She Says: Aroma Palace – Montclair, N.J.
Earlier today Mark, his cousin Mike and his girlfriend Christine and I went out for an early dinner at Aroma Palace, a local Indian restaurant on Bloomfield Ave. in Montclair. This location is new, but it was previously a few minutes away in Bloomfield and is one of Mark’s favorite Indian restaurants.
Went we first sat down we were brought a warm, creamy soup with tomatoes in it. It was good, but I was glad they brought such a small bowl because it was rich.
We ordered Vegetable Samosas to share.
They were amazing! The inside was like eating mashed vegetables that were bursting with tons of spices. The dipping sauce on the left was savory and the one on the right was a little sweet.
They also brought us out some Pappadam, which are thin and fried. I believe they are made of different things like chickpea or lentil flour, but not wheat flour. They were very crispy and airy.
I wasn’t sure what to order, so first I searched Fitnessista to see what she orders, but they didn’t seem to have her usual Bharta items on the menu. Our waiter helped me with some of my questions, but then Mark also called his friend from work to help me out a little more. Finally, I decided on the Chana Sag, which is chickpeas cooked in spinach. It reminded me a lot of spinach and artichoke dip and was a tad on the creamy side. It seemed like everything on the menu had some kind of cream in it though!
I could not get enough of the Roti, which was made from wheat flour! The Nan I’ve had in the past was thick, but this was thinner and in some spots, crispy because unlike Nan, Roti is unleavened.
We were all stuffed and said no to dessert, but then the waiter brought us some dessert, which he said he calls “Brown Balls.” The Brown Balls were Gulab Jamun, non-fat dairy fried and soaked in sugar syrup.
I do not have much experience with Indian food at all. In fact, the last time I ate at an Indian restaurant was several years ago, however, my friends were more seasoned Indian eaters and all loved the restaurant. The only complaint was lack of spice in some of the dishes. I liked it a lot and will definitely continue to explore Indian options!
Questions: Have you ever been to an Indian restaurant? What do you usually order at an Indian restaurant? Any healthy tips for eating Indian?
I asked them to go light on the cream in my dish, but I have no way of know whether they actually did. I also stuck to the wheat Roti instead of the rice and only ate the inside of my samosa that came in a thick fried shell. I definitely was stuffed when I left, but not uncomfortably so. I also went for a 5 mile run this morning, which always helps me feel good when dining out in an unknown restaurant. 
Mike and Christine are still here, but I’m not sure what we’re doing tonight. See ya tomorrow.
July 18th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
I just had Indian on Thursday. I had no idea what to get either so I got the Bharta because I have seen in on blogs haha. Some of the other dishes looked good too. We were going to get the vegetable somosas too, but I was scared! Next time I will try them out. I also have no idea if what I got was healthy or not. I wish I knew what was and what wasn’t!
July 18th, 2009 at 6:54 pm
yum looks great – i haven’t spent too much time in montclair (i grew up in bergen county) but it’s good to know there is some good indian stuff. i usually order chicken tiki masala….
July 18th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
I love Indian food, but find it very hard to eat out as most places cook with ghee or lots of cream. (that is what makes those sauces so darn tasty) I go for things without sauce, like Tandoor chicken or shrimp. It has a great flavor!
July 18th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
I love Indian food, but you’re right it’s so hard to know what ingredients you are getting – whether it’s vegetarian/vegan, has cream, etc. But I love how most dishes are very vegetable -based so it at least APPEARS to be vegetarian-friendly!
July 18th, 2009 at 7:40 pm
I LOVE Indian food — it’s probably tied with Mexican for my favorite. I normally get Chana Masala (chickpeas and tomatoes) or Gobi Mattar (cauliflower and peas) and both tend to be healthy. Dhals are also good because they’re lentils and normally tomato based, and sambar is another good healthy dish because there’s so many excellent spices and tons of veggies/legumes in it. I skip the tasty basmati rice because I’m a sucker for it, and feast on pappadum with chutney and whole wheat garlic naan instead. When ordering out, you definitely have to try various restaurants because I’ve been to some amazing ones and some not-so-great ones. Also, there’s South Indian cuisine which uses more coconut milk for creaminess versus actual heavy cream, so I tend to go for that instead. Oh, also, DOSAIS! Dosais are Indian crepes usually made out of rice or lentil flours and stuffed with curried potatoes and sometimes other veggies. Okay, I’ll stop raving about Indian food now.
July 18th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
I LOVE Indian food. I wish it were simple to make at home. My favorite dish is channa masala, which I have successfully made at home and I think it’s a pretty healthy option, maybe a bit high on the oil.
