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amazingly authentic indian: paddy's marten dhaba bar and grill review


located in the vibrant, asian community of belgrave in leicester, i'd heard nothing but good things about paddy's marten dhaba bar and grill. and no wonder jamie oliver visited leicester especially to try it for himself! 

set in a british pub (still in full jubilee spirit) and with black and white photographs of bollywood stars on the walls, there really is something to embrace about this indian meets british combination of amazing food and bustling atmosphere. the wide-ranging menu of gujarati, punjabi and keralan specialities had something for everyone, with your choice to amend ingredients or heat level - this really reflected in the freshness of the food.

we shared half a dozen poppadoms coming with five different chutneys and pickles. including my fave - chopped onions and mango chutney :) i really could sit and eat poppadoms for days but with the scents of sizzling food arriving at other people's tables - i made sure i left room!
to start, i shared a mixed sizzling platter of lamb kebabs, tandoori chicken wings and chicken tikka pieces. this was delightful if not a little hot. (i am a wimp!) they left the sauce too which was great as they really complimented the sharer. i really love little pieces like this - especially dim sum and tapas - and would often even prefer lots of these to a main meal! this was around £6 and totally worth it for a nice starter. other menu items which caught my eye were the fish pakora, salt and pepper prawns and interesting sounding "crispy ladies fingers(!)"

for my main i went for lamb saag. this was around £8 and came with rice and your choice of naan. bonus! this was a spinach and tomato based mild/medium dish with chunky pieces of lamb served with a garlic naan and pilau rice. we also had aloo methi potatoes - which had fragrant fenugreek leaves stirred through. everything came on metal plates which again was a traditional touch and of course kept our food nice and hot.

i would definitely recommend this pub/bar/grill/restaurant for anyone in search of an amazingly authentic indian meal. there was a friendly atmosphere of what felt like new and returning customers. don't be put off at all by the dated looking menu either - it somehow added to the homely feel of the place. for saying at first i was a little dubious about an "authentic indian restaurant" called paddy's martens inn - i will definitely be returning to try their chicken tikka! top marks!

if like to cook asian recipes at home, you might like my haddock korma - perfect for those who love strong flavours but shy away from heat like me! :)

2 comments:

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