This was one very long expedition that was worth it. How many so-so curries had we gulped down before? How many uninspired chutneys? How many leaden pooris had we swallowed?
But our search along the ever fascinating swath of moderately- priced Indian and Pakistani restaurants along Chicago’s Devon Avenue may have have finally found a real treasure, the Udupi Palace.
Here is Indian vegetarian cooking that is fresh and imaginative. Here also, according to the restaurant’s owners, is the Chicago area’s only version of South Indian vegetarian cooking.
What sets it apart from other regional Indian cooking is the greater use of coconuts, lentils, cashews, various gravies and a large pancake- or crepe-like dish called dosai.
The dosai is made from rice and lentils that are mashed and ground and left to ferment overnight. Then the mixture is spread out and fried on a griddle until the outside turns crisp while the inside remains soft. A rather large masala dosai, stuffed with potatoes, onions, carrots and nuts, is just $4.50.
Begin with a rasam soup, a spicy south Indian offering ($2.25), add an order of a lightly fried of poori or fluffy whole wheat bread ($2.25), and you can slink home relatively satisfied.
If you are not an adventurer, you can ask for one of two dinners that go for $9.99 and include everything from soup to dessert, coffee or tea included.
But it would be a grave mistake not to adventure. Among the appetizers worth experiencing there are medhu vada, fried lentil doughnuts ($2.99), and cashew pakora ($2.99), fancy cashews fried Madras-style. A collection of the appetizers is $4.99.
Kadai bhendi curry ($5.99), freshly cooked okra with herbs and spices in an intriguing gravy, is salvation.
The Madras special payasam ($2.75) is a dessert meant to resolve karmic indifference. It’s made of fine rice, milk, honey, raisins and cashews.
The walls of the brighly-colored room are filled with Moghul and South Indian prints, a nice touch for a place that doesn’t have to hide behind its curries.
Udupi Palace, 2543 W. Devon Ave., Chicago, 60659, 312-338-2152, A, V, M, DS. From noon to 9:45 p.m. seven days a week. No charge to open your own wine.
