Though India and Indiana are roughly the same word, their cuisine offerings are worlds apart. Find out the difference two letters makes with today's Groupon: $20 for $40 worth of dinner, or $10 for $25 worth of lunch at Origin India Restaurant and Bar, located on the Strip, across from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

Executive chef Kuldeep Singh’s diverse selection of artisan Indian eatables beautifully complement Origin’s elegant interior, where an earthy wooden floor upholds sleek, dark furniture and walls painted in golden yellow honey. With lunch comes the chance to nibble on vegetable nilgiri, a savory assortment of non-meats cooked in green gravy and paired with buttered naan that doubles as an inter-table frisbee ($9.95). Guests can tickle their insides with a dinner starter such as tandoori black tiger shrimp, whose crustaceous tastiness is spiced with ajwain seed, kaffir lime, tamarind, raisin chutney, and balsamic reduction ($15). Next, upgrade to an entree of creamy chicken curry ($16) or a southern Indian-style stir-fry of diced lamb with curry leaves, black mustard seeds, kashmiri chili, coconut, and lemon rice ($18).

Origin India’s innovative cuisine has been targeted by many admiring voices, including Rachael Ray, who featured the restaurant on her Food Network travel show “Rachael’s Vacation.” A full bar is available for finding the sophisticated cocktail you’ve been unsuccessfully seeking in your neighbors’ fridges late at night.

Reviews

Origin India Restaurant and Bar has a mention in the Las Vegas Weekly and the Review-Journal; Origin India has a 3.5-star average from Yelpers, a 4.5-star average from Citysearchers, and a 4.3-star average from OpenTable reviewers:

• the paneer tikka … which the menu said would be "stuffed" with apricots and raisins but actually was sort of layered with them, and at any rate was -- like all of the dishes we tried -- a colorful carnival of flavors and textures. – Heidi Knapp Rinella, Review-Journal
• Essentially the Indian version of casserole, this biryani from the city of Hyderabad is foreigner-friendly with yogurt-marinated lamb so tender it falls apart on the fork. To trap every ounce of flavor, the pot is sealed with dough before it's placed in the oven. The dough is discarded; the vibrant flavor remains. – Sarah Feldberg, Las Vegas Weekly