Kuttanadan Indian Restaurant

Kuttanadan Serves Some of the Best Indian Food in Queens and Long Island | Eater NY

"Opened during the pandemic and named after a coastal region known for its rivers, rice paddies, and monsoons, this obscurely located spot on the Bellerose, Long Island, side of Jericho Turnpike near 248th Street (across the street from Floral Park, Queens) offers a comprehensive take on Kerala cooking. I was struck by how much of the menu is devoted to fresh seafood—the sardine fry ($10) was a revelation: six flame-grilled, slashed sardines presented in pristine plainness and as fresh as an ocean breeze, an amazing seafood deal for New York City—and there are also grilled mackerel, king fish curry, shrimp fry, fish peera, and mackerel mango curry. Equally surprising for an Indian restaurant are large sections devoted to pork and beef: the pork roast ($17) arrived with generous chunks of meat and fat in a mellow, oil-slicked sauce with chewy crescents of coconut and a pleasant gingery note, while the beef devil ($25) turned out to be sliced brisket that was ultra-spicy and mouth-burning from black pepper rather than chiles. Other beef highlights include beef ularth ($20), a stir-fry with green chiles, coconut, and curry leaf; Chef Aneesh Alleppy’s Deep South–style biryani impressed with goat biryani whose rice was painted multiple shades and studded with yellow raisins and toasted cashews—one of the best goat biryanis we’ve ever tasted. Don’t miss the signature Malabar fresh paratha ($2), huge and layered like a buttery croissant and better than basmati rice with some of the sauceless dishes. There are also tempting items we didn’t try—egg burji, mutton vindaloo, a vegetable stew, and some Indo-Chinese plates—so whether you eat beef and pork or avoid them, there’s much to love among the chicken, seafood, and vegetarian offerings; note that, as a result of the pandemic, Kuttanadan currently permits only takeout and delivery." - Robert Sietsema