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That’s me, all dressed for Eid. Not sure who told me to pose like that — I think it might have been my mother. Anyway, the point is –  last Sunday was Eid-ul-Adha aka the Muslim Festival of Sacrifice, which is kind of like a Muslim christmas, minus Santa, plus goats/cows/camels – and I ate at an amazing Indian restaurant, right in the heart of Uptown, Minneapolis.

My first real memory of Eid-ul-Adha is from when I was four. We bought a goat, which I named “Sheru” (note: never, ever name an animal that you will later slaughter and eat), and became really attached to. Sheru would get shampooed regularly on my request (I even got to help with that!), and he had henna tattoos, which looked a lot like scribbles. On the morning of Eid that year, I woke up to Sheru’s cries, and was told he was being sacrificed. I cried and wailed and howled, but no one took mercy and poor Sheru was cooked into curries and roasts and distributed amongst the poor. Needless to say, I swore off red meat and it took me a few years to go back to eating it. I still never eat red meat on eids, as a silent protest in memory of Sheru.

For Eid ul Adha last week, I decided to dine out and try a restaurant a friend had spoken highly of. Darbar India Grill was everything I had hoped it would be. I have tried a few different Indian restaurants (the only Pakistani restaurant I knew of shut down last year, sadly), and have two other favourites but Darbar has quickly jumped to the top of the list.

I arrived around 7:30 and was greeted by a hostess who found us a comfortable booth. Thw server was very courteous and prompt. The menu was six pages long — pretty standard for Indian restaurants — and boasted a wide range of meat and vegetarian specialties. I started with Vegetable Samosas (‘Crispy patties stuffed with potatoes and peas, lightly seasoned with spices – 4.95’), which were served with tamarind and jalapeno mint sauce. The samosas were incredibly delicious — the crust was not the least bit soggy, the filling was spiced just right, and the sauces were so good, I kept them to give my entree company.
For my drink, I ordered a Mango Lassi. It arrived in a tall glass and was creamy, and most importantly, not too sweet. I had to get the Chicken Biryani (Saffron flavoured basmati rice and marinated chicken cooked with herbs and spices, garnished with raisins and cashews. 13.95), since that is my favourite thing to eat, but I requested it with no raisins or cashews because that’s not how we have it in Pakistan.

I’ll be honest, at first sight, I was disappointed. Biryani, the way it was made in our household, never came with peas. I was happy it was served with raita (‘Sliced cucumbers and tomatoes blended in yogurt‘), and decided to give it a shot. I stood corrected right after the first bite — the biryani was just delicious. The caramelized onions were slightly sweet and blended well with the fluffy rice. The chunks of chicken were tender and spicy. I would have liked the sauce to have stronger flavors but I was still happy.

The second entree, suggested by our server, was Chicken Makhani aka Butter Chicken (‘Marinated boneless chicken cooked in tandoor, simmered in our signature tomato cream sauce. 11.95′). It was served with rice, but I also ordered naan. It was a great choice — rich, with strong flavours, and its aroma just made our mouths water. I preferred it with the naan, which was soft and just seemed to absorb every bit of the tastiness of the makhani.

We all ate till we could breathe no more, and still managed to have leftovers — the portions were generous. I got to take the leftovers to work the next day and was not disappointed — the rice didn’t dry out in the microwave, and the makhani was even more delicious. I certainly can’t wait to go back there soon, and try some more dishes off their menu. If you are a vegetarian, they have an extensive menu for you to choose from. If you are a meat lover, you have a choice of chicken, beef, and lamb. If you are someone who loves Indian food, this might be heaven for you. Go try it out!