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Take your taste buds on a pilgrimage of enlightenment to the restaurant named for Buddha's birthplace. Today's Groupon to Lumbini Restaurant gets you $35 worth of authentic Indian and Nepalese fare for $15. Dance toward gustatory nirvana with a nimble troupe of ghee, cream, and intricate spices. Whether you're a seasoned follower of the Noble Eightfold Path or a curious novice, Lumbini’s sweeping landscape mural and friendly service invite you to feel at home. Bring your own bottle of wine and gaze up at the painted sky ceiling as the thick curries and sauces of India and Nepal give you the warm fuzzies, regardless of the climate.

The extensive menu at Lumbini includes several mouthwatering vegetarian dishes, as well as both spicy and mild entrees to suit your carnivorous tastes. Start off with the tender Lumbini momo (fresh ground chicken with minced onions, cilantro, garlic, and spices, steamed or fried in a delicate dough; $6.95) and the onion bhaji (potato cubes with turmeric, salt, ground sesame seeds, lime juice, and coriander; $3.50). Get your daily dose of veggies and pure ghee in baigan bharta (baked eggplant with ghee, fresh herbs, onions, and tomatoes; $12.95) or have some tender homemade cheese to go with your legumes in the mutter paneer (with green peas, creamy sauce, and raisins; $12.95).

Because Lumbini understands the importance of food on a stick, the tandoori shrimp is skewered with bell peppers to impart a sweet tang ($17.95). Traditional curries, such as the succulent lamb curry ($14.50), are served sans-stick so as to retain their saucy consistency. Butter naan ($2.95) is the perfect mode for curry delivery for those who eschew forks and love this rich, absorbent flatbread. Try the sekuwa (with charcoal roasted chicken marinated in Nepalese spices, $12.95) or a typical Nepalese thali with mutton curry, white rice, daal, and chutney ($16.95) for a truly authentic experience.

Note: Your Groupon is good for dinner only.

Reviews

Baltimore City Paper loved the Nepalese fare. Yelpers give Lumbini Restaurant four stars, and 86% of Urbanspooners like it:

• ... the food was rich and plenty filling. We'd order the malekhu fish curry ($15.95) again; its curry bright with flashes of mustard flavor. The malai kofta ($12.95) was its typical overwhelming and satisfyingly creamy self, with a nice lack of mushiness to the fried potatoes. We appreciated the sauce in a shrimp vindaloo ($15.95) that gave up clear and sharp vinegar notes just beneath the heat, and the moist hunks of yogurt-marinated salmon featured in a tandoori preparation ($16.95). – Richard Gorelick, Baltimore City Paper
• There are tons of options, especially vegetarian. I also love their chai. Very tasty. – Kristy L., Yelp
• ...well decorated and inviting. I loved the large murals on the walls and ceiling. Lots of warm colors. My friend and I sat at a table for two at the window. Awesome for people watching! – Mike M., Yelp