Madras Woodlands
This is the Masala Dosa dish seen in the Madras Woodlands restaurant in New Hyde Park, New York, Friday, October 17, 2008. Credit: Newsday Photo/Robert Mecea
Many may be familiar with the Madras Woodlands restaurant that, for many years, was a fixture in Manhattan, near the United Nations. The owners of that restaurant have moved the entire operation to New Hyde Park, a boon to local vegetarians, especially those who appreciate the nuances of Southern Indian cuisine.
To start, there's iddly (steamed rice and lentil patties) as well as vadai, addictive little fried lentil doughnuts, which may be ordered a number of ways. Another specialty is Mysore masala dosa, a large, lacy lentil crepe filled with a spicy potato onion and cashew mixture. Uthappam, a flat lentil pancake, can be topped any number of ways. There are also a variety of curries, which, unlike the Northern Indian variety, are made with yogurt.
No Indian meal would be complete without breads. The varieties offered here - chapati (thin, soft whole wheat bread), poori (fluffy fried bread) and the larger batura (also fried) are indispensible to an evening of lively meat-free dining.
