Chow Now: Rice and Spice International Grocery
Rice and Spice International Grocery
There was no rice in my dinner at this bustling Indian grocery store, but there certainly wasn’t a shortage of spice. As I walked into the crowded space, towering bags of chickpea flour and refrigerators filled to the brim, while products like frozen Pillsubury naan dough greeted me. But the back of the store is where the best of the food is. The nutty scent of freshly baked chapatti bread fills the air and rhythmic Indian lyrics belt out of the TV playing Bollywood movies on repeat over a group of squeaky tables and chairs. The menu is divided into vegetable, non-vegetable, and flatbread sections for you to pick and choose from. My friend and I asked a friendly Hindi-speaking student eating at the next table to translate the menu for us, and here’s what we chose.
Goat Curry: Each piece of goat meat slid off the bone at just the slightest touch of a fork or piece of naan. The fragrant curry sauce it was simmered in was smooth and probably the spiciest part of the meal.
Chicken Tikka: Moist and tender, the white meat chicken had a bit of a kick from the colorful spices it was marinated in, but our favorite part of this dish was the spicy relish that came on the side. It had sharp minty notes and a chunky salsa-like texture. The darker sauce was light and molasses-sweet—a welcome reprieve from the deep spiciness in the other dishes.
Aalo Gobi (Lentils): The lentils were tender and incredibly spicy (are you sensing a trend here?). Their deep flavor went particularly well scooped up with a fluffy strip of aloo pratha.
Baingan Bharta (Eggplant): Recommended to us by the student who translated our menu, the eggplant dish had an incredibly smooth consistency and an abundance of spice.
Aloo Pratha (cauliflower stuffed naan): Thicker than its non-stuffed counterparts, the cauliflower naan was studded with soft pieces of smokey roast cauliflower.
So CHOW NOW at Rice and Spice on 42nd and Chestnut!
-Chase Matecun