I haven't blogged in so, SO long. Our (wonderful) trip to the other side of the world semi bankrupted me and therefore meals out have been somewhat scarce. But, I'm now back in the land of the living, spending my pay cheque on day one and back into eating out again...I have missed it, hugely!
A couple of weeks ago we stumbled into Zumbura in Clapham Old Town. A sort-of Indian tapas joint set in informal surroundings and, in this case, choca-block on a Tuesday evening. We luckily bagged a pew at the carved out bar counter and perused the menu with watering mouths.
- Mixed bread basket (shown above) of Chappati, poori and some paratha arrived first. The fried poori was the outright winner however, all three breads were fluffy,. These were served piping hot along with cooling sauces, chutney and pickles to accompany our meal.
- Spinach, onion and chickpea pakora was first out the kitchen and had an impressively light, crisp and fragrant batter.
Sikkiwe chops - AKA grilled lamb chops, twice marinated in herbs, was Mr D's favourite dish of the evening. Seriously tasty (they know how to mix their spices here) and succulent with a decent smattering of crisp, blackened fat for that wonderful BBQ flavouring.
Tallee machli :tilapia fillets in dry spices were the only real let down of the evening as they were a little dry. However, a really fantastic mix of spices and a good hit of heat was apparent. It just wasn't mind blowingly good...
Our final dishes of the evening were from their more curry type section of the menu...
- Murghi ka salan :a Pakistani home-style chicken curry cooked on the bone for a rich sauce was so delicious I've been back for more already. The chicken wasn't in the slightest bit dry and delicately flavoured in a tomato, ginger and onion spiced sauce.
Muttar pulao :braised rice with peas and spices was again spot on in flavour but, we found this a little too wet as sadly it was swimming in water at the bottom of the dish.
Daal :lentils with curry leaves and garlic dressing was another winner of the evening for me in terms of flavour. Perfectly balanced and incredibly more-ish. Great for mopping up with that bread basket you couldn't bring yourself to eat on first sitting!