Indian Indulgence + Cookbook Giveaway at VHP

I told you about our shopping excursion last week when we went to the Asian market and Trader Joes. Since it usually adds up to over two hours of driving and easily over two hours of shopping (the way I shop, anyway, as in going up and down EVERY aisle!), we also take the opportunity to go to lunch and make a day of it.

There are lots of great ethnic restaurants in the Centreville area. Our current favorite is called Masala Country and it serves mostly Southern Indian food, as well as Indian fusion, with elements of Thai and Chinese. We especially enjoy the Southern Indian specialties that we haven’t been able to find anywhere else in the area.

The top photo is the hauntingly delicious Manchurian cauliflower appetizer, so spicy and good. This is the uttapam — an Indian pancake made with green chiles, green onion, and cilantro, served with a vegetable sambar.

Next is the magnificent dosa — made with lentil flour, this crispy delicate crepe is filled with a spicy potato mixture and served with sambar. As you can see, it’s bigger than the plate it is served on, but is so light, eating the whole thing is not a problem.

Needless to say, we didn’t need to eat again until the next day and even brought home some leftovers. With the promise of a lunch like this, it makes me want to go shopping again real soon!

COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY: My hubby’s company, Vegan Heritage Press is giving away a copy of their latest cookbook, The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes by Betsy DiJulio. It’s a fantastic book with great recipes and gorgeous photos. Head on over to the VHP blog and enter to win!