Without traditional Indian food, we would never get to experience non-traditional Indian food, such as peanut-butter-and-chutney sandwiches or naansicles. Taste where it all started with today's Groupon to Flavor of India by Tamarind, at its locations in [Pittsburgh]http://www.tamarindpa.com/tfi/index.shtml) or Cranberry. Choose between the following options:

• For $12, you get $30 worth of Indian cuisine and drinks, good for Sunday through Thursday.
• For $12, you get $25 worth of Indian cuisine and drinks on Friday or Saturday.

Though the Cranberry menu and the Pittsburgh menu vary slightly, both carry traditional Indian dishes, many drawn from authentic family recipes. At either location, look forward to running taste buds over tandoori chicken that's been soaked in yogurt and painted with spices before being thrown on the grill ($9.99–$11.99), as well as dosas, thin lentil and rice crêpes with fillings that vary from onion to peanut ($6.50–$8.99). Classics such as fiery lamb vindaloo ($12.99–$14.99), or the considerably less flammable vegetable biryani ($10.99) represent their mother-country's cuisine better than an Indian flag constructed entirely of basmati rice.

Reviews

Flavor of India by Tamarind was featured in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Pittsburgh City Paper. Six Yelpers give the Cranberry location a four-star average, and Yelpers also give the Pittsburgh location an average of four stars.

• We were intrigued by the samosas, unlike any we've had before. Their creamy, green-tinted filling suggested spinach not just combined but pureed with potato, and their flavor, within delicately crispy pastry, was packed with a variety of vegetal notes. – Angelique Bamberg and Jason Roth, Pittsburgh City Paper
• To appeal to a wider audience, Tamarind, Flavors of India, is serving food for an American palate. – Elizabeth Downer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette