Naan News
New Indian restaurant Turmeric brings family recipes to Fort Worth
Biryani at Turmeric Indian Cuisine.
A family-owned restaurant is bringing Indian food to the outer edge of southwest Fort Worth. Called Turmeric Indian Cuisine, it's a newly-opened spot in a shopping center near Chisholm Trail Parkway and I-20, where it's serving butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, and other Indian classics.
Turmeric is from owner Sesha Sakhamuri, a former engineer whose mission is to share the joys of Indian food in an inclusive way.
"Turmeric is not only for those who already like Indian food but also those trying the cuisine for the first time," she says. "I wanted to bring something to the community."
The restaurant even has a tab on its website labeled "First time?", with recommendations for dishes like Butter Chicken and Chicken Tikka Masala, two all-time Indian food favorites. (Both come in a creamy tomato sauce, but with different flavor profiles: butter chicken is buttery and mild, while tikka masala is tangier and more spiced.)
Sakhamuri is originally from South India, where the food is spicier than northern India. At Turmeric, they offer dishes from both regions, using tried-and-true recipes handed down from her family.
Signatures include chicken curry, described as boneless chicken in a deeply spiced onion gravy, cooked down slow; and its cousin lamb curry, simmered in onion, tomato, and toasted whole spices.
A wide selection of vegetarian and vegan dishes includes Gobi Manchuria, a customer favorite consisting of batter-fried cauliflower florets glazed in a sweet-and-spicy garlic-ginger sauce; Mutter Paneer, with green peas and cheese in a lightly spiced onion-tomato gravy; and Malai Kofta, cheese and potato dumplings in a creamy gravy.
"These recipes are from my family and me. It's how we make it at our house," Sakhamuri says.
She also goes outside the traditional route with upscale and fusion dishes like:
- Ginger Shrimp, with shrimp seared hot and fast with fresh ginger, garlic, and slit green chili
- Chicken Tikka Wings, marinated in yogurt and tandoori spices, with charred, blistered edges
- Masala Fries: French fries tossed in house chaat masala. "Tangy, salty and a little smoky," the menu says.
They have naan, the irresistibly soft and chewy baked Indian bread, in four flavors — but they also use it in two fun fusion dishes: Naan tacos, with a warm naan folded taco-style around a spiced filling of onion, cilantro and mint chutney, to which you can add cheese, chicken, lamb, or shrimp, $4 to $6; and naan pizza, with naan as the crust, topped with spiced tomato sauce, melted cheese and red onion, for $10.
The restaurant, located at 4608 Bryant Irvin Rd. #440, in what used to be a Cuban restaurant called Lola's, feels clean and modern, and even boasts a trendy wall of greenery withthe words "Indian cuisine" in neon — a backdrop for Instagram action. They don't currently serve alcohol, but Sakhamuri says she has applied for a license to sell beer and wine.
"I grew up seeing my parents cooking and wanted to continue that tradition," she says. "That's why I left my job and started this business. I don't want to forget my roots."
Patrons can buy a bottle of Briggs whiskey or bourbon on-site to take home. Photo by Hayden Walker 
The distillery was designed by Texas-based M. Elliott Studio with contemporary furniture that visitors can rearrange as they see fit for their gatherings.Photo by Hayden Walker