July 18th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
ohhh…i haven’t had indian in a long time either and totally want it now!
i remember getting a eggplant in tomato sauce dish when i went a few times in sand diego…but i can’t remember the name. and of course, hummus.
July 18th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
When I go to Indian restaurants, I ALWAYS order Channa Masala
July 18th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
I have only been to an Indian restaurant once and was so intimidated! I had no idea what to order
Unfortunately, I went for something with a *cool name* that ended up being super spicy and i couldn’t handle it! Luckily the nan salvaged the meal – yum!
July 18th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Channa Masala will and forever be my favorite Indian dish
July 18th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
I spent 6 weeks in India and learned a lot about the food. It’s all so good! Restuarants in the states pale in comparison. I rarely go so when I do, I don’t pay attention to healthy or not.
My usuals: Bhindi Masala, Paneer Pakora, Saag Paneer
As far as healthy, Daal (Dahl) is really good, mostly lentils. Yes, it has oil but it’s not that bad. Roti is better than naan or the other breads. I like to find things with chickpeas (garbanzo beans) or paneer (curd cheese, similar to tofu in texture). You can’t go wrong with Tandoori either.
July 18th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
I love any of the dals, which are made of lentils. Tandoori chicken or veg is another good option for healthier Indian. In terms of meat dishes, chicken tikka masala is to die for, although it is a british-indian dish that came about during the Brits rule in India! My husband loves the lamb vindaloo, which is usually pretty spicy, so your friends may like that. However, when I go out for Indian, I usually don’t try to be too strict with myself – it’s a treat, so I just enjoy it and eat healthy again the next day.
July 18th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
I LOVE Indian food! I hardly get a chance to eat it though. I really enjoy butter chicken – no clue if it’s healthy… the name tells me perhaps no?? :O)
July 18th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
There is sada roti, paratha (buss-up shot), dosti, and regular roti. Dhal is not really lentils but it is a peas. I don’t really like the paneer pakora. Samosas are usually vege or chicken, Hinus don’t eat beef.
For sweet there is jelebe (my favourite), khurma(second favourite).
These are just a few, it’s late and my mind is tired so I can’t remember right now.
July 18th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
The only Indian food I’ve ever had is the frozen dinner kind. I liked it, but actually can’t remember for the life of me what I ate. I would definitely eat everything you tried today! Those balls look heavenly!!!!!!
July 18th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
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July 18th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
I love Channa Masala… yum!
We had two neighbors growing up that we spent all our time with, on one side was a Filipino family, on the other an Indian family (and my Latino/Black family- so we had good eats all the time)… I know that the mom in the Indian family used yogurt to make her dishes creamy, and most of the places around me now do the same… so maybe that was the case with your dishes?
July 18th, 2009 at 9:52 pm
I actually haven’t eaten much Indian food out, so I don’t have a “go to” dish. I like to just make my own
It does require a somewhat extensive spice rack though to make it authentic. Potato & pea curry (I don’t know the Indian name unfortunately) is a nice dry curry you might enjoy. I’m also a fan of any of the Saag (spinach) dishes. Dal is also a good option.
And the pappadams are made with lentil flour
If you kind find them in packages at the grocery store, you can actually make the in the microwave at home – you just brush a little oil on each side, and throw it in for about 45 seconds, and it’s ready to go!
July 18th, 2009 at 11:16 pm
Sadly I have never been to an Indian restaurant–the only Indian food I’ve ever had was at my Indian friend’s 16th bday (or prepared by a certain TastyBite). Everything looks amazing!
July 18th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
samosas are incredible! i love indian food. i don’t go to a lot of indian restaurants, but there’s one near my house that i really like, and it has vegan options. i can’t remember the name of what i ordered there last time, but it was some sort of eggplant dish, and it came with basmati rice. indian spices are so great. especially curry!
July 19th, 2009 at 5:01 am
I have a hard time at Indian restaurants too. I try to go with things that look like they’re in a more tomato-y sauce than cream. I suppose you can always ask the server what has cream (or coconut milk) in it.
