Ma’s Birthday 2012 + CCU Undercover: Castle Taj

CCU had taken quite a break, but it was all in preparation for a mega event considering her dear mother’s birthday was on the horizon. She wasn’t choosing the location, obviously that was her mum’s choice, but she knew she had to be prepared to get her swami on and sift through a couple dozen saris for the big occasion… after all, she knew her ma well enough to know that there would be some curries to be reviewing very soon…

birthday review

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Fine, ok, so maybe I lied a teeny bit when I said I sifted through my saris (considering if I would ever wear one, I would borrow mums!) but indeed, ma chose an Indian restaurant to celebrate her forty-….. oh right, sensitive topic, let’s move on shall we? 😉

I am not sure if many of you would remember my ma back from this post but if not, I would have your poor hands scrolling forever if I described her in words, so let me take advantage of some pictures which reflect her being 🙂

My mum LEGIT looks like the character of the witch from Tangled.

tangled mum 4

NO, don’t be mean of course not the old hag style one but the really pretty, high cheek-boned and slightly ringlet-ty young witch. And even though mum has no youth-sucking ability, she never seems to age 🙂 And she is the most beautiful woman in the world to me 🙂

And yes she does have a flair for the dramatic like this witch so it all makes sense right? OH OH OH AND she is born on Halloween so the fact that she looks like a witch (Mum, don’t glare a pretty witch) seems quite reasonable 😉

Although when she gets angry… mum does turn a little bit into the old hag style…

tangled mum 3

JOKING GOSH MA STOP CHASING ME AROUND THE HOUSE WITH A ROLLING PIN! ANGER DOES MAKE PEOPLE’S HAIR GREY!!! AAAAAHHH…..

Sorry for showing you that little episode… moving on… ;)…. Most of the time though, mum is one of the most loving people I know. Always ready to do anything for anyone, even on her birthday! Honestly, my family has to persuade her not to cook for us on her own birthday. I prove my statement 🙂

Yes, I am not a blonde pretty girl with the most beautiful hair in the world but this is how I feel when I am around my mum :D… Special 🙂

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Oh, and this too….

tangled mum 1

OMG STOP THROWING CHUNKS OF OLD CURRY AT ME!

But I digress… severly… so shall we move on to one very delicious Indian (restaurant) meal I have had in a while? After all, for her birthday mummy does deserve nothing but the best 😀

Ma chose to go to quite a local Indian restaurant, just a quick 15 minute drive from our place. It is located in a small plaza area and is quite a large restaurant, though with the number of others eating there, it can be easily said that they are most popular for takeaway.

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On walking in, you are basically engulfed in the culture, in our culture. It is a rich vibrant red and gold atmosphere, with paintings of Indian customs and traditions from the bygone years mixed with a TV playing the latest Bollywood booty-shaking it has to offer.

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The music is first soft and simple though it gradually increases in volume throughout the meal which was a little downer, especially because it was coupled with a poor baby whose main goal of the evening to cry its little head off…

The seating, located both outside and in was very spacious I thought, though for our table, the poor waiter had to pass along dishes and plates because we were wedged near a wall!

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There were pristine clean glasses, beautifully presented napkins and a very classy feel about the tables that beckoned you to it and said ‘get ready to eat!’

As soon as we sat down, menus were promptly delivered, though they only gave us four even though there were six of us that I found a little strange. However, the menus themselves were quite cool in that they told the beautiful, romantic history of the Taj Mahal, for which this place is dedicated to.

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While we were ordering, fresh chilled water and brought out, wine glasses were taken and complimentary crispy papadums (a thin, crunchy fried mix of ground lentils, potato or rice), equivalent to a giant version of a Western cracker, with minty chutney was served. It was quite delicious, especially the chutney which added a hint of sweetness to the slight bitterness of the papadum.

