Author: Aimee Shramko
Published: Oct. 30, 2024
In case you haven’t heard, ASU OLLI introduced additional ways for you to meet and connect with fellow OLLI students this fall. Centered on a common interest, SIGs, or Special Interest Groups, were formed by our dedicated student volunteers, are open to all OLLI members, and are free to join. The one I selected, World Tastes, offers an opportunity to step out of your dining comfort zone by meeting at a different ethnic restaurant in the Valley for lunch once a month.
The first gathering on October 3rd was held at Haldi Indian Cuisine on 59th Street and Union Hills in Glendale haldiaz.com. Joanne Henning, our fearless leader, selected the restaurant for the initial expedition. Moving forward, the group will collectively decide where and when to meet based on popular vote. After a lively discussion filled with excellent suggestions, we’ve opted to try an Ethiopian meal at Café Lalibela in Tempe for our November adventure.
Vindaloo, Rogan Josh, Palak, Curry, Tandoori, and Tikka Masala were some of the dishes sampled and shared at Haldi (the Hindi word for turmeric). If these delicious entrees sound alluring, yet unfamiliar and potentially dangerously spicy, you’re in luck. Not only are all of the dishes on the lunch menu served with minimal heat, but the chef, Saravanan Mathivanan, known as “Sam” to his friends, offers degrees of spice levels not often seen in the Valley ranging from “super mild to xtra hot”.
Serving “an innovative and honest Indian cuisine focused on high quality and great experience”, Sam opened Haldi in 2019. The care taken with spice levels stems partially out of necessity for his own dietary restrictions. This coupled with a passion for the food from the place of his birth and a dedication to detail, makes for a unique and inviting space to explore.
Originally from Chennai (formerly Madras) in South East India, Sam “worked under corporate cover” as a computer technology manager for close to two decades. You’ll see that influence put into play as his robot server, Bella, glides soundlessly across the dining room ferrying plates of delicious food to his diners.
Mid-way into a successful career, Sam developed issues with his colon to the point where he could no longer tolerate the food he grew up with. Challenged with creating dishes that would retain their authenticity, yet be more easily digested, he re-cast the beloved cuisine of his homeland using clean, healthy ingredients with adjustable spice.
Sam explained to our group that after crafting this revised take on Indian cuisine, he discovered it was also well received by many residents of Phoenix. Used to eating what Sam termed “bland food” for most of our lives, many of us have not developed a taste for the complex spices. When we do try them, Sam said our bodies are thrown into “shock” and often rebel. Following this discovery, his attention then turned to gently guiding Arizona diners through the often exotic world of Indian cuisine. And I for one, greatly admire his ability to deftly adapt to the environment in which he finds himself.
Our table started with the universally loved appetizer of Gobi Manchurian, “cut cauliflower pieces, battered, fried, and sautéed over sweet and spicy-tangy Manchurian sauce”. We also tried the irresistible Vegetable Pakora, (similar to a fritter) with “mixed vegetables and spices in chickpea (garbanzo) flour, fried to perfection”.
It all came together for me, a lover of Indian foods for over 30 years, as I tasted the superb, light as air, naan (a leavened flatbread, cooked in a tandoor oven) with garlic and cilantro. Paired with a sweet yet tart tamarind and a tangy mint chutney, it was the perfect side to accompany the entrees we shared with one another. My favorite, the Chicken Curry in a “flavorful, golden brown tomato onion sauce” which my neighbor Kristi ordered, was the perfect mild/medium spice level for my taste. Kristi, however, discovered she preferred the spice level of the more mild Butter Masala. Sharing and swapping became part of the fun as we passed our dishes to one another and zeroed in on our favorites.
All of the customizable lunch entrees start at $9.00 and offer your choice of vegetable or protein including chicken, paneer (a fresh, non-aged, full-fat, non-melting cheese), lamb or shrimp. You can then select one or more options from the list of sides including salad, basmati rice, naan, or roti (whole wheat flatbread).
Sam’s successful Glendale spot is nicely tucked away in the Arrowhead Shopping Plaza and offers plenty of convenient parking. There is a second location in Surprise on Bell and Litchfield Road. 
Open enrollment for SIGs begins at the start of each semester.
They are limited to a small number of participants and do fill up quickly. If you are interested in hosting your own special interest group for the spring semester, please contact Kristi Schneider kschne20@asu.edu.
