Arriving back from our short Griechenland/Deutschland trek yesterday, our train along Clydeside ran parallel to the part of Glasgow that is temporarily not – Glasgow – but UN Territory. The irony of having part of one’s home city fenced off and become a no go area was not lost given we had left Berlin a few hours earlier. All these armed chaps on patrol, so many more guns on the streets of Glasgow, and there’s not been a murder.
Today, Marg therefore had to avoid the Clydeside Expressway as she drove me to Yadgar Kebab House (148 Calder St, Govanhill, Glasgow, G42 7QP) via the Clyde Tunnel and past a famous building. Marg dropped me at 14.55, Hector is home and having Curry at the optimum time. Yadgar was empty for much of the visit.
Unusually, there was no sign of Naveed. Muneeb, formerly known as – the new chap – talked me through the ready Dishes. Having what’s ready has been the model of late. It has been a while since – The Friends of Hector – have said – let’s do the kilo at Yadgar! A consequence of Lockdowns.
If there was a Lamb Curry on display, I missed it. Yesterday, Yadgar advertised the availability of one of their daily specials – Chicken Palak. It was time for Hector to fall on the sword and sample a Curry that would not otherwise be considered. My last Curry was at Kashmir (Berlin), even today’s mass of Herbs with Chicken had to be an improvement. Whatever, the Chicken Curry would be playing second fiddle to the Aloo Gobi.
No Rice, no Bread – was my request – and a Mango Rubicon. In effect, I had ordered two main courses, no need for Sundries.
I took my seat. On picking up a communiqué from Neil, I duly fixed a typo in a Curry post from long in the past. Neil has yet to reach the wonderful Curry that was consumed in Athena a matter of days back, also the celebration of Chettinad at Indian Mango (München). All shall be sorted as required.
Engrossed as I was, I didn’t see Muneeb approach with a handful of Complimentary plates. Having raved about the Yadgar Fish Pakora at every opperchancity, it was perhaps only fitting that more should come Hector’s way. A Poppadom and some spiced Onion accompanied. Already I was wondering how to tackle all that would come, a Takeaway might be required.
Fish Pakora
Scottish Haddock! No need for a passport here for identification… in a Spicy Batter. The little pot of Chilli Sauce was warmer than room temperature, this adds a further dimension to the Flavour and Spice. My last Fish was a surprisingly decent Fisch Madras in Bamberg. Fish can be so much more pleasing than Meat, lighter, yet still packing Flavour. Well, when it does. No fears about Yadgar’s Fish, always a treat. Eight pieces of joy.
The two plates I ordered arrived together, were they hot. Decisions, eat one then the other, alternate? I decided on the latter which meant decanting to a colder plate I had retained.
Aloo Gobi
Oh, wow!
… and that was just my first piece of Cauliflower. The wonderfully distinctive – Yadgar Taste – hit hard, the Seasoning was right up there, and so the Spice was realised also. This was magnificent. The Cauliflower still had firmness, nay pulp here. The Potato, ah the Potato, had absorbed Flavour as only this Vegetable can. Both Veg were shrouded in the Masala which was the source of all this pleasure. Simply superb, I could have eaten this all day. I ate half then tackled the rival Dish.
Chicken Palak
Three Chicken Drumsticks sat in the mass of mush, quite enough. Despite not being a huge fan of this interpretation of – Saag – I still return to it every so often. It makes a change. In the depths of the Dry, Earthiness created by the mix of Herbs, I was once reliably informed that Spinach is one of five Herbs used in Yadgar’s – Saag/Palak. The base Yadgar Taste somehow came through, this was unexpected. Less Spicy than the Aloo Gobi, it did provide some relief. Then there was the Chicken. It was Chicken, QED.
Having finished the Meat, I abandoned some of the Herb mash and returned to the rest of the Aloo Gobi. Still gobsmacked, I savoured every morsel. This Aloo Gobi was off the pleasure scale.
Approaching the counter, I told Muneeb:
If you tell Shkoor I had Chicken Curry, he won’t believe you.
I’m Shkoor’s son – said the young chap who was assisting today. Of course he was. I recall seeing Bilan, son of Shkoor, many years ago, what a transformation.
We got back to Curry matters. On describing my experience today, Muneeb suggested I should not pay for the Chicken Palak. This was not on.
The Bill
£10.00 An honourable amount.
The Aftermath
There had to be a photo. Chaps and Chapattis, meet Muneeb and Bilal.
Shkoor Jr = Bilal
Hector replies:
Duly noted, sir.