Tamarind Indian Cuisine
Pawan Dhaurali, Owner
We love the variety of restaurants and other small businesses in Castle Rock! If you haven’t yet sampled the authentic dishes at the Tamarind Indian Cuisine restaurant, do yourself a favor and stop in for lunch or dinner. Located on the north side of Castle Rock, this restaurant offers a lunch buffet seven days a week, with a variety of traditional dishes to taste and try — from appetizers and entrees to dessert.
Pawan Dhaurali, one of the owners of Tamarind Indian Cuisine, says it is a family business operated by him, his two brothers, sister and father. “I used to work in another restaurant but we have so many friends from Castle Rock, I asked my brother, ‘Why can’t we open an Indian restaurant here?’” Pawan said.
Pawan’s entire family came to the U.S. seven years ago and settled in Castle Rock. Two years ago, they did their research, found a location and decided to open Tamarind Indian Cuisine.
“I love Castle Rock,” Pawan said. “It’s a friendly, peaceful community and everyone seems to really look out for each other.”
An Indian Cultural Experience
When you enter the restaurant, the smells and sounds alert your senses that you have stepped into another world. The distinctly Indian spices scent the air and traditional Indian music complements the entire dining experience.
If you stop by for lunch, the buffet has a salad bar with big bowls of dark green, leafy lettuce with cucumbers, tomatoes, oranges and carrots along with dressings including a customary yogurt dressing, called raita. With white rice, meat samosas, saag paneer (cooked spinach and fried Indian cheese), chicken curry and aloo govi (a vegetarian dish with potatoes, cauliflower and spices), your palate will thank you.
There is also a creamy Indian dessert pudding to sample, gajar ka haluwa, made from carrots, brown sugar, butter and pistachios.
With nine appetizer choices on the dinner menu and more than 50 entree options, including authentic Indian curry, vindaloo, biryani and korma dishes, there’s a plate of deliciousness awaiting every appetite at Tamarind Indian Cuisine.
Pawan says nearly everybody orders at least one of the nine versions of naan, an Indian hot bread, whether plain or stuffed with cheese, garlic, onion, chicken or lamb. Among the most popular dishes at Tamarind Indian Cuisine are the chicken tikka masala, the tandoori chicken and the lamb rogan josh, a chef’s special.
Try the masala chai, a spiced, sweetened black tea mixed with milk, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, pepper, fennel, and anise. And, there are other Indian desserts besides the one served at the buffet bar, including authentic gulab jamun (deep fried milk balls soaked in saffron-flavored syrup) and rice pudding.
A container of mukhwas or “mouth freshener” awaits you near the door. Like many authentic Indian food restaurants, proprietors encourage spooning the sugar, anise and sweet spices mix into your mouth to freshen your breath and aid digestion.
Neighborhood Convenience
You can order by phone or online to take out, or sit and enjoy the entire sensory experience at Tamarind Indian Cuisine. The restaurant offers catering and has a full-service bar, where Pawan says it is “happy hour” every day from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Tamarind Indian Cuisine
514 Perry Street, Unit A100, Castle Rock
Phone: 720-733-0776
Restaurant Hours: 11:00 a.m.–9:30 p.m.
Lunch Buffet
Hours: 11:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
Open 7 days a week
Life’s Convenient in Crystal Valley
It’s just a short drive from the master-planned community of Crystal Valley to downtown Castle Rock where a variety of dining and shopping opportunities await you. If you are a home buyer in search of a neighborhood, check out the beautiful new home designs from Richmond American Homes and D.R. Horton, including ranch or two-story models and priced from the high $300s. And – coming soon – new homes by and Kauffman Homes!
