Heritage India Statement on Nov. 27 Incident

Heritage India extends its deepest sympathies to the family of Jhonte Coleman. We wish a quick and healthful recovery for the others who were injured following a private party on Nov. 27.

Heritage India is proud to be among Washington’s world-class restaurants, offering guests from around the city, country and the world a memorable fine-dining experience. Heritage India often hosts wedding receptions, businesspeople, government officials, foreign diplomats and other dignitaries for large lunch and dinner banquets.

Located in one of Washington’s premier nightlife areas, Heritage India Dupont Circle is an attractive venue for private after-hours events on weekend nights.

On Nov. 27, two patrons at a private party began to fight and security staff immediately escorted both men off the premises.

With tension remaining in the venue, management decided to shut down the event immediately. Music was turned off, lights were turned on and guests were asked to leave.

As patrons were exiting, a person outside of Heritage India shouted that there had been a stabbing on the street.

Heritage India staff immediately called 911 and security began an emergency-response lockdown. At this point, only the security officers, event promoters and restaurant staff were inside the restaurant.

The alleged stabbing victim was leaning against the main door of the restaurant and security brought him inside to render medical aid.

Contrary to published reports, the stabbing did not occur inside Heritage India.

Heritage India is reviewing its contracting procedures for private events and is prepared to participate in a constructive dialog with police and city officials to promote a safe, hospitable environment for nightlife activities.

Meet Fenugreek

Fenugreek seeds and leaves. Image source: TheKitchn.com.

Two of our most popular non-vegetarian dishes are Chicken Makhani and Chicken Tikka Masala.

Some guests, such as our lovely friends at the British Embassy, are fiercely loyal to one or the other and will never deviate from their preferred dish. Other guests may call us to place a phone order and ask for help to recall which dish they enjoyed in our dining room.

They are both tomato-based chicken curries, so some confusion is perfectly understandable. Chicken Makhani is the world-famous Butter Chicken. It is a mild, slightly sweet, creamy curry that families often find suitable for children. The curry sauce is a brighter red due to the creamy base.

Chicken Tikka Masala is the UK pub favorite, so well-known that it’s universally recognized by its CTM abbreviation. It’s more savory and spicy than Chicken Makhani and it contains a distinctive spice called fenugreek, or methi in Hindi.

According to Wikipedia:

India is the largest producer of fenugreek in the world where Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana and Punjab are the major fenugreek producing states. Rajasthan produces the lion’s share of India's production, accounting for over 80% of the nation’s total fenugreek output.

TheKitchn.com offers a brilliant explanation and recipe suggestions for fenugreek.

Newsflash!

Welcome to your post-Thanksgiving food coma. We’ll forgive you if your eyesight is a bit blurry right now.

Just two announcements for you:

One – you and your Thanksgiving guests are warmly welcome to dine with us this weekend to escape your leftovers and enjoy some entirely different flavors.

Two – watch this space for news of our exciting New Year’s Eve party, coming early next week.

Happy Thanksgiving from Heritage India!

Happy Hour at Dupont Circle

Lamb vindaloo empanadas

Raise a glass to the end of the work day and nibble on traditional and contemporary tapas nightly at our Dupont Circle happy hour. More than two dozen small plates are available from 5-7 pm, from classic samosas and pakora to modern fusion tapas such as lamb vindaloo empanadas, pictured above.

Tapas are buy one, get one free from 5-7 pm. Drink specials are 4:30-7:30 and include:

Mojitos $4.50, pitcher $22
Margaritas $3.75, pitcher $20
Sangria $4.50, carafe $14
Cocktail and martinis $4.50
Domestic beer bucket $12
Open wine bar $16

If you find yourself in Georgetown for happy hour, you can enjoy drink specials and a selection of two-for-one tapas from our Heritage India and Heritage Asia menus.

Cheers!

