DumPukht Lahori (39-41 Paisley Rd. West, Glasgow G51 1LG) was spotted last Friday as Hector and Marg took a detour to avoid congestion on the Clydeside Expressway. On seeing the words – Dum Pukht – I knew the cuisine would have to be in the style associated with – slow cooking – along the axis from Persia through Afghanistan and Pakistan to NW India, in other words, Hector’s favourite. I phoned yesterday to confirm the premises would be open mid-afternoon, noon is quoted on Google Maps. Dr. Stan was willing to come and – share the kilo.
Alighting from the No. 9 Bus just before Paisley Rd. Toll, I took the opperchancity to establish what is left of Kabana after the recent fire. It is unlikely those premises can be saved, so why have they not relocated? Home Style is still in business, Punjabi Dhaba has long gone. At the road junction, I passed two famous Glasgow landmarks, The Old Toll Bar and the Grand Ole Opry.
You may find Hector in one of these venues, but not the other. A few metres west lies the Istanbul Turkish Kebab House, allegedly famous for its – interesting vegetarian starters. One day, perhaps.
Entering DumPukht Lahori just before 16.00, I took a seat at a window table with a wall heater behind. The heater was off, so no chance of drying the coat which still has not fully recovered from Saturday night. Dr. Stan arrived at 16.15 having walked from the West End, he was soaked. The rain must stop, eventually.
The waiter greeted on entry, I told him I was waiting for a friend. He brought a jug of water and a glass, reconsidered, then brought another. No fuss about water as experienced last week at Namak Mandi or as reported at – The Village – along the road. I had already studied the Menu online, a kilo of Lamb Lahori Karahi (£20.00) is why I was here, though there are alternative versions to explore on future visits. The Bread choice was limited to Naan. Rogni Nan (£1.50) I have had, usually in Manchester, Tal Nan (£1.50) was new. Dr. Stan agreed we should try the latter plus a plain Nan (£0.90).
The chap serving told me that DumPukht had been open for – two to three weeks. In the Cafe style which is Hector’s preferred type of venue, the décor is simple. The four big copper pots are a major feature of the room. I wonder what is planned for them?
As the Order was taken, so a younger chap came out to greet. He was trying to tempt us with Starters. As we were having the kilo, I suggested we might order Starters later if still hungry, unlikely as that would be. It was made clear that – the half kilo – was also an option. How this is priced will be established in future visits when Hector, or any Curryspondent, orders as a lone diner.
A decent Salad and two pots of Raita were brought. The Salad was divvied up, very refreshing, a nice touch. We were ready for the main event.
The Naans were brought first, both light and puffy with the hoped for burnt blisters. The Tal Nan had a buttery gloss and Sesame Seeds. Both impressed, and given the inflated price of Bread at too many venues, so these breads tasted all the better.
Lamb Lahori Karahi
This looks good – was my reaction as the waiter placed the flat karahi on the table. The Meat was – on-the-bone – so we were confident that we could – mange tous. The Meat stood higher than the Masala which meant there was an adequate amount of the latter. The thick Masala had a red oily sheen in places, this Lamb Karahi looked to be just the job. We both took a plateful, it was then very apparent that we would manage to wipe the karahi clean.
We have Seasoning! – was my reaction to the first mouthful.
Salty, isn’t it? – replied Dr. Stan. In fact we had so much more. Anything that looked this good had to be wonderful. This was another of the too rare moments when one has found a new venue which is going to be raved about. The Spice Level was not demanding, it was all about the Flavours in the Pale Masala. Fresh Tomato, Butter and Garam Masala – were the listed ingredients in the description. Garam Masala? Is that all? Is this the secret to creating this wondrous Curry? But then, exactly what proportions of which Spices are in their Garam Masala? The Masala could well have been Tomato-based. The – Buttery – Flavour was very evident, the Oil left on the base of the karahi proved to be irresistible, great Flavour. Then there was the Lamb.
Initially I felt that every piece of Meat I had was on-the-bone, this proved to be not so. The Lamb was delightfully Soft and it too gave off so much Flavour, beyond what one would describe as – Tender. At the end, our pile of bones was well within acceptable parameters.
Every mouthful was a joyful moment whether it be Bread dipped in the Masala, the oily residue, or biting the Meat off the bone.
The waiter came over to ask the customary question. I gave the thumbs up – Excellent! – was my response, he withdrew displaying a contended smile.
Dr. Stan had said very little, his usual – Mmmms – were not audible, too busy enjoying his meal:
Yes it was salty, peppery spices, a rich masala. A well cooked meal, most enjoyable.
Nowhere else in Glasgow serves a Lamb Karahi close to this combination of Flavours, yet Hector knows it so well. This Karahi Gosht was very much in the – Manchester style. I have been enjoying this for years in my sporadic visits to Dera (Manchester) and more recently at Lahori Badsha (Manchester). This interpretation adds further diversity to the Curry on offer in Glasgow, which makes me ask again how any other city in the UK has displaced Glasgow from its former title – Curry Capital.
The Bill
£23.40 The £1.00 charge for the Salad was forgiven, still, unbelievable value.
The Aftermath
The younger chap who had spoken to us earlier came out from the kitchen area and asked if we liked our meal.
No, we loved it!
The Calling Card was given, and introductions made, this was Chef Shah. On seeing the rotating gallery of photos on the – About – page, he remarked that I knew my Karahi. I promised to spread the word and return as soon as possible. His assistant was described as being – like a brother. There should be more information on the background to DumPukht Lahori in time to come. In the meantime, there had to be a photo, and despite the current pandemic, we had the longest of handshakes.
The next Curry-Heute review is scheduled to be in Katowice, Polska, we shall see what happens in the next few days.
Updates – April & May 2020
The first victim of Lockdown. Google showed these premises as permanently closed.
On May 21st, Curryspondent Pete contacted Hector to break the good news – DumPukht is back! A quick phone call verified this.
DumPukht Lahori is open daily from around 14.00.