My city is absolutely obsessed with samosas. It is such a weird phenomenon to me. There are a couple Indian families that sell them at the market, and people will wait in line for hours for them! All the corner stores sell the same samosas and even all the pubs sell them as appetizers. They’re everywhere. So. Weird. They are damn tasty though
July 19th, 2009 at 6:25 am
I love Indian food, but it is usually made with unhealthy ingredients. I like the Whole Foods Indian hot bar because they list the ingredients so you can avoid any cream or ghee. Ghee is clarified butter that is utilized in most Indian dishes. I try to stick with the channa masala which contains chickpeas, potatos, and, usually, cauliflower. This dish is served in a tomato-based sauce so it is slightly healthier than the other dishes. I’m sure they still add ghee to it though
July 19th, 2009 at 8:00 am
Oh my gosh – all food looks so delicious. I agree it’s definitely difficult to navigate ethnic food menus, things are often richer/thicker than what they’re described to be on the menu (if they’re even described!)
When it comes to Indian safe bets are:
* Any tandoori, tikka (not ‘tikka masala’ as that’s basted in a rich sauce) or kebab selections
* Any dish that has chickpea or lentils
* And roti.
A LOT of their stuff is cooked with “ghee” which is basically like clarified butter, so if you see that – it’s probably not the healthiest thing.
“Korma” (cream sauce) and “Molee” (cream) are also two words to look out for
Whew – sorry for the long-winded post. Hope it helps!
July 19th, 2009 at 9:34 am
INDIAN!!! INDIIIIIAAAANNNN!!!
whenever i want to try something new, i just ask the owner to make something for me and he knows what i like (not creamy, no potatoes, no meat) and it’s always delicious 
looks so delicious! ahhh i want my weekly indian now!
cait had some good recommendations! the channa masala, veg jalfreezi (sp?), dal mahkni (lentils) and baigan bharta are all incredible
have a wonderful day! <3
July 19th, 2009 at 10:21 am
I’ve never eaten Indian! I really want to though, but I am nervous that I won’t know what the heck anything on the menu is–between this post and the Fitnessista, I may be able to conquer my fear!!
July 19th, 2009 at 10:25 am
I’ve never had Indian food before, I know crazy, right?! So I’m no help there. But a run and a smoothie the following day of eating unknown or not the best of foods always helps me feel better!
July 19th, 2009 at 10:50 am
I love Indian food but don’t get it very often, so I’m not too concerned on it’s healthy factor. But I do love dals, and I think you would too since you seem to love lentils like I do. Aloo mattar is really good too…sweet potatoes with peas in a delicious tomato-y sauce.
I also love vegetable korma, but have no idea how it’s made!
July 19th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Yum! Those samosas look heavenly! I haven’t had a ton of Indian food, but I think dahls are probably a good bet (mostly lentils, right?).
July 19th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
I have hardly any experience with Indian either and have NEVER been to an Indian restaurant. That being said, I REALLY want to! It all looks so good and I always hear such great things about Indian food… I just have no idea about it so it intimidates me a bit. Especially the whole unknown thing… I need to take the Indian food plunge though. I have that unsatisfied craving that’s been going for a while now!
July 19th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
I love Indian food and often get Samosas, Naan, any of the Rogan Josh which is a sauce with nuts, cheese and is made with a few type of meets. I also really like any of the dishes with chickpeas as well.
I do not like the donuts dessert but Mango Lassi’s can be amazing.
July 19th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
The Tandoori grilled dishes are the lightest option at Indian restaurants. The food is so yummy but very calorific. Any dish wiht a sauce has butter (ghee) or cream or BOTH. That is what makes it so tasty LOL But the tandoori chicken or fish is just basted with a light yogurt sauce and baked in the tandoor oven with no other sauces. I also love the lentil dal and spinach and paneer (cubed cheese).
July 19th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
We eat Indian all the time! I love chana masala (chickpeas in a tomato-y spiced sauce), dal makhni (lentils, and sometimes chicken tikka if I am in the mood for chicken. I also love vindaloo, but it is VERY spicy and kills most people. I would def recommend going for a lunch buffet if they have one so you can try everything and get some great salad and yogurt dressing to add. Yum.
July 19th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
I love indian food, like Vegetable Korma…delish!
http://www.alovefornewrecipes.blogspot.com
July 19th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
I just had Indian food at an Indian restaurant for the first time last weekend! I was pretty impressed. I wouldn’t go there expecting it to be a super healthy meal though. I had the Chana Masala and I really liked it – it was chick peas based.
July 19th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
I just tried Indian for the first time this weekend, too. It was SO yummy. I got the chicken tika masala I think it was. Yours looks great!
July 19th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Indian ain’t easy for a raw gal! But I’m partial to anything with garam masala
July 21st, 2009 at 11:25 am
My Chicken Tikka Masala was tasty, but definitely needed to be spicier and not so mild. Yummmy! It definitely was a good Indian restaurant. I usually order that or Masala Dosas. Good and safe choices!