|
 It’s about time I wrote about some of my favorite Portland food: Haggarty’s Brit-Indi. Brit-Indi is Indian food that has a more western appeal, and, like the name suggests – very popular in Britain. Haggarty’s is located at 684 Forest Avenue in Portland and is predominantly geared towards take-out (which we did on this occasion), but there are a few tables if you prefer to eat there.
According to Haggarty’s website, Peter, the owner of Haggarty’s, is an Indian food veteran, and he has definitely refined the flavors of his dishes to near perfection. The menu is straightforward – 5 appetizers and 8 sauces, to which you add vegetables, chicken, beef, lamb, paneer (like cottage cheese), or channa (chickpeas). Each entrée comes with jasmine rice. Also offered are fries and naan bread (garlic or plain).
 My favorite dish remains the Chicken Masala ($10.75). This consists of a rich blend of spices (lots of cumin and ginger) cooked with tomatoes, green peppers, onion, and yogurt. Although my mom jumped out of her seat for water and declared it “spicy,” I would not describe it as such. For $11.75, you can get Chicken Tikka, which is yogurt-marinated chicken, served separately from the sauce of choice. Frankly, once the delicious sauces are involved, the chicken tastes the same to me. However, with Chicken Tikka, you have the option of having the sauce on the side, which is nice if, say, a picky 4-year-old is involved.
We also ordered the Karahi Bhoona with vegetables. Despite the name, this will not cause you to fail a drug test. This is a richly flavored dish, and one of the few ways you will see me enjoying vegetables like potatoes, green beans, peas and cauliflower with such gusto. You could hide a lot of things in this aromatic garlicky ginger sauce and I would happily indulge.
The naan bread is delicious (and a necessity when the aforementioned 4-year-old is involved) because the oven-baked flatbread is a crowd-pleaser. However, with all the rice, I don’t think it is a necessity.
We also enjoy the pakora. There are three choices of pakora – vegetable, chicken and mushroom. We usually get the vegetable pakora, which consists of onion, potatoes and spinach marinated and deep-fried in chickpea batter. There is no doubt that it tastes good, but let’s be honest here – this is a vegetable donut. Delicious – of course.
Two entrees plus naan bread and pakora can easily feed four hungry people. The prices seem a little high for takeout until you consider the generous portions and outstanding quality of the food. Be warned that a moderate price increase is not reflected on the website.
Haggarty’s offers dishes that have a variable range of spiciness and an array of unique ingredients such as pureed mango, coconut milk, and chilis. The staff at Haggarty’s understands the menu and can help guide your choices if you are unfamiliar with this kind of food.
I’m not a gourmet. I hate to admit I survived my childhood on a steady diet of chicken fingers and french fries (ah, the irony that I’m writing about food…). This food might seem a little exotic initially but it will surprise you with its wide appeal. If you have any hesitation, just start with the choices I mentioned and then branch out from there. The hardest part will become making it from restaurant to home with the smell of naan bread, pakora and garlic, ginger and tomato sauces tempting you the whole way!
 |
Subscribe 
Show/Hide comments
Show/Hide comment form