From its bland strip-mall suite, Curry in a Hurry takes its culinary cues from Gujarat, the state along India’s western coast known for some of the best vegetarian cooking on the planet, where lamb takes a backseat to lentils. Batawada—a fried ball of mashed potatoes with garlic and chili served with a tamarind dipping sauce—is a satisfying combination of starchy, spicy, and sweet, but can be a bit tepid. We like both versions of dal: toor (yellow lentils), served like a brothy soup with chili, cardamom, and peanuts; and the earthier makhani, a hearty blend of kidney beans and lentils, with a slow, almost smoky spice. In the curry department, aloo sabzi, with green beans and potatoes, is a bit lackluster and turmeric-heavy, but lanki chana masala—long squash and chana dal, a small relative of the chickpea—is scrumptious and cinnamony.

The space has been recently expanded and transformed into a sit-down restaurant with high ceilings. It’s not glamorous or anything, but the newly expanded menu offers naan sandwiches (served with an ill-fitting ketchup), street foods like pav bhaji, and a fermented chickpea bread with asafoetida (a fetid herb) that we find completely addictive. Afterward, browse the Indian market next door for more goodies to take home, and all the Bollywood you could ever want.