Posted by Cathy Bouchard in indian, nutrition, restaurant review on March 2, 2007 at 7:48 am
Veda Fine Indian Takeout
874 Yonge Street
416-840-3132
Combos from $5.65. Packaged teas and spices available.
People throw around the term “healthy” a lot these days. As a nutritionist, I feel like I spend a lot of time dispelling myths and crushing dreams that packaged food and take-out can ever be truly healthy. Bottom line is that it’s all about balance. Reality is, though, that people fear the fat, and they want the fast food that goes along with their busy lifestyles. I suppose this was the concept that owner Jared Ross had when he came up with the idea for Veda, a “health-conscious” take out Indian franchise. The idea behind it is to offer people fast Indian food that uses minimal oil.
Traditional North Indian food, which is mainly what we see here in North America, is cooked with a lot of ghee. Ghee is a clarified butter and an important part of Vedic culture. According to Ayurvedic tradition, ghee has many healing properties that promote movement in the joints and increases digestional fire. The thing is that most Indian restaurants use a vegetable oil version that is high in saturated fat, which could contribute to digestion issues and weight gain.
I had heard from many sources that Veda, which is the Sanskrit word for “knowledge”, was where it was at in terms of good, healthful westernized Indian food. I was excited. My friend and I arrived at the small Yorkville shop where we were greeted by a very friendly counter-man. We each chose the Combo 2 ($5.87), which allows for two vegetarian options, plain basmati rice or basmati rice with spinach and a piece of naan bread. I got this month’s special, palak paneer and the red lentils, my friend had the mixed veggies, the special and a veggie samosa. I also ordered a Combo 1 ($5.65) to take home for my boyfriend, with mixed veggies and butter chicken.
Veda is primarily for take-out but there are some seats inside, and we decide to eat in and take our seats at the window. I must admit that I loathe eating out of take-out containers with plastic utensils and automatically that was a bad sign, but I was ready to enjoy the meal. I didn’t. The red lentils were yellow and had the consistency and taste of pea soup. The palak paneer was just as tasteless and the naan was tiny and quite doughy. According to my friend, the mixed veggies were a joke and her tiny samosa tasted fried. Later that night, the butter chicken got a raving review of “alright”. We all wondered where the spices were. If the plan is to eliminate oil, then why eliminate spices as well?
The décor of Veda is very clean and simple. The prices are reasonable and the portions reflect the price. On the bright side, Veda has a mandate that includes using only aluminum and paper in their take-out containers, and claim to compost all their organic waste. The food is not horrible, but in terms of health, Veda didn’t impress me. Perhaps an addition of brown rice or better use of spice would have helped a little. Traditional Indian food with the proper use of spice and fresh ingredients, is perfectly healthful in moderation. I realize that take out is a necessity in our society, but I say why rush it? Why don't we focus on balancing our lifestyles and take a breath every once in a while? I suggest taking the trek to Little India, where you will can sit and enjoy your food and have a far better tasting, well-cooked meal and enjoy the experience.
