Lahore Karahi: King Street, Aberdeen
Published:
AS AN old curry hand it’s rare for me to find myself flummoxed as to how to eat an Indian dish.
But I must confess my beloved and I both had to scratch our heads over how to handle the huge starter we decided to share at Lahore Karahi.
Here was the dilemma – three huge sausage-like kebabs were resting on a paratha the size of a dinner plate.
Surrounding it was salad and a rich, creamy sauce.
Do we pick up our knives and forks and tackle it individual bit by bit?
Then it came to me. The clue was in the name – roly poly.
So I rolled the thing up fajita style, cut it in half and the munching commenced.
And fine it was too, all rich, spicy meaty, soothing salad and flaky buttery paratha.
A real bargain at £3.50, given that there was so much, we were nearly full before our mains arrived.
Mind you, the friendly staff at this newest of eateries did warn us we might have ordered too much. But never having tried a roly poly before it had to be done.
There was much to be found on the menu that was new and interesting.
That is to be expected from a place which aims to bring the authentic taste of Punjabi cooking to the city for the first time.
Certainly my choice of lamb chilli masala (£5.50) was extraordinary. I’ve had this dish before, but never with the huge and dizzying explosion of spices that this one offered.
It was a case of spot the spice, from cinammon to cardamom to one little sour gem that I just couldn’t place at all.
The underlying note was a fiery one, though. They weren’t kidding about the chilli. But even that huge blast couldn’t overwhelm the subtler, rich tastes.
Meanwhile, the other side of the table was making appreciative noises over something called zeera chicken (£5.50)
Tender chunks of breast were brought to life with a rich melange of onions, peppers and lashings of cumin. Again a touch fierce, but nothing the girl couldn’t cope with.
Now, at this point it should be noted Lahore Karahi is a bit minimalist on the decor front – all bare tables and wooden floors that give it almost the air of an upper-class kebab shop that’s grown like Topsy.
But there is absolutely no mistaking either the quality or the quantity of food – or the value.
Our feast – and it truly was given the pilau rice and nan bread – set us back a mere £22.50.
