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As name changes, Indian food is in the same good hands
Friday, Dec. 18, 2009
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photo by EMILY BARNES
Owner Raj Kaushal makes naan in the tandoori oven at Masala, formerly Curry Dreams, in Waldorf.
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Though Southern Maryland had three Indian restaurants at the beginning of 2009, the then-new Bombay Garden has already been replaced by The Lexington in what was formerly The Roost in Lexington Park. That leaves only Masala and Bollywood Masala, both of which are owned by Raj and Mona Kaushal.
You ask, "But what happened to Curry Dreams?"
Curry Dreams, in Waldorf, was recently renamed Masala. What you really need to know, however, is that while the name has indeed changed, Raj and Mona Kaushal continue to run the show.
The couple is so protective of their recipes that they have only trained their son, who runs their second restaurant, Bollywood Masala, in California. At Masala, they do all the cooking while also managing the restaurant, which is open six days every week. Talk about long days!
Basically, if you are here, so are they, which means if you come to Masala for its lunch buffet, you are likely to hear Raj's calls into the kitchen, as he asks his staff to bring out more trays of rice or curry chicken. Mona, meanwhile, might stop by your table to fill your water glass.
First appearing in Southern Maryland in the early aughts, the Kaushal's restaurants have a history of name changes, which I wrote about in February when reviewing Bollywood Masala. That story, though, was a mere side note to the discovery that St. Mary's County had a legitimate destination for Indian cuisine, and it did not take a major leap of faith, then, to assume that then-Curry Dreams was a destination as well. In short, it has some of the best Indian food I've ever tried.
Tandoori chicken here is seasoned and succulent, not dry and disappointing as I'd become accustomed to, and naan bread arrives in a basket looking fresh from the oven rather than an assembly line.
Masala's setting is simple yet intimate, offering booths and tables arranged beside long, cushioned benches. The menu includes hundreds of items, and one will find just about every variety of vindaloo, biryani, saagwala, masala, tikka, kabob, paneer and creamy curry.
Large groups might consider adding an additional order of bread ($2-$3). Garlic naan is the same piece of blackened yet fluffy bread, only stuffed with chopped garlic.
For anyone new to Indian cuisine, lunch buffets, as are common in most Indian restaurants, are a good place to start. (Years ago, before I even knew the difference between a saag dish and a paneer dish, I mostly just knew I liked them.)
An all-you-can-eat lunch here, which comes with a basket of fresh naan bread, is $9.50, plus tip. Masala also offers lunch specials for $7 to $11. All come with a vegetable, rice, naan and Masala's exceptional raita, a cool salad mixed with yogurt that traditionally accompanies Indian meals.
Though the selection is not as large as some Indian buffets, no tray at the table is not worth uncovering. It varies daily, each spread offering a sampling of Masala's extensive menu.
The day's highlight could be zesty lamb masala in onion sauce, or flavorful, tender chicken curry.
Start at the end of the line with a heap of rice and make your way down to dessert, kheer, rice pudding made with pistachios and almonds.
Try an appetizer, vegetable pakora, vegetable fritters dipped in chickpea batter and delectably fried and seasoned. Have a side of creamy saag, or spinach. Try daal makhani, a dark comfort sauce featuring black lentils and kidney beans.
Try it all, for that matter. I have yet to be disappointed.
Masala 3236 Crain Highway, Waldorf Hours: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday Entrée prices: $7-$18 Credit cards: V, MC, D Carryout: 301-632-6999
