Ekta

We decided to get Indian food delivered on Thanksgiving Eve last week, what with all the cooking that would take place the next day.

Hmm. Where should we order from? There aren't a lot of Indian restaurants in South Philly, and the closest one to us is passable, but not a favorite. Philly's beloved Tiffin doesn't deliver to Pennsport, and the place we just called in Center City doesn't deliver to Pennsport, either. Is it possible that Ekta, the Indian take-out restaurant opened this summer by Tiffin's ex-head chef in the same Fishtown neighborhood as Tiffin, delivers to Pennsport?

Yes!

We didn't balk at the estimated one hour and thirty minute delivery time since it was the eve of a major holiday, but we were very happy when our doorbell rang thirty minutes after we placed our order over the phone.

We ordered the navratan curry and baigan bharta (already had naan in the freezer), but delivery also packed complimentary raita and pickles to accompany the main dishes, and fragrant, cardamon-spiced kheer for dessert. I love free dessert!No one can help but compare Ekta to Tiffin, and I guess I can't help it, either. Firstly, Ekta's menu is similar to Tiffin's, but Ekta has cheaper prices.

Overall, both curries were very similar in flavor and consistency to Tiffin's. Ekta's curries were spicier than Tiffin's, and that is a plus in my book. Ekta also throws a little more -- just a little more-- vegetables in their curries, so as not to be just a bowl of sauce. I'm a huge proponent of sauce, but I do want some veggies in my veggie curry, so Ekta's about even with Tiffin there.

The only disappointment of the night was the baigan bharta, a smoked eggplant curry in a tomato sauce, that was overly salty. The dish was not inedible, but salty enough that we avoided the bagain bharta, and, instead, devoured the navratan curry with creamy cashew and onion sauce. Since the navratan wasn't overly salty, there's hope that the cook is not salt-insensitive, but just made a mistake that night.

With delivery to Pennsport, cheaper prices, and spicier curries, Ekta has Tiffin beat -- even with an overly salty curry. The delivery is the key, though.

Ekta
250 E. Girard Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19125
215-426-2277
Mon.-Fri., 11 am- 9:45 pm; Sat., noon-9:45 pm; Sun., noon-9 pm