But the kitchen seems far more comfortable with Indian cooking.

It is a fruit used a great deal in Indian cooking.

As for the food, the kitchen turns out a compelling mix of regional Indian cooking.

By the time someone has come that far, they say, and perhaps smelled the Indian cooking, they are more likely to stay.

It is proof of how little most Americans still know about Indian cooking.

"Something my father used to say about Indian cooking was you can cook a meal if you only had one fire," she said.

Turmeric, as a spice, is a common ingredient in Indian cooking.

Not every dish is a fusion of Chinese and Indian cooking.

You would almost believe that the extent of Indian cooking is no more than what fits on a takeout menu.

Side dishes, when not treated as an afterthought, always fill more than a minor role in Indian cooking.