Lamb Crapdaloo

I am going to interject with a foodie post before I get back to Bandon. Last night was an adventure to Calcutta. Lamb Vindaloo was on the menu and I was psyched to try it out. The curry paste was made, rice was steaming and the lamb was marinating. The curry paste included; coriander, cumin, mustard seed, cloves and turmeric. The house smelled great. It was time to put food to fire. I sat down to eat and the first bite tasted like a sandbox. It was gritty and dusty. The texture was fine, the lamb while a bit overcooked was tender and the rice was fine. I couldn't figure it out. The cloves were pungent which was understandable as they were the only whole spices I grounded at home (the rest were pre-packaged ground). Still it didn't seem right. I thought of Melbee. Why? Well she's the only Indian person I know (besides her sister). So I called up the hottest receptionist this side of the Mississippi and ask "WTF." Says it was the cloves. I'll give it another shot and report back. Now back to the golf