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.
And so Hector headed off to Erlangen, the town with a disproportionately high number of outlets, Curry House (Helmstrasse 11, 91054, Erlangen, Bayern, Deutschland) once again, the venue of choice.
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!. As it happened, Steve was on the 12.03 fast train to Erlangen, Hector on the slower 12.07. Steve was waiting at Erlangen Hbf,
A new layout, with extra tables in situ, and the majority occupied, Curry House was busy this Monday lunchtime. Approaching the counter, Mein Host, said hello. He was not here last year, so it has been a while. Good to be recognised.
The Board had extra options, Punjabi Kadhi (€8.50) had to be considered. Which – Kadhi – was this? That it was – Karahi – was clearly stated, followed by:
Not Mutton, not for you!
Indeed, a Vegetable Karahi, and having started the equivalent day last year with an Alu Gobi, bigger Bunkers were required.
Assuming Steve would order his go-to Mutton Madras (€14.90), from somewhere, the Hector announced: Mutton Vindaloo (€13.90).
Mein Host did the double take. What had I done?
Having helped myself to a litre bottle of Fanta (€4.75) from the fridge, time to pay.
The Bill
€18.65 (£16.44) As is the European way, Rice is included.
We took our seats, the food would be brought to the table. As we waited, Steve and I congratulated ourselves, and Die Bahn, for making full use of our Deutschland Ticket. The freedom of an entire nation: regional trains, buses, trams, U Bahn, S Bahn. €58.00 for the month. UK transport has much to learn.
*
Mutton Vindaloo
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. Three pieces of Potato, so a proper Vindaloo, with – aloo! However, most people associate Vindaloo with an extreme of Spice.
Bloody hell! – no prisoners, this was brutal. Tissue please, further expletives, deleted.
The red-ish Masala certainly had Chilli to the fore. Ginger Strips, but no Whole Spices otherwise, crucially this Masala retained its Flavour as was confirmed by both the Meat and the Potato which had absorbed the Spices before the Masala was tweaked. The Seasoning at Curry House was formerly at legendary levels, thankfully reined in.
Soft Meat, giving of Flavour, a respite from the Masala. Eating this early, taking it slowly, remember, Hector, this is meant to be pleasure.
In some almost perverse way it was, and with the football, later, a day of further suffering loomed.
*
*
Mein Host came over to check all was well. He brought the trio of additives, no I did not need to upgrade the Chilli. The Pickle almost tempted, to transform my Vindaloo into Achari was considered. No, enjoy it as it is.
The piece of Poppadom would never be eaten, I used it as a shovel. And so progress was made, the line drawn in the Rice, the appetite for Curry-Heute was duly sated. Next time, Butter Chicken, aye right.
Mutton Madras
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. I should try this. Steve:
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.
A drizzle – was how Steve latterly described the Ginger Strips.
By the time we departed, only two diners remained, the lunchtime rush over. A farewell to Mein Host.
Bis nachste Jahr.
And so to join the rest of The Company in Forchheim. Just outside the station is another – Curry House – with remarkably similar livery.
Later this evening, Steve and I excused ourselves and found a bar which put on the match for us.
Scotland 4 v 2 Danmark
There ain’t no sanity clause…
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
The ritual Monday Curry in Glasgow was cancelled, maybe a break was required, 
Woodside is close to where the Hector spent his formative years, hence Curry at Green Gates aged ten on Bank Street off Great Western Road. It was quickly established that Maryhill/Garscube Road 
Two tables and eight chairs were positioned under a lean-to 
What came, was certainly complex, 
As Soupy as a Curry can be, a spoon proved to be the best way to tackle this – Shorva. 
It took two sets of hands to capture the solids smothered by the Shorva. Then the small cut Mutton and Tomatoes were visible. However, in time, much more would be uncovered. 
The first dip of the Parotta conveyed the rich Smoky, Peppery blast. If the enemy of Cur
These ingredients were blended to create the Shorva, however in true Desi style, other Whole Spices were revealed. I always seem to identify the presence of Cardamom when I bite into one, today, was no exception. Green Cardamom and a mass of Curry Leaves, were 
Served in a metal handi, Onion rings and a wedge of Lime formed the topping. The Roti had been finely chopped, as had everything else. It became a case of what could Marg identify
I ordered the Mutton Kothu as something different and it certainly was. The dish was Sri Lankan and full of finely chopped everything. The main ingredients were vegetables and bread with small pieces of lamb. I thoroughly enjoyed the moist taste of these flavours. The green chillies gave the food a kick and the small pieces of onion, tomato, with red, green and orange 
What do you call it? – I asked Ravi.