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We ordered, all good, though with the amount of dishes we did, it probably would have been quite confusing!  But I was surprised at how quickly the entrees came out. And how the drinks followed as opposed to the common other way around. Oh well 🙂

Regarding drinks, my brother and I stuck to wholesome water, but my mum and grandparents ordered a Mango Lassi, a traditional yoghurt drink of India, which was not overly sweet and had a touch of sour aftertaste with a strong hit of mango, making it quite tasty. I also liked the addition of ice cubes and a sprinkling of crushed pistachios on top :

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Dad had a Coke… it was awesome because well… it was coke 😀

The first entrees to come out were the vegetarian ones. So firstly, a nice big plate of Chaat which was beautifully presented, and a great proportion of yoghurt, sauce, fried paapri, chickpeas and potato. It was actually very addictive!

MIXED CHAT - A combination of crispy pastry, potato cubes and chickpeas tossed in tangy sauces ($8)

MIXED CHAT – A combination of crispy pastry, potato cubes and chickpeas tossed in tangy sauces ($8)

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The samosas were a must get and they were large, tall and proud with a thick and crispy shell with a soft mass of spicy potato inside. Served on a bed of shredded onion with some sweet chutney, it was quite a winner!

castle taj 16We also ordered some spinach and onion pakoras, which albeit a little over oily, were crunchy on the outside, looked delicious and had a soft and flavoursome interior! Teamed with mint chutney it was more than incredible!

castle taj 17My brother and daddy now turned to the sizzling, steaming heat dishes. I found it quite weird that we had to ask for lemon wedges and more chutney, considering they are a staple with the entrees but little mistakes can happen.

Firstly, there was an incredible chicken tikka, which from the looks on my bro and daddy’s face, was tender beyond belief and flavoured to perfection! It looked quite tempting too, and as a vegetarian, it is hard for me to say that 😉

CHICKEN TIKKA - Chicken fillet marinated with yogurt and spices cooked in clay oven, served with mint chutney ($11.90)

CHICKEN TIKKA – Chicken fillet marinated with yogurt and spices cooked in clay oven, served with mint chutney ($11.90)

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They also ordered some lamb, which I just loved the rolly-polly look of, though I promise you, it was more appreciated for its taste 😉

TANDOORI SEEK KEBAB - Spiced mince lamb mixed with herb, rolled with a skewer and roasted in Tandoori oven, served with mint chutney ($11.90)

TANDOORI SEEK KEBAB – Spiced mince lamb mixed with herb, rolled with a skewer and roasted in Tandoori oven, served with mint chutney ($11.90)

Now you would think we would go light on the main meal following such an extensive entrée. Please. That is just not how my family works. Bring on the mains mes cheris!

Now with 6 people in our family, we order a LOT of different sabzis *curries* and naans to appease everyone. I am most certainly not complaining 😀

First to come out was the raita (a yoghurt with cucumber and seasoning) and a mixed spiced salad. Should you ever go out to an Indian restaurant, a dip or two into these gorgeous sides adds a huge refreshing flavour burst. But then again, it depends on how skilled you are at fitting all the curries into your one piece of naan 😉

KATCHUMBER - onion, tomato, cucumber and coriander salad ($2.90)

KATCHUMBER – onion, tomato, cucumber and coriander salad ($2.90)

RAITA - Home made yogurt mix with cucumber & roasted cumin ($2.90)

RAITA – Home made yogurt mix with cucumber & roasted cumin ($2.90)

Speaking of naan, we ordered four different types. Don’t judge us, we have different tastes 🙂

My daddy and baba (grandfather) they went for the buttered naan – butter layered throughout the rich naan bread, it is one of the better menu options for sure 😀

BUTTER NAAN - Layered Naan with butter

BUTTER NAAN – Layered Naan with butter

My brother, he is quite the traditional man, so he went for Plain Naan ($2.50). Yes, they call it ‘plain naan’. 😉

Mumma (grandmother) decided to go for the garlic naan, so I am guessing somewhere deep in her blood, she comes from an Italian background. I really want Italian blood in our family 😉
Me, I went for the herbed naan because as you all know, I am obsessed with herb seasoning. Oh and if you didn’t know, you do now 😉

GARLIC NAAN - soft bread from clay oven with garlic flavour ($3.50) HERB NAAN - soft tandoori bread with mixed herb ($3.50)

