I have been excited to write this one and am jumping right into it. I love Indian food. Curry, masala, the spices, the flavors, the endless possibilities with things you can try from different regions. I could explore Indian cuisine and never grow tired of it (I think..).
Cue date night to Gupshup NYC, a Bombay house located in Union Square. Not knowing where we were heading to eat, but down to pop in anywhere, the beautiful flowers and outdoor seating set up caught our eye and meant our pup could join.
Starting with the Onion Chili Cheese Kulcha, located under the “Naan” section. No idea what kulcha was but reading onion, chili, and cheese prefacing something that I knew would be a sort of bread, this was a no brainer. On top of that served with a black garlic butter. And it was one of the best decisions we could have made that night. YUM a million times over again, this was delicious. Cheesy, pull apart dough with a bit of a kick and packed with flavors, I would be happy to have this as a lunchtime meal. Almost a sandwich on its own with the ingredients and thickness of the dough, unlike a traditionally thin naan, and the addition of the black garlic butter was the cherry on top. See above for yourself, this was a beauty.
While I love bread on its own, I love it as a vessel for something even more. Enter the Himalayan Morels and Delhi Butter Chicken. Ordering butter chicken is common for me when at Indian restaurants, but this was extra yummy. Tender chicken – gluten free and halal – smothered in a buttery cream. While I like rice, I preferred it served without, using the bread to scoop up the sauce. Having a vegetable main dish to compliment the chicken was a perfect combination:
Let’s talk about the main picture in this post. The most interesting find of Gupshup- the Himalayan Morels dish. Himalayan morels are a vegetarian dish full of wild mushroom (morels) and chive. These morels are known to be quite expensive and exquisite, with high demand but limited availability, and have a unique honeycomb shape that makes them distinguishable. After seeing this, I’m feeling lucky I know where to do to get a taste nearby. Vegan and gluten free as well, it checks off so many boxes without even trying. This was a new dish to me and delicious. Earthy and nutty from the mushrooms but aromatic from the spices and sauces. The morels are even known to be liked by people who normally do not enjoy mushroom, which does not surprise.
Add in an extra naan and we walked away with only 3 words: Best. Indian. Ever.
