Swades, Powell

The epicurean alchemists at Swades mingle cumin, tomatoes, and coconut milk to create vegetarian Indo-fusion curries and dals that combine into healthy meals easily picked up at the restaurant’s drive-thru. The menu, which changes daily, beckons tongues with dry curries studded with green beans and okra, gravy curries simmering with tofu and kidney beans, and dal dishes that send lentils on speed dates with mango, spinach, or cucumbers. An overwhelming majority of Swades’ dishes are vegan, and one chef draws on a background in raw-food preparation, entertaining taste buds with nuts and spices that have never known the malicious tickle of a nefarious stovetop flame.