If you are in the mood for Indian food I highly recommend Taj Palace in Owings Mills Md. This is some of the best Indian food we have had so far. Don't let the idea of Indian food scare you if you have never had it. The menu there was very detailed in what each dish contained and it also broken down into vegan, vegetarian, and meat dishes. As a starter we ordered the Paneer Pakora. This is a fritter made with lentil flower batter and filled with homemade cottage cheese. Fried till golden brown. I do not eat cottage cheese and this did not taste like or have the consistency of cottage cheese. It was more solid and tasted great. I ordered the Chicken Tikka. Succulent, boneless chicken breast marinated in a special recipe and broiled in a tandoori clay oven. Served with long grain basmati rice and a choice of dal makhani (yellow lentil sauce) or creamy spinach. I had the lentil sauce. The chicken was very good and moist. It came out on a cast iron skillet much like fajitas. There was cabbage and onions sizzling under the chicken. Ellen ordered the Chana Masala. Chickpeas slowly simmered with onions and tomatoes, then garnished with fresh herbs. I tasted it and it was not bad. She loved it. Very tasty and filling. As a side dish we got the Assorted basket of bread. A nice size basket of assorted garlic naan, roti and that days naan creation. We had enough to bring some home. One of the best features of the menu was that you can pick the spice heat of your meal. I picked mild but if you want to add some major heat they will do it. The restaurant itself was very nice and staffed really well. Fine dining in a casual atmosphere. It is about a 45 minute drive from our house but well worth it. I recommend to leaving the little ones at home since the tables have nice glass wear and table cloths. Kids running around would be a distraction. This is coming from a couple with a 2.5 year old. Will we be going back? Yes we will. On our way home we were trying to think of friends that would like to go. It would be a shame to hide this gem from everyone. Thanks for reading and hope you can enjoy the food as much as we did.
