Foodie Hotspot: Aarzu Modern Indian Bistro

When I was probably 8 years old, I remember going to the “Arts, Beats, and Eats” festival back in Michigan with my mom. Metro-Detroiters will remember back in the day when it used to be in Pontiac. It’s now moved to my former hometown, Royal Oak. 

Like a lot of summer festivals, this had local artists, music, and a ton of food from local restaurants (hence the name, right?). 

My mom went over to one of the booths to get some food. It was for a local Indian restaurant, Priya in Troy, MI. She had no idea her 8-year-old daughter was about to devour all of her chana masala. This is when my love affair with Indian food began. 

To me, this cuisine has it all: the spices, the flavor, the color, the aroma! It really just lights up my tastebuds. 

Since moving to New Jersey, Anton and I hadn’t found a spot that we really LOVED yet. One of his good friends recommended that we try Aarzu in downtown Freehold, NJ, especially for their lunch buffet. 

We had been talking about going for weeks and finally decided to go for it today on Anton’s day off. 

Immediately when I walked in I knew this place had to be good. The smell permeating the air was amazing. My mouth is watering still thinking about it. (I know, I’m a foodie freak.)

The ambiance was lovely — very trendy decor with rich jewel tones catching the eye from the velvet chairs and curtains. The half-moon booths looked cozy for larger parties and the lighting was cheerful and friendly as was the staff.

When we sat down, we were offered a wine list as well as all of the non-alcoholic beverages. Anton and I went with non-alcoholic because they just sounded amazing. He got the Sangria and I got the Mango Moscow Mule and coffee (surprise, surprise!)

The drinks were so fresh and had so much flavor. The mule was tropical and refreshing and the sangria was tart and fruity. The coffee was delightful, too. I especially loved the presentation. It came in a beautiful teal teapot with a cup and saucer and a small pitcher of cream.

Aarzu offers a lunch menu with the usual appetizers, soups/salads, entrée, etc. Or you can choose from two buffet options - the Bottomless Veg Thali or Bottomless Non Veg Thali. I chose the vegetarian option and Anton went with the latter. 

First off, this is not your typical buffet experience, which I thought was fabulous. They bring out these beautiful metal plates and then they bring out your food served in little bowls in a half-moon shaped tray so that your plate can fit inside and you can plate your food however you like. They also provide lemon, red onion, and a pickled veggie (that I didn’t catch the name of) so you can add different flavoring to your food as well — I thought this was a nice touch.

In the buffet you receive “an unlimited helping of the chef’s selection of two veg curries (or non veg curries) of the day, appetizer, raita, lentil, rice, bread & dessert.” I honestly have a difficult time naming my favorites because everything was delicious, but I really loved the vegetarian take on butter chicken because that is a favorite of mine. This one was made with Paneer (an Indian farmer cheese). It was melt in your mouth perfection. 

I wasn’t the only one enjoying every bite. Anton was loving everything about his dishes as well. There was a potato and pepper dish that was so flavorful and full of spice, I wish I could cook this stuff at home. Aarzu, if your chef ever has a cooking class, please let me know, I will be the first to sign up!

We finished off our meal with the dessert — Gulab Jamun. Which are basically little deep fried donuts made of dried milk and dipped in a syrup. Um, hello! My jeans were about to bust open at the table just looking at them, but you bet I ate them and had several more bites of the other dishes. 

If you want more, your waiter is more than happy to bring you over another round of your favorites or all of them like Anton and I did. What can I say, we love to eat! I especially appreciated the level of service brought to Aarzu’s “buffet” experience.

I should also mention that their lunch buffet is only available Tuesday-Friday. And you cannot beat $11.95 for this level of service, atmosphere and quality of food. At least not in my book.

So if you are ever near Freehold, NJ and you’re a lover of Indian grub like me, please pop in and give it a whirl. Your tastebuds will thank me for it, even though your jeans won’t. 

Recipe: Baked Sweet Potato with Garam Masala Chickpeas

All right folks, it’s time to lighten the mood a bit around here. My last few posts have been very introspective and a little mushy.

Let’s get back to one of my favorite things. FOOD.

I am a lover of international food. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy your traditional American fare, too, like French fries, mac and cheese and in my pre-vegetarian days, cheeseburgers and chicken wings. But there is something so savory about Indian spices that I just can’t pass up. And of course the staple in our household? Russian cuisine. There really isn’t anything I’ll pass up (except now being a vegetarian, this has shaken the house up a bit.)

So I’m sorry to disappoint you, but you won’t find many casserole recipes here.

Last night I was searching for some vegan recipes on Pinterest and found this tasty one from Nadia’s Healthy Kitchen: Baked Sweet Potato with Garam Masala Chickpeas.

Done deal. I love the flavor of Garam Masala, huge fan of sweet and savory, and I’m pretty much turning into a chickpea already in my new vegetarian lifestyle.

So here it is.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups (249g) cooked chickpeas

• 2 medium sweet potatoes

• 1/2 tsp. turmeric

• 1 tsp. cumin

• 1 tsp. coriander

• 2 tsp. garam masala

• 1 tsp. curry powder

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/2 medium onion

• 1-inch piece of fresh ginger

• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 200ºC/400ºF

2. Cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthways.

3. Prick the potatoes a few times with a fork and drizzle 1/2 tsp. of olive oil onto each half. Place inside up.

4. Bake for around 30 minutes or until they’re cooked all the way through. 

*Note: My potatoes were pretty thick and they took about 40 minutes to an hour.

5. In the meantime, heat about a tbsp. of coconut oil in a frying pan and add the chopped onion. Sauté for about 5 minutes and then add in the spices. Mix and cook for another minute (I added a little bit of water with the spices to turn them into a paste to make it easier to mix.)

6. Add in the ginger and garlic. Cook for a few seconds then add in the chickpeas along with the fresh lemon juice.

7. Mix until the chickpeas are evenly coated and warmed through.

8. Take the potatoes out of the oven, place on a serving plate and top with the chickpea mixture.

9. Add fresh chopped tomatoes and coriander to decorate. (I added parsley.)

I loved this dish. I thought it was simple and filling and it didn’t involve a lot of cleanup. I got my Indian fix without the takeout and minus a few calories.

Enjoy, friends!