WITH our bank account still reeling from our recent wedding, the number of meals out has taken a hit.
But with the reduced section of the supermarket only offering a lump of cheese, a broken flan and 18 pots of probiotic yogurt, we decided it was time for some kind of treat.
And having auditioned Nawaabs Tandoori via a parentally-paid takeaway the other week, we decided the restaurant definitely deserved a visit.
Our expectations were pretty high as Nawaabs had scooped a couple of recent Best in Scotland curry awards. And we weren’t to be disappointed.
After spending an age on the vast menu, while nibbling complimentary poppadoms and dips, my wife finally plumped for the Nawaabi special mix.
So she didn’t feel too awkward eating a starter on her lonesome, I did the chivalrous thing and tucked in too.
Highlights of the platter included Mojhadarr combi – lightly-spiced minced lamb and mushroom bound in a delicate batter – and Hindustaani chicken tikka which was wonderfully tender and offering just a hint of mint.
It all came served with a generous bowl of what tasted like a less tart cranberry sauce, and was so delicious that I was on the verge of pouring some into my other half’s handbag to save for the Christmas turkey.
I’d love to say my lack of starter was for some kind of diet-related reason, but really I just knew what was coming from my choice of main course – enough grub to feed a small family.
Yes, my Nawaabi Thali was a one-stop banquet. Served on a massive silver platter, the smaller (although still pretty hefty) portions of various curries gave a perfect opportunity to try a few different things.
The tandoori trout in the centre of the plate was very subtly spiced, which let the fresh taste of the fish speak for itself.
If that was quite tame by usual Indian standards, it was surrounded by some much stronger flavours. The chicken tikka masala and lamb jalfrezi were old classics done wonderfully well, with the latter dish in particular offering a real kick in the back of the throat.
Duck curry was a new one for me, but the sunali duck was a tomatoey triumph with a touch of cinnamon, while the saag paneer had the right balance of spinach and cheese and was as far from cloying as it could have been.
As if that wasn’t enough food (and it really was), there was a bowl of pilau rice and a tandoori roti to mop up the various sauces.
After seeing my vast array of dishes, my wife was hoping her murgh tikka makani was going to match up – but she needn’t have worried. Beautifully tender chicken breast bathed in a golden buttery sauce, it was basically a revved-up korma topped with a generous helping of cottage cheese.
With a peshwari naan and pilau rice, we both had enough food to last us a week … which is good, because it might have to!