DAY: Spiced yellow lentils

CHANNA MASALA: Chickpeas in fresh herbs and spices

Groupon Alert!

Today, we offer a Groupon for half-off at Heritage India Georgetown and Dupont Circle. Irresistible, isn’t it?

“Hurry, limited time offer,” as they say in the advertising business!

Mustard, You Say? Make That Shorshay.

 Shorshay, a spicy mustard curry, is our tribute to National Mustard Day.

Saturday, August 6 is National Mustard Day, sponsored by the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin. Mustard is the basis of several well-known curries, so Heritage India is honoring the holiday with an exquisite Bengali fish curry called Shorshay Maach.

The Heritage India kitchen has skillfully blended mustard seeds, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, onion, green chilies and coconut milk into a lushly flavorful and zesty curry that treats the palate to a truly distinctive taste experience. It is served with Mahi Mahi or cauliflower. The mustard flavor is spicy but more smooth than the traditional pungency of mustard.

Shorshay Maach and Gobi are featured on the weekly specials menu at our Georgetown location through Friday, August 12. We hope you enjoy our tribute to National Mustard Day. Once you try it, please share your comments below.

Specials of the Week for August 5-12

Here are the weekly specials at Heritage India Georgetown.

Martini a la India
Raise a glass to sunny days and balmy nights with this refreshing cocktail of fresh green mango pulp, mango-flavored vodka, Triple Sec and a splash of mango juice.

Kiwi Strawberry Lassi
A refreshing summer cooler (non-alcoholic) made with fresh strawberries and kiwi churned with yogurt and sugar syrup.

Starter: Aloo chaat, a warm Indian potato salad (pictured)

Entrees for Mustard Week – Heritage India’s celebration of National Mustard Day on Aug. 6

Shorshay Maach
Fish fillet in a spicy freshly ground mustard sauce

Shorshay Gobi
Fresh cauliflower florettes in a spicy mustard sauce

Special Tea: Cranberry Cinnamon Iced Tea

Join the Clique: Order Online

Now you can order takeout or delivery at heritageindiausa.com. The links on our splash page take you to the online order form for Heritage India and Heritage Asia. You can also reach the ordering area through the Heritage India Georgetown and Heritage Asia pages.

We are pleased to offer delivery service to our valued guests. To ensure that your delivery experience goes smoothly, please note the following:

We limit deliveries to a two-mile radius so that your food arrives in good condition and our drivers are not required to go too far from our Georgetown restaurant, which handles deliveries for our two Heritage India locations and Heritage Asia.

The minimum pre-tax delivery order is $25 within two miles of our Georgetown location. There is no additional delivery fee.

We thank you in advance for tipping your driver generously, as their income is derived almost exclusively from gratuities. (If you have questions about the appropriate amount, we respectfully draw your attention to “10 Handy Rules for Tipping,” an authoritative piece by the LA Weekly’s Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic.  The author emphatically recommends a 20% tip for deliveries and also for table service in the restaurant.)

We will deliver up to 3½ miles away with a minimum order of $60.

If you live more than two miles away, you can place a carryout order for the location nearest you. For a pickup order at our Dupont Circle location, please call the restaurant at (202) 331-1414. All deliveries and Georgetown carryout orders can be placed online or by calling (202) 333-3120.

Please be advised that the entrees are served a la carte, without rice or bread. Please take advantage of our wide selection and add these items to your order. Browse the Bread Essentials section for irresistible naans prepared in the Tandoori oven. Under the Rice Specialties tab, find our large side portions of rice as well as our full-sized biryani entrées.

We’ll make every effort to accommodate special dietary restrictions or other requests. We’re just a phone call away at (202) 333-3120.

Welcome to the Heritage India USA Blog

We are pleased to launch our blog, which will spotlight Heritage India’s culinary artistry. Bookmark this page for insightful descriptions of our weekly specials and other glimpses into India’s multifaceted cuisine. You can also sign up for the feed to receive new posts by email. Enter your email address in the box on the top right of this page.

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