GARLIC NAAN – soft bread from clay oven with garlic flavour ($3.50)
HERB NAAN – soft tandoori bread with mixed herb ($3.50)

My mother, the birthday woman girl (really have my foot in my mouth today ay ma?) was all ‘naan is sooooo mainstream like…. I want an onion kulcha’ but in a more sophisticated manner 😉

ONION KULCHA - Layered Naan stuffed with onions ($3.90)

ONION KULCHA – Layered Naan stuffed with onions ($3.90)

After a solid break in which our stomachs were under the illusion they were empty again, came the sabzis (curries)! You wouldn’t believe it but we ordered them all spicy and yet ate them comfortably. I think a bit more of a kick was needed if we asked for spicy but to each his/her own palate!

First up we ordered the black daal. Perfect, creamy and delicious black daal (lentils) that I am about to eat for breakfast today stuffed in a naan. A classic and delicious daal dish and I am not even a fan of daal at home 😉

DAAL MAKHANI - Black lentil, cooked in low fire then sautéed with butter, onion, tomato and special spices ($13.90)

DAAL MAKHANI – Black lentil, cooked in low fire then sautéed with butter, onion, tomato and special spices ($13.90)

We have a penchant for paneer at our place so out came a paneer curry filled with capsicum, creamy sauce and bursting with flavour. I absolutely loved the gravy on this one, it was fingerlicking worthy!

PANEER KA SALAN - Strips of paneer, capsicum, onion, tomatoes & coriander cooked with tempered with homemade spices ($13.90)

PANEER KA SALAN – Strips of paneer, capsicum, onion, tomatoes & coriander cooked with tempered with homemade spices ($13.90)

On my request, we also went for a mixed vegetable curry, which was a staple if you ask me! The vegetables were roasted perfectly, and the gravy was less than imagined which was actually a good thing considering it would take away from the emphasis being on the vegetables!

MIXED VEGETABLE CURRY - Fresh seasonal mixed vegetable cooked in a mild sauce flavored with home ground spices ($12.90)

MIXED VEGETABLE CURRY – Fresh seasonal mixed vegetable cooked in a mild sauce flavored with home ground spices ($12.90)

And here is my plate of the goodies 🙂
A very delicious delicious delicious meal indeed! Flavoursome, filling and decadent, we actually had no room for dessert would you believe it?

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But do not be too harsh on us, because look at this decadent ice cream cake we ordered on Halloween to cut for mummy’s birthday singing 🙂 – yes it is from Baskin Robbins, and no I will not be reviewing this ice cream haven until I have more photos 😉

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So now let’s get the down-low shall we?

General Notes:

  • Friendly service and efficient (though they were not the busiest I will admit)
  • Clean plates were given between courses which was quite professional
  • They had Indian…. Um…. Well, sweetened fennel seeds basically to eat on the way out after paying – it helps digestion and brings a fresh feel to your mouth, provided it does not get stuck in your teeth 😉
  • A Slight Flaw: Yes, we ordered a lot and wanted to take the leftovers home. Our waitress comes to our table with the some boxes and a bag and leaves them! At first I was a bit affronted but later, found out that they do this because there are customers who prefer to do it themselves so meat hands don’t touch vegetarian dishes etc. – however, I still believe they should be given a choice, something to improve on 🙂

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Booking: Not necessary though for large groups recommended

Rating: 7.5/10 – truly brought down by lack of professionalism but otherwise, the food was pretty excellent – work on a few things and it could be brought to a 9 easily!

Address & Contact Details:

Website:

Address:

castle taj 55

  • 12 / 3-9 Terminus Street
    Castle Hill, Sydney
    NSW 2154

Phone Number: 9894 5830

Castle Taj Indian Tandoori on Urbanspoon

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Yes, this post is not over yet because, of course besides her incredible ice cream cake, I had to make a birthday cake for my sweetie ma 😀

I was actually meant to make it on her birthday and thus, the ice cream cake would never have come but school was just too much pressure on the day so mum graciously stuffed herself with cookies ‘n’ cream ice cream and waited for the day after 😀

Thanks for understanding (another thing mum does incredibly well!)

