Karma Modern Indian - Chef Ajay Kumar and Bar Director Harley Mocker at 6th and I Street, Penn Quarter

[sandynva]

I had lunch here today and will definitely be back. The dining room is pretty, the food beautifully presented,  they have some non-standard things on the menu, and everything I had was good (though the portions could be a bit larger).  

I went there because they had Kolkata style Jhaal muri (puffed rice, peanuts and various chutneys) which is a fave of mine that i haven't seen in the area. it was served, as it traditionally is, in a small newspaper cone, which i loved. the muri itself wasn't quite Kolkata style, (IMO it had too much date chutney, and not enough mustard oil) but it was very tasty, and i give them credit for having it. the pan fried idli were very good, they had a nice masala on them and came with a very good tomato chutney, though i would've liked them a bit more pan fried. and the okra side i got was very good too--simply prepared with chili and mango powder, but done very well, and there aren't that many places here that make it like this. My friend had the paneer with green chutney and lamb with apricots and liked both. 

they have some non-standard things on the menu, which was nice to see, like dahi vada, chicken choorma, goat with turnips and more. they also have a 3 course lunch deal for $24 i think. 

everything was beautifully plated and the service was good. 

Website

[DonRocks]

10 hours ago, sandynva said:

I had lunch here today and will definitely be back. The dining room is pretty, the food beautifully presented,  they have some non-standard things on the menu, and everything I had was good (though the portions could be a bit larger).  

Website

We're getting little regional Indian restaurants (see another Indian must-try Bib Gourmand, the Pupatella-like Indigo, where I had an extensive (and very satisfying) dinner a few nights ago).

[lion]

8 hours ago, DonRocks said:

We're getting little regional Indian restaurants (see another Indian must-try Bib Gourmand, the Pupatella-like Indigo, where I had an extensive (and very satisfying) dinner a few nights ago).

If I'm going to eat Indian out of the house, still would recommend Indigo.  As more regional places do pop up, I am wondering if we'll see more non-Indians becoming fans of that cuisine perhaps like people do of Szeuchan Chinese. 

[DonRocks]

On 8/23/2019 at 9:59 AM, lion said:

If I'm going to eat Indian out of the house, still would recommend Indigo.  As more regional places do pop up, I am wondering if we'll see more non-Indians becoming fans of that cuisine perhaps like people do of Szeuchan Chinese. 

Yes, but I suspect DC itself is becoming more of a Zurich, Switzerland - a high-rent, banking-type city without a lot of charismatic little restaurants; many regional restaurants have popped up in the suburbs over the years, and many have failed due to lack of population density.

[Ericandblueboy]

Might stop by for lunch before checking out the Holiday Market tomorrow.  

http://www.karmamodernindian.com/menu.html

Can anyone recommend some dishes for me and the kids to try?  They can eat a tiny tiny tiny bit spicy.

[Ericandblueboy]

Went to Karma for dinner.  We were going to sit outside but they had a dining room with no one in it, so we decided to eat indoors (because it was in the 40s outside).

The only app we ordered was NARIYAL CHILLI PRAWNS.  

Then everything else came out, LOBSTER MASALA, HYDERABADI DUM BIRYANI, GARLIC NAAN, and GRILLED OKRA.  I can't really describe the flavors, but I can say the seafood dishes were perfectly cooked.  The prawns and lobster were really tender and plenty flavorful.  The chicken in the biryani may have been slightly overcooked.  The grilled okra came out crispy, reminding me of the dried fried dishes by Peter Chang.  I think the grilled okra was seasoned with green mango powder?  It's a new flavor to me but delicious.