Spice Dabba: Belmont Street, Aberdeen

IN A futile bid to shift the post-Christmas pounds, I’ve taken on an eating regime that would make a rabbit feel sorry for me.

But in one of my weaker moments, I decided to treat myself to something different – a South Indian takeaway.

The emphasis in my andrah lamb curry (£7.99) was very much on spice, not heat. A perfect blend of fragrant cardamom, star anise and cloves produced a powerful curry. And my kerala parotta (£2.29), a fried flaky flatbread was rich but not greasy.

My other half went for vegetable cutlets (£4.49), subtly spiced yet incredibly moreish discs of veg. Her cheese dosa (£5.99), essentially a huge crepe stuffed with cheese, onion and coriander, was equally tasty.

In fact, the only downside was a watery spinach dhal (£4.99), that lacked the flavourful punch of the other dishes.

But with a free andrah chicken curry, we could hardly complain.

At just over £25, it was slightly pricier than other takeaways but it’s a treat that almost makes eating all that healthy stuff worthwhile. Almost.