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This year, when I asked her what cake she wanted, she said she didn’t. Perplexed? I was too… so I sifted through many of my recipes and then came across something bursting with summery flavour and lacking in chocolate. Definitely made for my mum!

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I adapted it, made it and when mum ate it, she smiled really hard. Which made me smile really hard. And then everyone just kept on smiling really hard. So I think it was a success 😀

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This bread is moist beyond belief. It is soft, dense and when you get a cranberry or mango (which is in every bite), it just makes you grin 😀

So Happy Birthday Ma! Hope, know, you had a great one because you deserve nothing less and only better 😀

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Cranberry Coconut Mango Bread
Adapted From: Sweet Pea’s Kitchen

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups diced mango
  • 3 eggs
  • 170g butter, melted (browned would taste incredible too) and lukewarm (room temperature)
  • 1 tsp vanilla OR coconut essence
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 ¼ cups Self raising flour (SRF)
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • ¾ cup desiccated coconut
  • Grated zest of one orange
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp mixed spice
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¾ cup cranberries (dried)
  • ½ cup chopped mixed nuts (optional, I left them out)

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Line a baking loaf tin (9×5 inch) with baking paper. Place tin on a baking tray to keep the bottom from overbrowning
  2. Whisk together the eggs, butter and essence
  3. In a large bowl, sift together the SRF, whole wheat flour, sugars, coconut, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices and zest
  4. Stir liquid ingredients into dry and mix until a few traces of flour remain (it will be a very thick batter)
  5. Add in the diced mango, cranberries and nuts (if using) and mix through until just combined
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  6. Scrape batter into prepared loaf tin and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with gooey crumbs (I made half the recipe and it took 40 minutes) – if bread is overbrowning, place a brown paper bag over the top and continue baking
  7. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 15-20 minutes before unmolding
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  8. Allow to cool completely before cutting, serving and grinning 😀

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137 Comments

  2. Pingback: CCU Undercover: Maharaja’s Haveli | Go Bake Yourself

  7. Kathleen Richardson says:

    Mango and cranberry–mmm, what a yummy combination. Happy belated birthday to your lovely, young mother. All this talk about birthdays and ages made me think, CCU, about how old your readers are. I believe that you probably appeal to everyone! So, I’m willing to kick off a survey–I’m 67 and some months, and absolutely love your blog, photos, recipes, everything you have to say and the fact that you are an excellent speller and always get things grammatically correct.

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  12. erika says:

    Hahaha Uru you are the SWEETEST THING EVER. Also, can I go to an Indian restaurant with you sometime? I’m also vegetarian 🙂 And WOW you guys know how to order! That all looked deliciousss. And the cake you made for your mom? I admire that you were able to make something without chocolate, but it definitely looks like a smile-worthy cake 🙂

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  18. Ames says:

    Happy birthday CCU’s Ma! Sorry I haven’t been around these parts in a while, dear! I do read your posts when they land in my inbox but don’t always click through to comment however, given that it was your Ma’s special day had to come by and drop a line! 🙂

    Looks like it was a lovely feast for a lovely family occasion! The Mixed Chat looks really really good and the prices are quite reasonable too!

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  20. Beth says:

    The meal looks delicious (though I’m sorry it lacked professionalism) and the mango bread you made for your mom looks fantastic. What a great combination of flavors!

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  21. gourmetgetaway says:

    Oh what a great story!!! I love Indian food and you really I’d have a lot of different types!! Yum!!! What a great daughter you are making your mum a birthday cake 🙂 I am sure she is really proud of you xx

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  30. Tisa says:

    Simply love the critiquing, CCU, that is whole lot of food, and it has made me hungry so early in the morning. I bet mom is so proud of her blogger/ baker daughter and I ‘m sure the exotic that went into the making of that delicious bread had her dizzy and love you all the more. Great again, Ms. Uru!

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  34. Joanna @ Chic & Gorgeous Treats says:

    Happy Birthday to your Momsie! I love and enjoy Indian cuisine but can’t take it too hot. My absolute fav nothern or isit southern,, is mutton rogan josh! Yummy.. .dip any type of naan and I am one happy camper. Love your mango loaf cake too.. You sure crack me up my friend.. xoxo

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  35. Elaine says:

    Even though I finished eating dinner not long ago, I think I could sample a little bit of all those dishes. It sounds like your mom had a wonderful birthday dinner. Your bread looks so moist and delicious and I bet your mom enjoyed every morsel.