Live from Dupont Circle: Desi-Style Burgers for Happy Hour

During happy hour at Dupont Circle, you can enjoy our exclusive menu of Desi-style burgers. What might have been called “pav cutless,” literally meaning bread and cutlets, takes the shape of some Asian burger options:

Sag Paneer Burger
Spiced spinach and cottage cheese patties

Garam Masala Chicken Burger
Cilantro and onion minced chicken burger with freshly ground garam masala spices

Aloo Patties
Tamarind and jalapeño flavored potato burgers

Lamb Burger
Lamb minced burgers flavored with mango chutney

Add fries for $2 and pair with the drink specials described in the post above. Then just add friends for the perfect happy hour!

You. Lunch. Georgetown Menu. NEW!

Here’s an exclusive look at our updated lunch menu, now available at our Georgetown location.

EXPRESS STARTERS

SAMOSA
VEGETABLE FRITTERS
VEGETABLE SPRING ROLLS

MAIN COURSE OPTIONS

GRILLED COMBINATIONS
Served with lentils, naan bread and pillau rice

KABAB KHAZANA COMBO
Tandoori Prawn, Chicken Tikka and Seekh (lamb) Kabab

CHICKEN TIKKA COMBO
Boneless cubes of chicken marinated in yogurt and saffron, grilled in the Indian oven

KANDAHARI SHIMLA MIRCH
Green peppers stuffed with spicy potato and grilled in the Tandoor Oven
 
CURRY COMBINATIONS
Served with rice, Indian bread, lentils and vegetables

GOA SHRIMP CURRY
Shrimp in sesame, coconut milk sauce

CHICKEN MAKHANI
Boneless chicken in a creamy tomato sauce

DUM KA MURGH
A light chicken curry in a fresh pepper and almond sauce

SAG GOSHT
A rich lamb curry

DHINGRI MATTAR
Fresh mushrooms and green peas curry

NAVRATTAN KORMA
A mild mixed vegetable curry

HERITAGE EXPRESS LUNCHES
Served with rice only

Chicken Rogan Josh -- a mild chicken curry

Paneer Makhani -- cottage cheese in a tomato cream sauce

Aloo Gobi Masala -- potatoes and cauliflower

Aaj Ki Dal -- fresh lentils of the day


This special lunch menu is available weekdays in Georgetown from 11:30 am - 2:30 pm. On Saturdays and Sundays, lunch hours are 12-3 pm and the regular menu is offered.

Dupont Circle serves a buffet lunch weekdays and Sunday from 11:30 am - 2:30 pm. The regular menu is offered on Saturdays.

Whole Foods Cooking Demonstration

Chef Dawa of Georgetown prepared Murgh Pepper Masla for a Whole Foods cooking demonstration this autumn.

One of our Georgetown chefs demonstrated Murgh Pepper Masala at the Georgetown Whole Foods this autumn. By popular demand, we’re sharing the recipe here. It’s not on our menu but available by request. The same curry sauce with shrimp, Jhinga Pepper Masala, is on our Georgetown menu.

Murgh Pepper Masala
This dish is predominantly eaten in Northern India. It can be eaten with Indian bread as well as rice. Spice levels can vary.

2 lbs. boneless chicken cubes
Dark meat is always preferred for Indian cooking as we tend to cook for a long time. White meat will only get harder and tough to chew if it is cooked for so long.
¼ cup oil
½ white onion, diced
½ each yellow, red and green pepper, diced
¼ cup chopped cilantro
½ tsp lemon juice
1 tsp green peppercorns

Sauce
2 white onions, chopped
4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp ginger and garlic paste
1 tsp red chili powder
½ tsp turmeric
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala

Heat oil in a heavy bottom deep pan, then add chopped onions and garam masala and cook on medium heat until onions brown. Add ginger garlic paste and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, chili powder, turmeric and coriander powder. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken and cook until chicken is mostly done. Add onions and peppers and stir lightly for 1 minute. Remove from heat and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Eat with freshly boiled basmati rice.

Serves 4.

Armchair Trip to India

Indian spices. Image source: The Story of India website.

If you can’t visit India in person, you can get a taste in our dining room – and a truly exceptional one at that, if we do say so ourselves.

To put the food in context, click over to The Story of India, a six-part BBC/PBS series that takes you on a “journey to the past, present and future.”

