Aware of the fact that I had not been to Yadgar Kebab House (148 Calder St, Govanhill, Glasgow, G42 7QP) since the July interview for The Glasgow Bell online newspaper, and the subsequent publication of the article in August, today was as good as any to remind all. [and Matthew T-S, if your misled and unhelpful comment re Akbar’s, Curry-Heute, and employment strategies made any sense, I would publish it] Hector has just returned from his final trip to Ausland of ‘25, the year is drawing to a close, The Silly Season is upon us. Who gets to decide that sunset has to be before 16.00?
Marg, who now accepts that if she doesn’t join me for the ritual Monday Curry, she doesn’t get fed, had us across the river for 14.30. Less than ninety minutes of daylight remaining. As Daylight Fades (Jadis).
No Naveed behind the counter, maybe he is off on his travels, Mr. Anwar Sr. was having Chai at his own venue. Shkoor, Mein Host, would arrive brevi tempore. So not a repeat of Saturday’s anonymity at Dessi Tadka (München).
What to have, I surveyed the ready fayre. Vegetables were foremost in my mind, so no Aloo Gosht (£7.50). Aloo Gajar Mutter (£5.00) I have enjoyed here oft, but today it would be Aloo Gobi (£6.00), and what else? Mushroom Pakora (£4.00) sat atop the counter, Fish Pakora (£7.00) beside the Samosas and Chapli Kebabs.
A Chapli Kebab, no, make it two.
No Curry for Marg: a solitary Meat Samosa, usually served in pairs, and a Salad would suffice.
Plus a Chapatti (£0.90) – concluded the Order. I wasn’t actually bothered about the Chapatti, but with Marg present, who knows?
The young serving chap brought the plates etc., the Order was assembled. A jug of chilled tap water was duly provided.
The Salad components could have been presented on the plates with the Samosa and Chapli, instead we were treated to the full Bunte Salad, complete with Black Olives and pickled Green Chillies. The Chillies came my way, I also grabbed some Olives before they all went left.
Mr. Anwar stopped for a chat as he took his leave. Always good to catch up, he was going home for his dinner. His lady cooks, now that lets the imagination run loose.
Shkoor, not to be outdone, took his turn.
Chapli Kebab
Two, halved, a meal in their own right. One, felt not enough, I knew Marg would take a half, the perfect accompaniment therefore. Chapli Kebap, the ultimate Spicy Chicken Burger. Who needs a Burger chain when these exist? Full on Seasoning and Spice, Cumin to the fore, and when dipped in the Chilli Sauce, a total delight. Why was food like this not on offer at the – Refectory – when at university? Why did I not think of wandering down Gibson Street, then in its heyday, and discover such – snacks?
Meat Samosa
The solitary Samosa did look kind of lonely sitting alone on the plate. Quite a crust, but the focal point looked to be well stuffed. Marg created quite a plateful:
A visit to Yadgar was a very pleasant experience.
I enjoyed the meat samosa with an abundance of salad. The spice and flavour from the Samosa and half a Chapli gave me the tingling sensation, and the black olives, cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes, onion were covered with the Raita to help cool my mouth. I also took some of the hot Chapatti to mop up my meal.
I loved it all.
I knew the Chapatti would come in handy. Served whole and of the Wholemeal variety, I ate way more of this Bread than I originally envisaged. The subconscious – order a Chapatti – had proved to be the correct move.
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Aloo Gobi
More Cauliflower than Potato, this was as Dry a Curry as one can envisage. Yet, there was still a sufficient level of moistness coming from the Vegetables to make the combination with the Chapatti work. Again, Cauliflower appeared to dominate in the Masala Mash, such as it was. Not a single trace of Oil.
The Texture of the Cauliflower was spot on, just firm enough. The immediate blast of Flavour was reassuring, I had chosen well today. The Yadgar Taste – was there, prominent as ever. So reliable, so satisfying. With the Seasoning and Spice still lingering from the Chapli, this creation was standing up for itself.
As with the Fisch at Dessi Tadka on Saturday, I halved a piece of Potato to reveal a mass of white. So only the periphery of the Tuber had been permeated. When do Potatoes stop being – new? Just enough Flavour from the Potatoes then, but still a blast of Spice. This simple combination of Vegetables, I could have sat and ate all day.
At the end, but a scrap of Chapatti and a surplus of raw onions was all that remained.
As I approached the counter to pay, I asked Shkoor:
Before you make up a random number, do you actually know what we had?
The Bill
£10.00 Vegetables – apparently.
The Aftermath
Did you enjoy our article?
I had to ask. Shkoor and Yadgar do feature as much as Hector.
Didn’t we do well?
A day in 
Fisch Chettinad, not on the 
Ginger Strips and a modest sprinkling of Coriander topped the Masala whose appearance was heading towards an authentic Shorva. This was not a Mainstream blended Masala.