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  40. Zoe says:

    Happy Birthday to your mummy! You are so sweet baking this wonderful cake for her. I wish that my son can bake a cake for me too… hopefully in 10 years time. LOL!

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  44. Karen says:

    You can certainly feel the love you have for your mother. I know she must have enjoyed her special day. I can see why the mango bread brought smiles to everyone’s faces.

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  54. Nancy @ gottagetbaked says:

    Happy birthday to your mum, Uru! Girl, you had me laughing so hard at the comparison of your mum to the witch from Tangled. The birthday meal looks AMAZING – I actually started drooling look at the photos. And your loaf looks crazy delicious – what a fabulous mix of flavours and I can tell by the pictures that it’s super moist.

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  58. Jorie says:

    Happy birthday to your mom! Looks like a fun, delicious dinner. I was cracking up at your “Tangled” photos and descriptions. It sounds like you two have a very loving relationship.

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  60. eliotthecat says:

    Thanks for the Indian food primer. I love to learn more about this spicy, healthy food! I also thank you for that fabulicious bread recipe. And happy belated birthday to your mums!

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  61. Jennifer Eloff says:

    Wow, what a spread! Delicioso! The bread looks and sounds wonderful, Uru. You sound like such a wonderful daughter to your mom. Happy Birthday to her – she raised a great person in you. She is blessed and so are you! Hope you both have a great birthday week over there in your part of the world!

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  62. Saguna says:

    Happy birthday to your mum! My mother’s birthday is tomorrow coincidentally- I’ve got to get working on a cake for her! Looks like you all had a great time and some wonderful food- I’m totally craving paneer now. I could eat it by the barrel to be completely honest… Your mango bread looks amazing too! Nothing like multiple cakes to celebrate… 🙂

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  63. Hester @ Alchemy in the Kitchen says:

    Happy Birthday to your ma! CCU, you had me cackling like a witch with your cute tribute to your mum. Sounds like you had a fun evening, and some of my favourite Indian dishes featured. Perhaps you could have been advised a little on ordering to prevent over-ordering. I hate wasting food and always appreciate it when a waiter steps in and makes a little quantity control suggestion without managing to make me feel like a greedy pig.

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  65. Nami | Just One Cookbook says:

    Happy Birthday to your mom! I barely had breakfast this morning and now saw the feast… looks so gooooood! I love your cranberry coconut mango bread – all my favorite ingredients are in one bread. 😀 You guys are such a happy foodie family!

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  66. Sophie33 says:

    Waw! Congrats for your mom . She was well taken care off!

    What an Indian feast for the eyes & mouth, of course!!!
    All of the Indian food dishes look amazing & ooh so appetizing too!

    That wonderful & lovely cake you made for her looks so appetizing too! A must make, my friend 🙂 xxx

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  69. Liz says:

    You are the sweetest daughter!!! What a gorgeous loaf you made to honor your mum’s birthday…so moist and magnificent! And I’m loving the feast she had for her birthday dinner, too! Happy Monday, Uru!

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  70. Liz says:

    You are the sweetest daughter!!! What a gorgeous loaf you made to honor your mum’s birthday…so moist and magnificent! And I’m loving the feast she had for her birthday dinner, too! Happy Monday, Uru!

