Looking for authentic Indian food in Nottingham? We've got you covered...
I remember moving to Nottingham from India and not having a good experience with most Indian food places because either the flavours felt too bland or the balance felt flat. Since then, through trial and error with my flatmate, I have found five go-to Indian restaurants and take-aways that offer authentic taste.
Flavour Lock
Where: Falcon Supermarket, 135 Carlton Road, NG3 2FN
Recommendation: Gol Gappa, Butter Paneer, Lamb Curry
Cost for two: £8-£16
I remember walking into Falcon Supermarket, the Indian grocery store, on Carlton road to get certain ingredients and got the best surprise of my life. An Indian takeaway, Flavour Lock, had opened inside the store and I was extremely excited. Since then, every single trip to Falcon Supermarket has resulted in me buying something from Flavour Lock. With extremely affordable prices, amazing quantity and an even better flavour profile, this take-away is bound to become your all time favourite.
Biryaniz
Where: 100 Gregory Boulevard, NG7 5JE
Recommendation: Chicken Biryani
Cost for two: £14-£20
Bringing authentic Hyderabadi and Indo-Chinese taste, Biryaniz offers a very selective menu. With several biryani options and some popular Indo-Chinese dishes, Biryaniz is always a good idea. Although a take-away, Biryaniz does offer limited seating. With huge pieces of chicken, extremely aromatic whole spices, and the richness of Basmati rice, the dish is a hard one to top.
Rikshaw Indian Street Food
Where: 615 Mansfield Road, NG5 2FW
Recommendation: Samosa, Mango Lassi, Chili Paneer Bites,
Cost for two: £15-£25
The craving for Indian street food never really leaves you once you’ve had it and believe me, Rikshaw Indian Street Food is an amazing bet when it comes to it. Despite samosa’s popularity in the UK, I hadn’t quite been satisfied by any in my first few tries at different restaurants and among bags of frozen samosas. But here? The crust was perfectly flaky with a mouth-watering filling. It almost fit my entire palm! The chilli paneer bites were reminiscent of the desi-Chinese all Indians miss and don’t get me started on the mango lassi. I still dream of it sometimes.
Kayal
Where: 8 Broad Street, NG1 3AL
Recommendation: Paper Masala Dosa, Uzhunnu Vada, Tilapia Pollichathu
Cost for two: £25-£35
Despite not living in the southern states of India, I grew up eating a lot of South Indian food. So finding Kayal turned out to be one of the best discoveries since I had moved to the UK. The menu is quite extensive and includes some of the more popular and even only culturally known dishes. Their lunchtime thali deal is absolutely *chef’s kiss*. The only disappointment I got was the absence of idli, a savoury fluffy rice cake, which is quite a popular dish among South Indian cuisine. But, the paper masala dosa makes up for it.
Tipu Sultan
Where: 482 Mansfield Road, NG5 2EL
Recommendation: Chicken Tikka Masala, Paneer Makhani, Cheese and Garlic Naan
Cost for two: £25-£40
From the first bite of the cheesy garlic naan with the paneer makhani, I knew I had found my new obsession. The naan was unbelievably soft and just the right amount of garlicky. The sides had an extremely balanced flavour profile. It was only slightly shy of the general Indian spice level, but not too much that the dish felt out of place to my Indian taste buds. Named after one of the Sultans of North India, the menu offers a concise selection of North Indian favourites.
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