Located on Medical Center Parkway, Ugadi Grill is a great addition to the growing number of Indian Restaurants in Rutherford County. Once upon a time, the only place to get Indian food was Clay Pit, but now there are many choices. Ugadi focuses on Southern Indian food, offering an extensive menu that offers lots of choices for vegans and non-vegans alike.
“The new(ish) GEM in Murfreesboro,” exclaimed one online reviewer. “[We] stumbled upon this place while in the area – and WOW! We are huge fans of Indian … and this place did not disappoint. We dined in, nearly every table was full, but little did we know this place also has a booming to-go/delivery arm as well. We had the Ugadi Special Chicken Curry and the Chicken Saag with a shareable Plain Dosa. All of it was incredible. We will definitely be adding this place as a go-to….”
Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian Appetizers offer a large selection of samosas and batter fried chicken, veggies, and shrimp. On the vegetarian side, samosas are offered with two different types of filling, one with the typical potatoes, green peas and spices and a second type filled with onions. The Gobi Manchurian is batter fried cauliflower tossed in a sweet tangy sauce. The Paneer 555 is batter fried cottage cheese cubes that are marinated in Southern Indian spices and mixed with cashews. If you prefer meat, try the Chicken Lollipops, which are basically chicken wings Indian style. Shrimp lovers should try the Chili Shrimp. And for those who want to try something a little different, there is Mutton Pepper Roast, which is goat meat simmered in spices. This is just a sampling of the many choices on the extensive menu.
The rest of the menu is equally diverse and vast. They have old favorites that those who love Indian food will find on most every menu, including Paneer, Tandoori Chicken and Tikki Marsala, Korma and Curries. They also offer some interesting dishes not always offered locally, including Uttapam, which is roughly an Indian version of a pizza. It is a thick pancake made with fermented lentil rice batter which can be topped with different things, like carrots and onions. Dosa is an Indian version of a crepe filled with potatoes, vegetables and spices.
Noodle and rice lovers will find a large selection of dishes available. Lamb Biryani is made of long grain basmati rice that is simmered with spices and lamb in their special biryani masala gravy. It is served with a side of cucumber yogurt raita and salan. Salan is a creamy, nutty, spicy condiment with a bit of tang made of green chilis, peanuts, sesame seeds, dried coconut, spices and tamarind. For the vegetarian, there are dishes like Malai Kofta made of cheese and cashew nut stuffed minced vegetable balls served in a creamy curry.
If you are not familiar with Indian food, do not worry, the wait staff will take the time to help you find several things to try and explain how to eat it.
“One food I have very little experience with is Indian,” explained one reviewer, “so I decided to see what all of the hubbub was surrounding Ugadi Indian Grill. I arrived a little before five pm and Kavya got me seated and a carafe of water while I looked over the menu. [He] seemed to sense I was lost, [so he] came over and spent some time explaining the various dishes, ingredients, spice levels from zero to five, and the various ways the dishes were prepared. I decided to be adventurous and went with the Lamb Vindaloo (number one on the spice level), Mysore Masala Dosa, and some garlic Naan. When the meal was delivered, the fragrances from the plate were incredible. What was very helpful is that Kavya then came over and gave me a quick overview on how to combine and eat everything before me. The Lamb Vindaloo had nice spice, and the curry had a smooth flavor and when mixed with the rice it was delicious. I had a lot of fun eating the Mysore Masala Dosa, finally getting the hang of breaking the shell, dipping it into the potato, and then into a sauce. While I was in shock at the size of everything when delivered, I really enjoyed the different textures, flavors, and the sauce in the larger bowl was incredible. It was so good I even poured some of it over rice!”
Indian desserts are created to release the heat sitting on the tongue after a meal. Ras Malai is one such dessert. It is flattened cheese patties served in lightly sweetened milk. Another is Gulab Jamun, which is a milk based deep fried dumpling soaked in a light sugar syrup.
The service is attentive and the waiters are more than happy to answer any questions about the various dishes. They will also pack up the sure to be significantly sized “doggie bag.” One diner shared that she was able to make three more meals out of her left overs.
Ugadi is open from 11:00 a.m. until 9:0 0p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The original location in Murfreesboro is located at 2306 Medical Center Parkway, Suite B1 and their newest location in Nolensville is at 515 Burkitt Commons. They can be contacted at info @ugadiindiangrill.com or by phone at (615) 622-7674 in Murfreesboro and (615) 776-2100 in Nolensville.
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