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  71. Promenade Claire says:

    Happy Birthday ma! And I won’t mention your age… tut tut Uru 😉
    OK so a proper meal, love chaat, love kebabs, love samosa, love, love, love! But my favourite has to be black dal totally my all time favourite, well apart from the paneer, and the veggies and the…
    What a great way to celebrate, and cake …. wooo hooo, way to paaartaaayyy 🙂

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  75. Shirley Tay says:

    Gorgeous post & always love your sense of humour! Your mom must be proud of u, Uru. Your post reminds me of my trip to Taj Mahal just couple of years back & I’m missing it already……

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  77. hotlyspiced says:

    Happy birthday to your mum and it’s so lovely you all went out to celebrate at a restaurant giving her the day off. Everything looks so Indian except the Oreo cake – that has a touch of the USA about it. I love the look of all that food. I would love a plate of those samosas right about now. Shame they made you pack your own leftovers. What a strange idea! xx

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  81. Carolyn Chan says:

    Happy birthday to your mum ! Sounds like you had a wonderful meal – it’s pretty awesome that you can get traditional Indian food out in Castle Hill ! I grew up around there and when I was young, we had to drive all the way into town to get anything that wasn’t “Australian”. Shame about the leftovers/takeaway issue.

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  85. Melanie says:

    Oh wow, a food marathon! My favourite thing:) I shouldn’t have read this post about your Mum’s Indian food dinner right before lunch–my mouth is watering! Glad mum had a great day and she’s lucky to have you as a daughter. Happy Birthday Ma!

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  88. Soni says:

    First of all wishing your Mom a very happy birthday!And next I’m drooling looking at those seekh kebabs and chaat and tandoori’s….U please please can you send some here right now ;)Looks like a pretty good restaurant!

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  89. Balvinder says:

    Every Indian dish you ate is busting with flavor and you are making me drool at those seekh kebabs and mango lassi. The baskin Robbins birthday cake looks beautiful and the mango cake that you made is phenomenal.

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  90. applec says:

    Wow! Amazing food. As for packing it up yourself, I prefer to do that. I can sort it all out and leave sauce or other things not necessarily wanted on the plate.
    Happy B-Day to your mum. Here’s to a wonderful year 🙂

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  93. dianeskitchentable says:

    Your mum is very lucky to have such a special daughter as you! Happy birthday to her. It looks like you had quite the feast but I have to tell you that around here, I’ve been noticing a trend of many restaurants bringing the containers for you to pack with what you want to go home. I’m not sure if it’s because some people only want certain parts of the meals or if it’s a health code thing, but that seems to be happening here quite often.

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  96. Ramona says:

    Happy Birthday to your mother!! She must be a beautiful woman (if she’s the young witch). I love the images of her chasing you around with the rolling pin and throwing old curry at you. LOL! Looks like an amazing dinner out and the mango bread looks perfect. 🙂

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  97. navane64 says:

    I love all the different types of dishes your mum and you had for her birthday. The papadam with mint chutney is my fav and thats a lovely pairing. I didn’t know you have such eateries with typical Indian cuisine at your place.

    To complete, the cake you with the mangoes completes the occasion.

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  101. Brittany says:

    Oh good lord this Indian food looks amazing. I haven’t had Indian food in FAR too long. The spices and the breads are sooo good!! THAT CAKE HOLY MOLY I am sooooo in love with that cake!! Happy Birthday to your mom. SO funny about the Tangled character, my mom looks JUST like her too!! AH!

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  102. Kim@Treats & Trinkets says:

    It’s okay Uru, I’ll adopt you. Then you can say you’re part Italian. 😀

    Your family might have to adopt me right back. I think I’d fit in. I’m a sucker for paneer, too. You guys sound like so much fun!

    That quick bread sounds delish, and such lovely, bright, tropical flavors! Something I could definitely use in gloomy Jersey right now.

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    • A_Boleyn says:

      I actually prefer bagging my own leftovers. I’ve had them give me the wrong leftovers (someone else’s food) which I didn’t find out til I got home. When it’s half your meal and you have to pitch what you end up with, that’s annoying. I’ve also gotten home to find that not all of my meal was included. I wanted to eat the rest of my chicken pad thai, not have it end up in the garbage.

      The last time I went out for dim sum, we ordered a lot of dishes and my nephew and I wanted to take home the leftovers. When the bag came, my nephew pointed out that we didn’t seem to have as many containers as we should have. We opened up the bag to find that one of our dishes had not been included. We pointed it out, quite politely. The waitress examined our leftovers pointing out what was there. We acknowledge the fact but repeated that our ‘taro and mixed meat dumplings’ were NOT included. Finally she grudgingly went into the kitchen and came back with a container which had our dumplings in it. She claimed that it had been ‘accidentally’ left on the counter. There was only one other table of customers in the restaurant and they had already been served… so it wasn’t like they were swamped in the kitchen. It’s a mom and pop operation. So, these days, with the high cost of food, I’d rather bag my OWN leftovers/take home containers.