This video series looks like the next best thing to a trip to India. The website alone is making our eyes pop out!

The films are produced by British historian Michael Wood, who introduces the series with a five-minute video that you can view on the website.

“This is the story of a civilization that is older than human history,” Wood narrates. “A land of a billion people, 400 languages and 33 million gods.”

In the preview video, Wood alludes to the ways that silk, rice and pepper transformed India and the world during the Roman Empire. Foodies will be especially attracted to Episode 3, “Spice Routes & Silk Roads.”

If you take this armchair journey and view the series, please share your impressions in the comments. Bon voyage!

Foodies in Training

Meet two of our youngest fans, both of whom drew artistic inspiration from their recent visits to Heritage India.

Shurik

Shurik and his family dined at our Dupont Circle location. Perhaps a budding scientist, he drew a picture of the solar system.

Jonathan

Jonathan, 4, dined at our Georgetown location with his extended family, who enjoyed a leisurely meal at a window table. He is pictured with his abstract drawing of an elephant.

Specials for the Week of Nov. 12-19

Here are the weekly specials at Heritage India Georgetown.

Bartenders Specials

Peach Poma
Peach vodka, Triple Sec, lime juice simple syrup and fresh peach puree makes a delicious autumn cocktail.

 
Starter

Saboodana Aloo Tikki
Sago pearls, potato, peanuts, fresh coriander and green chili patties served with sweet mango chutney.


Entrées

Dalcha Murgh
A popular Central Indian dish where chicken and lentils are cooked together and topped with roasted garlic … medium spicy.


Aloo Palak
Potatoes in creamy spinach.


Special Teas

Cranberry iced tea
Mango peach hot tea with honey

Home Cooking

If you’ve ever wanted to learn about the brilliant spices that bring Indian food to life, you can attend a free lecture and potluck this Sunday with author Nani Power. Power will speak about her new book Ginger and Ganesh, followed by a potluck dinner. The event takes place on Nov. 13 from 4:30-6:30 pm at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 1525 Newton Street, NW. It is sponsored by the non-profit organization Slow Food DC. Click here for more information and to RSVP.

Specials for the Week of Nov. 5-12

Here are the weekly specials at Heritage India Georgetown.

Bartenders Specials

Mongo Pongo
Dry Vermouth, orange vodka, lemon juice, orange juice and a dash of bitters shaken with lime peel and poured over ice.

 
Starters

Bread Pakora
Spicy potato and peas packed between sliced bread, smeared with cilantro sauce, dipped in chickpea batter and fried. Served with tamarind-date chutney.


Entrées

Tamarind Fish
A specialty of southern India, this tangy and zesty fish curry is known by many different names in all the southern states of India. Fish fillet cooked with tamarind, coconut and dry red chilies.


Naan

Aloo Parantha
Whole wheat naan filled with spiced potato and baked in the Tandoori oven.


Special Teas

Orange iced tea
Strawberry orange hot green tea

Exceptional Quality is Affordable

At Heritage India Georgetown, local university students often come to dine with us. For them and others who may be living on a tight budget these days, we draw your attention to the Washington Examiner, which recently showed readers how to dine for less than $30.

Click over to “DC Cheap Eats Quickies: Heritage India has meals for under $30 dollars” and enjoy the tasty tips!

All Smiles

We’re so grateful for the feedback from our happy guests. Here are two of many cases from the Smile Files.

Mrs. Mendez surrounded by her children.

The Mendez family from Pittsburgh visited Heritage India Dupont Circle. Pictured at center, Mom said it was the best Indian food they had ever eaten.

We don’t know the anonymous artist who drew this picture in our guest book, but we love it!

If you have feedback, we’d love to hear your comments on Facebook, Twitter, here on the blog or directly to heritageindiaguestrelations@gmail.com.

Thirsty?

 Each week, our bartender creates a special cocktail for Heritage Asia and Heritage India Georgetown. This week, it’s Harvest Punch, a blend of lemon juice, orange juice, apple cider, crème de banana, Dark Spiced Rum and vodka shaken with ice and served with a cinnamon stick float.

