A Night of Biryani, Samosas and Mango Lassi at the Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium

Earlier this month Major League Cricket (MLC) kicked off its season in the newly remolded Grand Prairie Stadium. We recently went to take in a match, which was a lot of fun, but — mostly — we went to eat.

We reported on the sold-out crowd on opening day when the Texas Super Kings beat the Los Angeles Knight Riders by 69 runs at what used to be a minor-league baseball stadium.

It was another warm day when we returned and first and foremost we were happy to find that the stands are mostly in the shade. There was a breeze, and it was actually pleasant. Our seats were in the "outfield," if you will (what used to be left field), which turned into a sort of home-run deck at one point (hitting it into the stands in cricket is called a six, because six points are scored). Each time it happened, everyone went wild and fireworks shot off. It was big fun.

Eating was fun too. Unlike at a Rangers game last weekend, the line didn't take 20 minutes, I didn't have to take out a small loan to cover a few snacks and, in this case, the food was amazing.

The MLC playoffs start Thursday, July 27, and finish Sunday, July 30. Get tickets, be open-sports-minded and go have a good time. But go hungry. Here is a roundup of some of the fare we tried.

There is a full restaurant and bar in what would be left field. VIP tickets get you access to this space (but there's good fare everywhere, so no pressure). The restaurant and bar is air-conditioned, however, if that is a game changer for you. We went with an Indian-style lager, Arka, which was light and refreshing on this warm summer evening and helped to cool the heat from some of the food.
For our first round, we went with Tzack's fried chicken served in a brown takeout-style box. This channels karaage:  breaded all dark meat with nice flavor and not at all dried out. This would be a go-to for kids or picky eaters. We didn't grab any ketchup to go with it, but if you prefer a condiment with your chicken bites, there is some available. Doesn't need it at all, though.

We also got an order of green chili chicken tikka, lightly baked — maybe finished in a fryer, although not "fried chicken." Green chili is splattered over large, almost boneless wing-like bites of chicken. Along with the chili heat, there were hints of coriander and mint here, with a deep flavor throughout the chicken, hinting at a long marinade. Great for sure.

Finally, we got the flaky Punjabi pattice, a puff pastry folded over a filling of potatoes and herbs. It was a great side to the two chicken dishes.

After this first round, we were happy and full. Sixes were flying over to our corner and everyone was having a great time, yelling and laughing. Someone near us had a whistle they'd blow on occasion. Players would drift over, give an autograph or take a picture with fans. There was a DJ keeping the crowd on their feet. We felt part of it all with tasty Punjabi pattice stuffed in our mouths.

Next, we went to the main concession area and ordered round two, which without doubt had to involve the mounds of samosas that we spotted as we entered, along with giant bowls of biryani.

The samosas are finished off in the fryer when ordered for perhaps one minute, maybe less. It's quick so you're not standing in line for long, but long enough so that it's hot when bitten into. After so much chicken we went with a vegetable samosa, filled with peas, potatoes and onion. A dab of green chili on the side would have topped it off but, alas, we can't be so picky when out at the sports. We were mostly happy we weren't waiting 20 minutes for a dry, boring $27 pretzel.

Then along came the biryani.

This dish was fire. Now, it was the most expensive thing we ordered all night at $20, but we ate leftovers for lunch the next day. This container of Royal extra long grain basmati rice, vegetables and spices weighed at least 3 pounds. There's no doubt the light, fluffy rice and menagerie of spices in this dish are made in small batches by an experienced cook or chef.

It's quite startling how good this dish was, given the amount of food they're pushing out at these matches. Tip o' the hat.
As the teams switched on and off the field, the sun had set and mango lassis started to appear. Parents shared sips of the cool mango and yogurt drink with kids, which made for the perfect nightcap here. Again, these were done in small batches, pushed out quickly at the concession stands.

All in all, it was a great experience, and the food was way better than it had any business being at a sporting event.