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  103. expatchef says:

    Happy birthday to your Mom, and don’t worry, there is this really old cheesy movie that had a bad (but beautiful) witch in it, and I used to think my mom looked exactly like her. We all have those mixed feelings, how our mother’s are the most amazing women, but they can turn into the wicked witch sometimes! Looks like you guys had a banquet!

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  107. on thehomefrontandbeyond says:

    sounds like a wonderful time–I have noticed that all restaurants of late are letting your pack your own doggie bags to take home, and I think a new rule or something must be in place, because it is happening all over–happy birthday to your mom

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  110. mmmarzipan says:

    What a lovely birthday celebration for your mum! I LOVE Indian food (I worked in a restaurant in Adelaide for a bit around 9 years ago that specialised in Southern Indian food, and one of the perks was being able to take food home- we ate like kings back then, I tell you 😉 )!!! And your bread looks delicious! Your mum must be so happy to have a daughter like you… and clearly not just because of the shared love of food, but because you are so thoughtful and kind 🙂

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  111. viveka says:

    Thanks for a brilliant post again – congratulation to your mum – there was loads of food around that day. Not a big fan of Indian food – but a good Chicken Tikka is hard to beat. Do a pretty good one myself. Totally forgotten about that dish.

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  112. jen laceda says:

    Happy birthday to your Ma! And I can imagine how your Ma might look like the Brave Queen woman…she has a little bit of East Asian look to her! And my oh my, what a good-looking restaurant food there! And no judgement on the 4 different types of naan. We Chinese like to order different types of fried rice – LOL! By the way, can you recommend a good Indian cookbook for me? Thought maybe you’d know…Thanks!

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  113. Starr says:

    I’ve come across a few restaurants that expect you to pack your own leftovers. It’s always felt awkward to me and I’ve wondered what their reason is for it. Still it sounds like you had a wonderful birthday dinner out with your family and your cranberry coconut mango bread looks delicious!

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  114. daisyandthefox says:

    what a fun night out for your mums birthday! all the food looks delicious 🙂
    and that Cranberry Coconut Mango Bread is a combination of the BEST ingredients – you’ve done it again Uru! 🙂

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  120. Lisa {Sweet 2 Eat Baking} says:

    Happy belated birthday to your Mum. The part of the Tangled witch made me laugh. I’m guessing your Mum has stopped chasing you around the house by now though? Hopefully!

    What a feast!! Everything looks absolutely amazing but what the heck on leaving the boxes at the table? That’s crazy and so rude!

    That Oreo cake has me drooling but not as much as that beautiful cake you made for your Mum yourself. Nothing beats homemade and made with love. 🙂

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  126. petit4chocolatier says:

    What a wonderful birthday for your mom! I loved the restaurant first. And then when I didn’t think it could get any better, I kept reading and scrolled down through the delectable food. I absolutely loved the vegetable samosa and kebobs. And then I scrolled a little bit further, and saw the cake! Wow! And then it got even better with your fabulous bread! Love cranberries and coconut! Can I be your 2nd mom or aunt? Gorgeous post!

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  127. A_Boleyn says:

    Happy Birthday, Uru’s mum. Would you consider adopting a fun new ‘auntie’ into your family?

    Ok, I just want to accompany you all on your family outings cause the food at your mum’s celebration looks amazing. I can understand being too full for dessert but I think I could have managed a gulab jamun or two. 🙂

    The mango bread looks very tasty. Could I have it for breakfast?

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  128. jama says:

    Wow! That’s enough food for an entire week . . . at least!

    Sounds like your Mum had the most delicious birthday ever. Saw so many of my favorites on the menu — onion kulcha, chicken tikka, samosas, garlic naan. The cranberry coconut mango bread looks divine. Sigh. It must be nice to have such a young mother :).

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