Las Vegas Weekly

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Sarah Feldberg

Wed, Sep 22, 2010 (6:39 p.m.)

Some of India's best dishes are street-corner specialties sold for spare change, but such food rarely makes it into Americanized kitchens. With Origin India's new street-food menu, however, you can sample authentic Indian staples without leaving town. Start your exploration with these three dishes:

Pani Puri With this native favorite, a hollow round of fried dough called a puri with a spicy potato filling comes stacked on a shot of water and spices. Pour the liquid into the bread and pop the whole thing into your mouth ... again and again. Indians eat at least five in a sitting; good luck handling all that heat.

Pao Bhaji This hamburger substitute is actually a large spoonful of vegetable and garbanzo bean curry served on toasted bread. A rich and hearty lunchtime favorite — you won't miss the meat.

Hyderabadi Biryani Essentially the Indian version of casserole, this biryani from the city of Hyderabad is foreigner-friendly with yogurt-marinated lamb so tender it falls apart on the fork. To trap every ounce of flavor, the pot is sealed with dough before it's placed in the oven. The dough is discarded; the vibrant flavor remains.