For the past 22 years Geeta Bansal's Clay Oven Indian Restaurant in Irvine has been making turkeys in its tandoor for Thanksgiving. And every year around this time, they offer it for pre-orders. It's a downright tradition.
This year, a bird goes for $74.95 and serves at least six. They're skinless and marinated in a herb and spice blend before being roasted in the superheated barrel-shaped ovens. They're also stuffed with an spice and vegetable infused basmati rice, and comes with a cranberry chutney on the side, because, hey, what's a Thanksgiving turkey without some sort of cranberry sauce.
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If you want the whole spread, sides like spinach with paneer, cumin sweet potatoes, pumpkin achari, smoked eggplant bhurtha, and okra can be ordered to accompany your bird. Also, the restaurant is offering lamb chops, venison, wild Boar, elk, and Berkshire pork racks if you'd rather feast on a four-legged beast instead.
To reserve your bird, call them at (949)-552-2851.
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Before becoming an award-winning restaurant critic for OC Weekly in 2007, Edwin Goei went by the alias “elmomonster” on his blog Monster Munching, in which he once wrote a whole review in haiku.