Ekta Affair

Adam Erace feels pangs of guilt over his new love affair with Ekta, the Girard Avenue Indian takeout spot that is not Tiffin. But that doesn’t mean he’s going to stop.

When it comes to spice, normally I’m a heat-seeking missile, so I was surprised that my favorite dish at Ekta was among the menu’s mildest. Not the crisp, greaseless onion bhaji or the minty, tamarind-streaked samosa chat—though both of those not-hot starters charmed—but the chicken korma. Ekta’s cooks just killed it on this one: a mellow curry so deep golden it was as if Midas himself made it.

Thickened with heavy cream and cashew paste, spiced with green cardamom and mace, the nutty, buttery korma must be what Indians turn to in times of comfort. After the tender cubes of chicken were gone, I piled my plate with basmati Himalayas and poured on the surplus sauce. So good I smoked a cigarette afterward.

Ekta! Ekta! Read All About It [Philadelphia Weekly]