Cheap Eats - Udipi Cafe: Indian summer

For those of us not native to India, navigating the intricacies of the country’s regional cuisines and dining customs can be intimidating. Exploration and discovery, however, are two of the most satisfying aspects of being a curious eater. When it comes to South Indian food, there is no better place to go to school than Udipi Café (1850 Lawrenceville Highway, Decatur, 404-325-1933), located within Decatur’s flourishing enclave of Indian restaurants, sari boutiques and specialty grocers.

Although the restaurant’s decor is somewhat austere, the dynamic assortment of skillfully prepared vegetarian dishes provides more than enough warmth and color. Any of the dosai (a savory rice crepe wrapped around various fillings) – especially the golden mixture of potato, coconut and onions in the coconut rava masala ($6.95) – are hearty enough to act as a meal. Unlike other overly pureed or oddly colored versions around town, Udipi’s palak paneer ($7.50) actually looks like spinach, and the slightly spicy curry is studded with generous cubes of firm paneer (cheese) and bits of tomato. Channa batura ($7.50), a complex yet simple curry of plump chickpeas, arrives alongside a large balloon of fried batura (a puffed bread), which is as flaky as it is fun to eat. The spicy and sticky fried cauliflower called Gobi Manchurian ($6.50) is one of the more unusual dishes, and finds its origins in Chinese cooking.

No matter how much food we order, we always make room for the crave-worthy coconut rice ($5.95) peppered with fatty cashews, finely chopped cilantro, coriander seeds and toasted coconut.

Udipi offers a good lunch buffet ($6.95 on weekdays and $8.95 on weekends), but the thalis (a variety of dishes served in small, stainless steel bowls neatly arranged on a round platter) are an exciting alternative if value and variety are paramount. Most notable is the “Royal South Indian” ($12.50), a balanced study in sweet and savory flavors complete with rice, poori (a fried wheat bread) and tart lemon chutney.