A lovely couple, we could happily have spent more time in their company. Anitha had to take her leave, this left us with Ravi, who was keen to chat. This business has only been in operation for a couple of months. Already, there are plans to expand. North Star Cafe on Queen Margaret Drive, is shortly to become theirs. A change of name assumed. With two outlets imminent, I had to ask – when will you see your wife? 
And so Marg and Hector set off to find the new premises. En route, we did stop off at Queens Cross to visit Cafe D’Jaconelli for some of their famous ice cream. 
This evening’s Curry at 
Poppadoms, Mango Chutney and Spiced Onion were brought in a flash, no messing
A Saturday night Curry, Marg and Hector stuck to the traditional daytime accompaniment, a large bottle of Sparkling Water (£4.70), Kath – tap water. Graeme succumbed to having yellow fizz, a pint of Cobra (£5.50).
Five large pieces of Haddock in batter, accompanied by two Dips, and a wee Salad. Eventually, everyone had sampled the Fish Pakora, all impressed. The freshness of the Spicy batter is the key here, if it has been sitting around and is reheated, not the same impact. Just the right amount of Spice in the batter to make it interesting. 
Ginger Strips, and a threat of Coriander, topped the Thick Masala. There appeared to be ample Chicken, boneless, plus some pieces of partially cooked-in Tomato. I would expect 
The Peas being so visible, suggests they had been added at the point of serving, along with the single Ginger Strip. A further cooked 
Desi Lamb on-the-bone
I gave Graeme the sad news: his Curry could not taste as good as mine as I would only be photographing one. As it happened, my Curry was served in the usual flat plate with the rim, Graeme’s on a standard soup plate. 
What makes this Curry unique to 
Tried and tested, this is a combination which works well. Graeme: 
A Saturday night Curry, and so Marg played the lets prolong the meal card. Chai was mentioned, Chai Latte (?) also. The waitress was asked – Masala Tea (£3.00) – times three, was duly ordered. Chai comes with latte, not how the Hector drinks his tea. Marg consulted further – Cinnamon, Ginger and Cardamom – feature in this creation. 
At some point in the week, Sir Howard of Helensburgh arranged for an informal get together with Lady Eleanor of the same parish. Steve, Marg and Hector were invited to participate, a Lomond get-together, as an honourable member, Howard loves these.
Duly summoned at 21.
Howard and Eleanor would share a Vegetable Pakora (£5.95), the only ones having a Starter. The rest of us 
Lamb Kadhi (£14.95) has never been tried here. Indeed, Marg’s Curry aside, that is four new Dishes being added to the array of 
Around eight large, Marg managed to purloin one. Assuming the double cooking, an opperchancity for Marg to fondly recall the halycon (sic, it’s a Lomond thing) days of
The suitably Thick Masala was topped with Coriander and an impressive quantity of sliced Bullet Chillies. Steve had asked for – Madras – hot, these Chillies do not give off a lot of heat.
As mentioned, Steve concentrated on his Bread for quite a while, the Fried Rice was very much the end game. How can he manage all this? Steve:
Topped with Coriander, Ginger Strips and fewer sliced Bullet Chillies, how – Soupy – was this? Maybe this is why this Curry has never been brought to Hector’s attention. 
Eleanor:
The Texture of the Masala here oozed – Tomato base. Topped with Ginger Strips and Coriander, this looked close to a Karahi. I would happily have ordered this based on its appearance. A Soupçon did cross the table, the intensity of Flavour that I was otherwise experiencing, did drown this one. Reciprocity, Howard agreed. Howard:
Our venue tonight offers the potential for some interesting and different curries. Each still needs an explanation from the owner. My choice tonight was Lahori Beef. Often with lamb dishes either the lamb has flavour or the sauce. The best lamb curries give you flavour from both. In this case with the beef it had flavour. The sauce looked excellent but didn’t release much flavour. The nan was good while the vegetable pakora shared with Eleanor as a starter didn’t offend. A decent curry without setting the world on fire. Some marinated leftovers for tomorrow might mean an improvement. 
This Curry is different each time I see it. The Cashew Nut Topping maintains, however, the Masala here was way Soupier than that served 
Enjoyed one piece of Vegetable Pakora which was crisp, with onion & potato. 
Tarka-Onion and masses of Herb topped the Yoghurt-rich Masala. Not Creamy, per se, this was along the lines of my favoured style of Methi Gosht. 
Dipping the Naan, and I seem to be doing a lot of this currently, there was a big – kick. Chillies from the Naan was my first reaction. I sampled the Masala alone, no difference, no prisoners. There was a significant degree of Chilli in the Masala. 
The cats were herded, we were last to leave. Out in the night, Howard, Takeaway in hand, posed in front of his birth place. 
Now we know.