Two marvellously large pieces of Pollock, plus a third smaller piece, 
A sharp sense of Spice hit the palate. There had been no discussion of Spice Level, extra Chillies were clearly sat before me. If this was the starting point, where did Chef think I was going to end up? The Hector has had his 
The Onions added crunch, an alternative Texture. The Lemon, added Citrus, which, for me, always works in a Curry. As I broke it down into smaller and smaller pieces, approaching – flakes – I marvelled at the Fish. The Texture was spot on. A bit of chewing, certainly not – rubbery. Why so white? Does this mean Fish Curry is comparable to Chicken Curry in terms of a lack of permeability? No way, not if one has had Chef Pintu’s Fisch Chettinad, and the Hector has had plenty. 
The Masala, I was coming to terms with. Far from excessive, I found myself pouring on the remainder. No Clove or Cinnamon was evident here. Then I found a Green Cardamom – Desi, man! Today, the definite – fishiness – was complementing the Earthy Flavours from the Masala. The Seasoning was all in the latter which maybe was doing the heavy lifting. 
Having already drawn a line on the plate for what I thought I might manage, once the Fish and Masala was gone, that was it, the end.
Steve, who is otherwise not in this saga 
On entering Bella Tandoori, nothing was familiar. 
Rehydration, a
For Hector, Lamm Rogan Josh (€19.90), a bit steep, but of course, in Europe, Rice is usually included. And we have tablecloths, so pukka eating today. Clive, determined to find something with a – kick – opted for Chilli Chicken (€15.90), whilst Maggie took Hector’s advice and went for Chicken Sabji (€14.90). 
Three Spice Levels were outlined on the menu. Our waiter took time to address our individual needs. Maggie specified – lightly spiced – whilst the men sought something above medium, but not crazy. 
When the food arrived, Maggie was impressed by the 
Attractively presented, raw Onions Rings were an interesting addition to the ubiquitous Ginger Strips and threat of Coriander. I counted out the, oh so standard, eight pieces of Meat. 
We had Seasoning! The Spice Level was well pitched, and we had Flavour. OK, calm, there was no great depth of Flavour, no Whole Spice, and so nothing 
With an identical garnish, the Masala looked not dissimilar to the Rogan Josh. The major difference was the protrusion of the Meat in the Masala. So, maybe more eating here. Clive:
Everything about that was good. Nice place, good service. Excellent, it was hot and spicy, not lethal, pleasantly hot. Addition of f
The Masala here was markedly diffe
Lots of vegetables, lightly spiced as requested. Not too soupy, lots of chicken, cubes of chicken. Just the right portion size. It’s not often you go somewhere and get everything you ask for.
It’s that time of year when the Bockbier of Franconia calls. Curry opperchancities are limited, to many restaurants are open in the evening only, which does not fit into the daily model. 
Steve texted to say he was joining me, and to verify the train I was taking. For reasons unknown, this was impossible, t’Internet was not working, A global outage, unglaublich!. 
A new layout, with extra tables in situ, and the majority occupied, 
The Board had extra options, Punjabi Kadhi (€8.50) had to be considered. Which – Kadhi – was this? 
We took our seats, the food would be brought to the table. 
Curry, nothing fancy, with more Basmati than I would manage. Five pieces of Meat, four of these would require cutting into two or even three bits. T
Bloody hell! – no prisoners, this was brutal. Tissue please, 
Soft Meat, giving of Flavour, a respite from the Masala. Eating this early, taking it slowly, remember, Hector, this is meant to be pleasure. 
Cumin and Coconut Milk were mentioned on the menu, in addition to declaring this Curry to be a South Indian creation. I initially took the slight Creaminess of the Masala to be Yoghurt, but now we know. 
A pleasant dish with just the right amount of spice and heat. There was a reasonable amount of fairly tender meat. Fresh ginger juliennes added a nice finish. 
Later this evening, Steve and I excused ourselves and found a bar which put on the match for us. 
A Saturday night, and Hector is having Curry at home courtesy of Praveen Kumar (Unit 1, Islay Place, Perth PH1 3FU). 
A frozen, pre-cooked Curry, quite a departure from the norm, and a Railway Curry to boot. This could be anything 
The back of the box gives full disclosure of every Spice which went into this 
A modest portion, but as it turned out, well judged.
The Thick, and not excessive Masala, impressed in terms of appearance. 
Having driven past The Chaat Corner (516 Cathcart Road, Govanhill, Glasgow, G42 7BX) for who knows how long, Hector
The laminated menu was already on the table, a portion of Lamb Karahi (£11.99) is why the Hector was here. 
The artwork at the doorway advertises an array of interesting Paratha. The Laccha Paratha looks close to Hector’s favourite Malabar Parotta, light in colour, thick, and multi-layered. This was not on the menu, nor was it being offered. A Plain Paratha (£2.99) completed the Order. 
I spotted the board with a list of Curry Dishes, various. I wondered how many of 
The chap brought the food after a sensible period of preparation. The quartered Paratha was a good size, thin, flaky, had some layering but was decidedly thin/flat, and brown, compared to how I like my Paratha. A bit greasy too, but that’s the Butter. Wholemeal Flour appeared to have been used, definitely not my favourite. I would manage half, which is good going for the Hector.
