Bhojanic Decatur

Most metro-area Indian restaurants that offer honed, regional cooking tend to be vegetarian, but New Delhi native Archna Becker and her family serve meat dishes made with extra attention. The kitchen grinds its own spice combinations for lamb and goat curries, so the flavors chime on the palate with greater clarity. Meat-free specials reveal care, too: Punjabi kadhi—fluffy onion dumplings in seasoned yogurt—is a comforting recipe from Becker’s grandmother. India has become one of the world’s largest producers of corn, and its most famous use of cornmeal is makki ki roti, a flatbread thinner, firmer, and flakier than hoecakes. A thick dip of roasted eggplant, tomato, and caramelized onion accompanies Bhojanic’s roti.

Photo by John Autry and Charlotte Fekete