Ordering vegan food at an Indian restaurant can be a very different experience from ordering vegan food elsewhere. There is usually more than one kind of vegetable curry on the menu, and spices, greens, lentils and breads can turn simple ingredients into a proper meal. That is part of what makes the menu at Tandoori Grill in Long Beach worth looking at for anyone searching for vegan food in Long Beach. The restaurant has an extensive selection of vegetarian curries, along with dishes that can suit diners looking for plant based choices. There is some history behind the name too. The tandoor is a traditional clay oven closely connected with Punjabi cooking. It is generally shaped like a bell and has traditionally been heated with wood or charcoal. In Punjab, tandoors were once part of everyday community life, with villages having communal ovens where people could prepare food and bread. So when Tandoori Grill brings the name to Long Beach, it is carrying more than a cooking technique with it. The restaurant traces its food back to the Punjabi tradition of tandoor cooking and has experience operating other locations in the Baldwin area and New Jersey. For a vegan diner, though, the interesting part of the menu is not only the tandoor.
Indian cooking has a long tradition of vegetable based dishes, so a menu does not have to be built around meat to feel complete. Tandoori Grill offers several curry styles that give vegan diners different flavours to work with. The menu includes Jhalfrezi curries, Vindaloo curries and Saag curries made with spinach, along with other vegetarian options. Jhalfrezi and Vindaloo are quite different from each other, which is useful when a group is ordering several dishes. Someone who likes a stronger, sharper flavour can go in one direction, while another person might prefer the earthy taste of spinach in a Saag curry. That is one of the better things about Indian food for people who eat vegan. You are not necessarily stuck with one dish labelled “vegan.” There are different ingredients, different spice combinations and different textures to try.
Spinach does not sound particularly exciting on its own. Put it into an Indian curry with the right spices, however, and it becomes something completely different. The Saag curries at Tandoori Grill are part of the restaurant's wider vegetarian selection and give diners another option when they want something based around greens rather than the usual vegetable mix. This is also the kind of curry that makes sense with bread on the side. Tandoori Grill serves Indian breads made with whole wheat, including roti, a traditional hand ground whole wheat bread.
Most people hear “tandoor” and immediately think of kebabs. There is a reason for that. Tandoori Grill describes its kebabs as being specially marinated, often overnight, before being cooked in the clay oven. The high heat gives tandoori food its familiar roasted character. But the same oven is also used for breads such as naan and roti.
Eating vegan does not mean every meal has to be light, plain or repetitive. Indian food proves that pretty easily. A spinach curry can be rich and comforting. A Jhalfrezi can bring plenty of spice and vegetables to the table. A Vindaloo can have a much sharper character. Whole wheat roti can turn a curry into a more complete meal. The important part is knowing which dishes and preparations fit your diet. At Tandoori Grill in Long Beach, vegan diners have several parts of the menu to explore, from vegetarian curries and spinach based dishes to soups and Indian breads. Checking ingredients with the restaurant helps make the choices clearer, particularly when avoiding dairy completely. For anyone looking for vegan food in Long Beach, that variety is worth having. The meal can still feel like Indian food in every sense of the word, with the spices, cooking traditions and Punjabi influence that have been part of Tandoori Grill's story from the beginning.
