Monday was Yom Kippur, which in Hebrew literally translates to ‘Day of Atonement.’ The night before, at sunset, I began my 25-hour fast to atone for my actions from the previous year and ask for forgiveness in the year to come. Now, I describe myself as ‘Jew-ish.’ I haven’t been to temple in years, did not have a Bat Mitzvah and don’t really believe in the religious functions of Judaism. But I celebrate the holidays with my family, and I still choose to fast. I find fasting to be a fun challenge that makes me feel connected to my family and culture.
By midday Monday, I was starving and dehydrated, and the only thought in my head was what I would eat after sundown as I chugged my entire water bottle on the spot. Ultimately, the answer was a bag of chips to tide me over until my 6:30–9 p.m. screening was over (hell on earth). In my mind, though, my real break-fast was the Indian food my also-fasting roommate, Alex, had ordered for us. Throughout the film, I legitimately started to smell the curry that I knew would be sitting on my desk, waiting for me the moment I stormed in.
The night before our fast began, Alex and I sat together on our dorm carpet, assembling a lavish Uber Eats cart of curries, chicken and naan. I’ve tried a few Indian restaurants near the Medford campus and my go-to has become The Maharaja, so that’s where I suggested we order from after we had decided on Indian. We decided to split a chicken tikka masala, a butter chicken and a chicken pakora. We also got a side of mango chutney, and I got a garlic naan, which Alex unfortunately couldn’t eat because her diet is gluten-free.
When I finally escaped my screening, I ditched my friend from class, fleeing downhill to my spice-scented room, eager to stuff my face. Alex joined me, once again on the carpet, to have her second round of food as I pulled out bowls for us to chef our dinners up.
I’ve always been a butter chicken lover. I tend to have a strong sweet tooth, so I like that it’s a bit sweeter and creamier than tikka. I started by ripping into my naan to scoop chicken, curry and rice into my mouth like someone who hadn’t eaten in days (just one, but still…). Then I turned to the tikka, switching between the two until I was stuffed full.
The Maharaja has the best tikka masala I’ve had in Boston. The chicken is tender and soaked in the curry, which is deliciously tangy with a creamy, spicy kick to it. The mango chutney is still sitting in my fridge to this day because of how much they give you for just $2.99. I love putting it on my naan as I eat the tikka, and since I always keep Trader Joe’s garlic naan in my freezer, I can always eat the extra with it if I’m ever craving a midnight snack. The naan is thin, pillowy, flavorful and not too oily, which sometimes happens with garlic naan.
After I had filled part of my tummy with curry, I realized the chicken pakora was nowhere to be seen. As I turned to ask Alex if it ever showed up and whether we would have to complain to Uber Eats, the guilty look on her face told me everything I needed to know (girl has NO poker face). Apparently, when the food got to the dorm, she proceeded to demolish the entire container of chicken pakora — she doesn’t even know how many pieces — in the span of three minutes. As a result, of course, I was left with none. She said it was “good,” and, more importantly, it was a good gluten-free version of fried chicken.
Overall, the meal was the perfect break-fast, and I still got to have the leftovers the next night for dinner (another successful avoidance of Dewick). The main issue I tend to have with ordering Indian food is how expensive it is. The chicken curry and rice alone run you a good $22.99, and that doesn’t include the naan, which I feel is vital to the meal. To me, the food is always so good that it’s worth it, but I tend not to order it too often so as not to break the bank.
My friend Rudy has a hack they want to share for tikka masala lovers, though. They always order a $6.99 side of chicken tikka masala sauce, a portion of rice and a $4.99 garlic naan. This is a full meal for them, and in their opinion, the chicken is the least important component anyway. So if you are ever craving Indian and don’t have $30+ to spend, this may be a perfect option.
After 24 hours without food, I probably would have eaten just about anything, but The Maharaja made breaking my fast feel particularly worth it. I may have spent more than I would at Dewick, but I got two meals, enough chutney to last me through the next two times I order Indian food and the satisfaction of knowing I would not be eating dining hall chicken after starving all day.
