Helmand Palace

I love a good deal, so when I saw a recent Groupon for a restaurant in my neighborhood that I'd been meaning to try anyway, I jumped on it.  And thus, we dined on flavorful Afghani foodstuffs at Helmand Palace last week.  With a separate vegetarian section of the menu, most of which can be made vegan, this is definitely a place worthy of a return visit to try more of their menu.  But let's see what we had this round, shall we?

We split two starters, the Shornakod Salad, above, and the Gulpea, below.  I highly recommend this combo because the former is light, bright, and refreshing, and the latter is spicy and savory.  The salad is an herbaceous combo of potatoes and chickpeas with lemon that would be perfect at a summertime picnic, and the gulpea is reminiscent of Indian Aloo Gobi, only without the potatoes.  Stewed cauliflower in a rich tomato-based sauce really wakes up the taste buds.  Great starters.

My entree, below, was the Korma Challow.  Challow is the baked rice with cumin seed that is uber tasty, and the mildly spiced veggies and spinach are the perfect accompaniment.  I added some of the table's hot sauce to the spinach for an extra kick and recommend you do the same.  My husband had the "Special" veg entree and I loved it for its inclusion of baked pumpkin, giving you a little dessert on the plate without having to order dessert.  :)

We will definitely go back to Helmand Palace soon.  Their unique flavors left me wanting to explore more of the menu.... and that Shornakod is crave-worthy!

Next up, an awesome new business opens up.  I've literally been there almost every day for a month so it's time to tell you about it.   Meanwhile, have a great Tuesday...