We also offer a rotation of seasonal beers. Here’s what’s on tap now:

Shock Top Belgian White
Well balanced and very refreshing. The flavor is citrusy, mainly lemon, with notes of apple dumpling and vanilla.

Stella Artois
A classic Belgian lager, golden in color with exceptional clarity and a spicy hop character

Bass Ale
A full-flavored English malt with aromatic hops. Salts and minerals combine to give Bass its slightly burnt, roasted aroma and full-bodied flavor.

You can enjoy our draft beers for just $2.50 during our nightly happy hour from 5 to 7:30 pm at the Heritage Asia bar.

We also have a full selection of specialty cocktails and non-alcoholic favorites like mango lassi and masala tea. Whatever is in your glass, cheers!

Sweet and Simple

Honey ice cream

As regular readers of our blog know, we spend a lot of time talking about our food. After all, it’s the centerpiece of our business and our basic raison d’être. It’s also the reason for our best-in-class reputation. Our chefs literally labor all day to marinade our Tandoori meats and blend our curries to perfection.

For a quick moment, let’s get our minds off the crave-worthy chicken tikka masala, lamb vindaloo and addictive nans. Let’s fast-forward to the end of the meal and eat dessert.

Classic Indian desserts are served at both our Heritage India locations. Dupont Circle also offers a selection of Continental sweets with flirtatious names like “A Tryst for Two.” On the lighter side, both restaurants and Heritage Asia offer sorbets and ice creams. You can choose one flavor or mix and match three flavors, including our new honey ice cream, pictured above.

What’s more, the lunch buffet at Heritage India Dupont Circle includes an ever-changing selection of off-menu desserts. No matter how full you may be, there’s always room for a spoonful of sweets. The rotation includes surprises such as gajar halva, a carrot pudding aglow with a vibrant orange that will catch your eye and delight your palate. Because every savory meal deserves a sweet finish.

Happy Hour in Georgetown

Chicken satay is one of a dozen starters we feature during our nightly Happy Hour.

Our Georgetown location hosts a daily happy hour with a selection of starters from Heritage Asia and Heritage India, plus terrific drink specials. Happy Hour takes place at the Heritage Asia bar from 5 to 7:30 pm daily and features:

• Starters priced at buy one, get 50% off the second
• Margaritas for $3.75 a glass or $18.95 a pitcher
• House wine for $3.50
• Draft beer for $2.50
• Bottled beer for $3.00
• Mojitos for $4.50
• Martinis and cocktails for $4.25

We invite you to begin your evening at Happy Hour and continue to enjoy a first-class dinner in our Heritage Asia or Heritage India dining room. This way, you’ll impress your dinner companions – and your taste buds – with a broad array of delightful foods and drinks.

Happy Anniversary from Heritage India Dupont Circle

Nicola Mrazek came to Heritage India Dupont Circle to pick up a carryout order, but this was no routine dinner. Her friends were celebrating their wedding anniversary and had held their reception at Heritage India, so Nicola returned exactly three years later to bring back a taste of the happy day. Nicola and her friends enjoyed the memorable flavors of Heritage India at home to mark the couple’s anniversary.

Street Food Spotlight: Dahi Bhalle

Dahi bhalle is a sweet and savory starter enjoyed by guests at both Heritage India locations. A popular Indian street food, dahi bhalle is made with savory balls of lentils smothered in fresh yogurt, sprinkled with spices and liberally doused with tamarind chutney.

It has many names throughout India. It’s called dahi bhalle in the north and dahi vada in the south and west. In the east, it’s known as doi bora or dahi bora.

Our Heritage India guests have one name for it: delicious. Once you get to know dahi bhalle, you’ll surely love the dish as well. Sometimes guests are surprised to find the yogurt sauce upon ordering it for the first time. So, here’s what it looks like in all its savory, chewy, tangy, creamy glory. As for its taste, you’ll have to discover it for yourself on your next visit to Heritage India. We look forward to sharing this multi-layered, flavorful dish with you and broadening your repertoire of Heritage India favorites.