Wooden cutlery was on the table, this I find abominable. By the time I arrived in 
A small karahi, and only half full, how I miss the indulgence of the days of 
In time a glass of water, which tends to make matters worse, was provided. 
identify it with certainty. The Ghee/Oil was giving off a distinctive Flavour which put me back in the Charsi road, no, this was better. 
The 
A friend, who has recently become a regular – passer by – at 
This 
The seating area in 
The Dry Lamb Chukka/Sukka has long gone from the 
A flashy bottle, a paper cup, not wonderful.
The chap brought the food.
There used to be two options, the 
Six, I can only describe as – miserly, pieces of Fish were arranged on the Rice. Not a huge volume of Fish, and this was me going – standard. The Tapas must be very much just that, beware. 
What I took to be Mustard Seeds permeated the Masala, whole Curry Leaves were aplenty. Still, I refuse to attempt to 
The food cooled quickly on the cold dinner plate. Despite the fact that I was enjoying the Flavours from the Masala, things were not going well, and nobody came to ask, else they would have been told much of this critique. 
The new Vegetarian Curry House – Saravanaa Bhavan – has finally opened on Sauchiehall Street. We know how long Curry Houses with this self-imposed restriction survive in Glasgow. I’ll get there sometime, maybe before it disappears. 
Stewart had contacted Hector, with time off his work, there had to be 
The external graphics do not convey – Curry. As I took my photo so a chap emerged. 
When Stewart arrived, I let him down gently. He too would have the Lamb Chops Curry, a Nan (£1.25) plus a Rubicon. With his prepared appetite needing sated, he added Vegetable Pakora (£4.00). 
The two Naan were served whole. Round, risen, puffy, on the verge of forming blisters, not as perfect as my preferred teardrop Tandoori Naan, but I would eat more than I thought capable. 
The Oily Shorva may be off-putting to some. Bear with it, once the eating gets underway there is a transformation. 
The Seasoning, the Flavours, and why did I add more Chillies? Stewart would pull out a piece of Cinnamon Bark from his Shorva, the Hector found the solitary Clove. Whole Peppercorns were also a major feature. It is so much easier to identify Flavours when the Whole Spice is visible. More concentrated Flavour too when these are present. This Curry was full on.
With a further bowl brought for the discarded bones, we set about separating Meat from Bone. 
Ten large pieces, well fired, presumably twice fried. Offers were declined, the Hector literally had enough on his plate. Stewart polished off the contents of one Chilli bowl and started on the next. 
By the end, Stewart had wiped his plate clean – ready for the next customer. 
The Bill
Now there’s the matter of converting the recently acquired next door premises into a Takeaway. There’s also the question of letting m
A third Curry in six days was 
Parked across the street from 
Elsewhere, the seating has been radically altered, booths aplenty on to which six may sit at a squeeze, otherwise tables are grouped for parties up to eight.
Today, the function room sat cleared of furniture. I did note the addition of the dais, a small stage. 
The waitress placed the 
Mushroom Rice (£3.95) continues to be my go-to accompaniment. 
Three for a tenner! Is this what we have reached? As it happens, the answer lies below. 
The hot dinner plate brought moments before the food was set aside, the Mushroom Rice was not presented in its usual bowl, so why dirty another? 
I arranged the nine pieces of Meat over the Mushroom Rice, reserving half of the viscous Masala for later. This is how I approach – Curry. 
Satisfaction was instantaneous, the much loved 
The Spice built steadily to a peak which was not too testing. The Seasoning of course was spot on, it had to be, these Flavours are not attained without getting everything right. 
Whole Spice! A Desi Curry, 
Ag
Zaika 
Marg and Hector entered Zaika at 14.10 this Friday afternoon. Two tables were occupied, a group of seven 
Hector had questions to ask, the 
So much to consider, no opperchancity to discuss. 
Five good-sized pieces with a Tomato/Chilli Sauce. One piece crossed the table and was duly dissected. The classic Onion-Potato-Coriander was present, not a bad wee kick from this Pakora, tasty too. On dipping the second half, the sauce was found to be a cut above the usual Sweet Chilli Sauce which I try to avoid. 
The Chapattis were the traditional ones, so hard to source these days. These I prefer by far. My little scrap would be used to test my Masala, after the ritual photograph. 
The dipping of my toty piece of Chapatti into the Masala provoked a reaction. The Spice took me by surprise, catching the back of the throat. Start again, now I knew what I was dealing with. 
OK, this Curry was up at the so-called Vindaloo level of Spice, 
Topped with some Coriander, and served in a small karahi, commensurate with being from the Lunch Menu, the Bhoona’s Masala was remarkably similar to the Laal Maas. Maybe a bit less – red. Hector’s Soupcon was duly sampled.
A small dish with large pieces of lamb in a thick sauce which contained coriander and rich flavours of tomato and onion. I was able to cut the pieces of lamb before eating. The meat was soft in texture and overall a filling dish and I left a quarter of the second chapatti. 
The Bill