Taj India

Address: 4515 S 900 E, Murray, UT 84117. 801.268.2423.

Review: Taj India is innocuously situated next to a former gas station that has been recently converted to a blanket market. (You know, one of those where they hang up huge blankets with pictures of Bob Marley on clothes lines.) Thankfully, Taj's food is far more classy than the blankets that adorn its flank.

I showed up during the early lunch hour, and was the only one present for most of my meal. Maybe it was for this reason that I had such good service (although, I have a feeling the owners are simply good at attending to their customers' needs). For example, my water was always filled, which I dearly appreciate. And now, on to the food.

I began with the lamb and pea samosa.

The samosa skin was light and fried to a golden brown. The filling consisted of ground lamb, spices, and peas. The lamb had a good flavor and the peas added a nice color contrast, but I would have enjoyed it more if the peas had been fresher and sweeter. Adding tamarind chutney to the samosa brought some sweetness to the dish and round out the savory flavors.

Next came the paneer korma and rice.

The korma had a good mix of sweet and savory characteristics. Cardamom balances out the garam masala and garlic, etc. I ordered the korma hot, and hot it was, which was a nice touch. (Most Indian restaurants really cut the heat from their dishes to appease American palates.) The paneer was quite enjoyable. While paneer doesn't usually have a ton of flavor on its own (and this one didn't), the fresh-made, slightly dense, squeaky texture of this paneer helped make things more interesting. This noted, this korma isn't my favorite. Ultimately, the flavors were a bit muted and the spices kind of ran together instead of retaining their individual properties. The rice was plain, which was okay, but it didn't add much besides starch to the korma. In all, good, but not special.

Finally, the naan.

Well cooked. Not dry. Had flavor thanks to the ghee. However, very thin and without any bready elasticity. Again, solid, but nothing to put it over the top.

Taj serves solid Indian food.

Rating: 6/10 (5/10 is average).