At Cedars, we take an enormous amount of pride in sourcing our ingredients carefully to ensure that the flavors of our food are as delicious and authentic as possible. We managed to become the favorite Indian restaurant of so many Seattleites not only because of our service and atmosphere, but because our food just tastes better. We’re only able to achieve this level of excellence by putting an extra level of care into our menu items that is difficult to find at other restaurants. Here is a closer look at where some of our items and ingredients come from:
Imported from the Source
We believe for some items, there is simply no compromise when it comes to the authentic flavors available only in India or Pakistan, and we import many of our ingredients directly from these eastern countries. Our Paneer cheese comes directly to us from India, as do many of our spices, which would be impossible to find on the American market for the same price point and quality level. Even our rice—something we serve with almost every meal—is imported from India and Pakistan because it is simply not possible to find the same kind of long-grain, high-quality, fragrant Basmati rice here in the states. Many of our other grains, such as our lentils and beans, are also imported. Eating at Cedars truly means being transported across the world through the meal on your plate.
Halal and Humane Meat
Our Australian and New Zealand lamb is not only grass-fed but also halal, as are our chicken and beef. This not only means that the meat is permissible for consumption according to Islam, but also that the meat is held to much higher standards than it would be in most US slaughterhouses. To be considered halal, animals must be alive and healthy at the time of slaughter, fed a completely vegetarian diet, and never treated with antibiotics or growth hormones. No pork products are mingled with the other kinds of meat, and certain parts of the carcass must be discarded. The animals must be killed by a human, not a machine, and the blood must be drained completely. All these factors make for healthier, more humane meats that we are proud to serve.
From Our Own Kitchen
We also make many of our dishes in-house. For example, our chai tea is carefully constructed and simmered for hours, and never poured from a mixture or pre-made blend. We also bake all our breads at Cedars from basic ingredients. Some restaurants thaw frozen naan they bought from a grocery store, but at Cedar’s, we make it from scratch and bake it in our Tandoor oven. We also make the papadum—a thin, crisp, cracker-like disc—and the chutneys we serve with it in our own kitchen.
Dessert by Cedars
Finally, we make all of our desserts in house. This includes the kheer, a traditional Indian rice pudding cooked with nuts and cardamon, our halvah, a flakey, light delicacy from spun seeds, nuts and honey, and our rasmalai, a delicate, soft cheese served in sweetened milk and flavored with cardamom, and more!
We encourage to ask your server more about where your meal came from the next time you’re in Cedar’s. While this question might stump or embarrasses someone who works in a different kind of restaurant, at Cedar’s we love nothing more than to tell you the story of where your meal has been in order to reach your plate.
