Though India and Indiana are roughly the same word, their cuisine offerings are worlds apart. Find out the difference two letters make with today's Groupon: for $20, you get $40 worth of Indian fare and drinks Friday–Sunday ($45 worth of fare and drinks if redeemed Monday–Thursday) at Akbar Cuisine of India in Pasadena.

The culinary constructers at Akbar Cuisine of India prepare a menu of seafood, tandoori meats, and vegetable-based entrees. Eyes can nosh on the red and yellow hues that coat the walls while teeth warm up on an appetizer of gosht kachori, a collection of spiced and minced lamb stuffed into crispy flour pockets and flanked by plum chutney ($9.95).

Guests can gauge spice levels by peeking at the chili meter, which, like the number of American states without traffic laws, ranges from one to five. The kitchen team grills the chicken tikka masala in a tomato sauce ($12.95) and the Chilean sea bass (market price) in a tandoor oven, both registering a two on the chili scale. The pepper lamb climbs to the top of the spice scale with a creamy, piquant green-peppercorn curry buttressed by saffron flavoring ($13.50) and can be augmented with a heat-taming mango lassi yogurt drink ($3.95). Vegetable-inclined diners can imbibe the bhindi masala, a fusion of okra sautéed with onions, serano chilies, and exotic spices ($9.95) that achieves a mild two on the chili scale.