Restaurant Pick: Maharaja

We've always been huge fans of Indian food- and Maharaja, located on Capitol Trail just 10 minutes from campus, has only increased this liking. A floor mate suggested this restaurant to us and we've been hooked ever since. For some reason, people usually have an aversion to indian food. They've heard that its too spicy and are afraid to try it. Realistically, most dishes can be ordered "mild." A few weeks ago, we tried this out with friends and although five of them had never had indian food before- all of them said they would gladly return. While literally everything we've tried at this restaurant has been awesome, here are a few things to try depending on how adventurous you are, that the restaurant does better than the rest.

First Timers:

Samosas- They're are an awesome appetizer and a classic Indian dish- they're crispy fried patties stuffed with vegetables like potatoes and peas and spices.

Chicken Tika Masala- Another classic dish, that when ordered mild, isn't a culinary stretch for anyone to make. The chicken, served in a creamy tomato sauce is delicious, especially here.

Vegetable Briyani- Basmati rice cooked with seasonal vegetables and Indian spices served with yogurt sauce. Its a delicious side dish- and great for vegetarians.

Pros:

Spicy Shrimp Pakoras- shrimp marinated with chick peas, flour and spices. First- timers will probably like this one too.

Lamb Korma- There are a ton of lamb dishes that are excellent here, this is just one of the good ones. Korma is an amazing cream sauce, and again, this place does it really well.

Palak Paneer- A creamy spinach dish best eaten when Naan, or fresh baked white flour bread, is dipped in it. I especially like this with Garlic Naan, I can't explain it but the flavor combination is amazing.

For Dessert, everyone can enjoy Gulab Jamun, Golden fried cheese rolls soaked in honey. They sound a little exotic but they taste a lot like donuts, and who doesn't like those? Maharaja offers a variety of dishes for people with a variety of tastes. These are just some of the great dishes here. Sunday night is buffet night where you can take a taste of everything and we highly suggest trying things this way. Overall, Maharaja is a great restaurant and probably the best we've tasted. So take a drive down, and keep craving!