I suppose the only way to make a bad tikki masala would be to skimp on the sauce, and Paradise of India certainly errs on the side of caution when avoiding this pitfall. Almost stew-like in its Tupperware take-out container, this is a dish with sauce to spare. Such abundance is essential to enjoying Indian food, as the meal is also ripe with a vast array of bland, textural foods just aching for a saucy complement. But before I get to the rice, Naan, and fritters, allow me to finish extolling the virtues of Paradise’s masala. The dish’s onions, though not prevalent enough to find their way into every bite, add their sweet and unique flavor just often enough to break up what would otherwise be a monotony of richness, albeit delicious. As for the chicken, there wasn’t exactly a lot of it, but the ratio felt right. Flavor-wise, the chicken dutifully submitted to the potent sauce, acting as a mere vehicle for its scrumptious master’s conveyance.
The rice also laid itself down before the overpowering masala, well-cooked though it was. Indian rice is best when the grains slide just off of each other like rain from the hood of a waxed Lamborghini, and the rice of Paradise rates at an 8.7/10 in this regard. Flavorfully speaking, the rice had just enough of that distinct Indian aroma to distinguish it from Chinese or Japanese varieties, but I wouldn’t have minded if it was a just little more defined. As it was, I didn’t find myself munching on spare rice at the end of the meal, a telling rejection.
Paradise’s Naan, on the other hand, was just a shade off of perfection, and only because of the travel factor. However, I have seen take-out Naan survive the trip thanks to specially designed bags, so Paradise is arguably at fault for its Naan’s only downfall. Still, they make a pretty damn good Naan. There are just enough burnt spots to spread the aroma throughout, and it is marvelously chewy. Though the dryness does weigh it down significantly, this issue can be evaporated by the simple act of dipping, and as I mentioned above there is sauce-a-plenty to meet this need.
The vegetable fritters lost even more in transition. Even though I went home hastily, these fried concoctions had gone spectacularly soggy by the time they made it to my plate. I could tell that were it not for their sogginess, the fritters would have been quite delicious, but sadly they had fallen far from grace. Barely salvageable by the masala, these fried spheres of squandered potential were better-off ignored. I would imagine that the in-house version could be truly tasty, but alas I can only speculate.
Aside from the forgivable and forgettable fritters, Paradise of India is well worth the cost. The portions are large, even during lunch hours, when the price is almost cut in half. Take advantage of this price difference and dine before dinner, for their Naan is always as expensive as it is essential.