Find a Curry House in East Grinstead – was the instruction. Having studied the options, it had to be Curry Kitchen Takeaway & BYOB Eatery (194 London Rd., East Grinstead RH19 1EY England). Why? Their online menu showed two versions 
of Karahi Gosht. One – Lamb Korai – featuring the offending – Green Peppers – whilst the – Lahore Korai Gosth – does not. The latter also describes a – Thick Onion and Tomato Sauce. The opperchancity of enjoying a real Lahori Karahi this far south in the UK, Hector Holmes had to investigate.
Clive, Maggie, Hector and Dr. Stan arrived at Curry Kitchen at 20.30. Yes, Dr. Stan had been captured having spent a fine afternoon at East Grinstead’s – The Engine Room. A Wednesday night, around three tables were occupied, one definitely had taken advantage of the – BYOB. For us, Soft Drinks sufficed: £1.90 for 330ml bottles of Still and Sparkling Water. Dr. Stan had Tap Water, actually a weak solution of Calcium Carbonate. Clive was content to pass.
Well he was for a moment. Once again, Poppadoms (£0.85) had to be ordered. Little did we realise that there would be an individual charge also for the accompanying – Bits (£.0.75).
A tenner on – The Bill – already for sod all, is how the Hector sees it. Clive disagrees. Many venues simply provide this as a welcome and a thanks for having brought them the business. Maybe in the current hard times, Hector will have to come to terms with this. Maybe not.
Maggie decided that her appetite would command a Starter. Mushroom Bhaji (£5.20) would precede Hyderabadi Chicken (£12.90) and Mushroom Rice (£4.70). Expensive Rice. Clive resorted to his fallback – Chicken Dansak (£10.95) with a Keema Nan (£4.30). Nothing new there, but it does permit comparison across the land. Dr. Stan was not missing out on the possibility of a Lahori Karahi.
The menu has Lamb Korai (£12.50) under the list of – Authentic Dishes – not so the Lahore Korai Gosth (£13.90) which is under – Chef Recommendations. I asked the waitress about the Lahori Karahi.
Her opening remark was along the lines of – this is hard. We didn’t understand.
Is the Lamb on-the-bone? Apparently not.
Can we have it Desi/Apna style? Not understood.
To accompany, Dr. Stan was having Vegetable Rice (£4.70) whilst Hector a Stuffed Nan Vegetable (£4.30).
Whilst Maggie waited for her Starter, I once again raised the point that she tends to – over order, and under eat. If she consulted a well known and reliable Curry Blog, it is clear that Maggie has never finished a Curry having had a Starter. Depending on the portion size, there could be three Hoovers loitering, ready to assist.
The Starter arrived with the Mains. To be fair, it does appear on the menu as a – Vegan Side.
Mushroom Bhaji
This was different. Rather than a deep fried ball of Mushroom in Gram Flour, this resembled a Mushroom Chaat. Syboes were in the stir fry. Perhaps the waitress could have given better advice. In what way would one need this Mushroom Bhaji when one has ordered Mushroom Rice?
In the Vegetable Rice, I can only see Carrots, Peas and Onions. The Mushroom Rice appears to have Mushrooms and Syboes, QED.
Both Naans were a good size, served whole and with a puffy periphery. For stuffed Naan, an impressive achievement. The Keema Nan passed the test, grains of Brown Mince. The Stuffed Nan Vegetable had Potato and a hint of Tomato. Piping hot, this would prove to be a fine accompaniment. I nearly managed to finish mine. The Naans certainly ticked the box.
Lahore Korai Gosth
The heart sank when this was placed on the table. This had all the appearance of the worst possible interpretation of what a – Karahi – can be, a Stir Fry. The Big Onions should quite simply not be there. Pieces of – red – also disturbed, most turned out to be Tomato, however, Red Capsicum was unearthed in addition to the ring of garnish.
The – Thick Onion and Tomato Sauce – if present at all, was not visible, instead there was Mince.
This was not a Lahori Karahi!
Some may worry about Putin starting WW3, Hector was not about to. The pen is mightier than the sword, aye right. I dipped some of the excellent Naan into the Keema Masala.
What followed took the Hector totally by surprise. The Oily base and minimal Masala gave some credence. The Spice Level was never going to challenge, the Seasoning was spot on. This Karahi had Flavour! Actually it tasted damn good! Even – Karahi-like. The Meat count reached a level of sufficiency, hard to count whilst in the actual karahi. The Lamb was giving a huge Flavour back to the Dish, something had been got right.
Dr. Stan, who felt far away despite sitting diagonally opposite, added a few words:
I enjoyed that, tasty, plenty of meat.
The Big Onions were nothing but Ballast, a nuisance. As a – Stir Fry – this was a tasty Dish, it was neither Curry or Karahi, and most certainly not a Lahori Karahi.
If either the reader or Chef is not convinced, look here.
Hyderabadi Chicken
Having had a not so impressive Hyderabadi Lamb at Curry Leaf Cafe (Brighton) yesterday, I was intrigued to see what would come. Chalk and Cheese – may be a suitable description. Behold an orange-yellow, Soupy, Creamy Mass, just what the Hector would never order. The coloured Chicken puzzled, ah the Marinade, superficial then. Mild Mango and Yoghurt Sauce – a Lassi? This was definitely a – Curry – for the ladies! Was this a Chicken Tikka Lassi?
For Spicy Chicken, one would be better going to Nando’s.
Maggie shook her head as she ate. The Chicken was most certainly not to her liking. Fortunately she had an abundance of Mushrooms as another solid. One suspects the Mushrooms Bhaji may have saved the meal.
My Chicken was …. The Mushroom Rice was perfect, the Mushroom Bhaji different, not what I was expecting. (or anyone else) The Mango sauce (was) as expected. I wasn’t expecting strips of pink Chicken which were obviously not cooked from scratch.
To be fair to Chef, the Meat would not be cooked in this style of sauce. If one orders a – Curry – such as this, then this is what to expect.
Chicken Dansak
When this arrived, I took it to be the Hyderabadi, until I saw the latter. One would expect a sea of Daal, however, this looked quite decent. Coriander and Syboes topped the Masala, along with a wedge of Lemon. My records do not show the menu description of this Curry. It appeared to have an Onion-based Masala presumably with the Daal added towards the point of serving. An easy way to create this, and it looks way more inserting that many a Dansak I have seen Clive eat. Clive loves a Dansak, and as this Blog regularly relates, every Dansak is as good as, if not better than its predecessor.
This is pretty good actually – began Clive – one of the best Dansaks I’ve ever had, and I’ve had a few.
QED, again.
The waitress was assisted in clearing the table by Mein Host.
Maggie addressed the waitress regarding the Chicken.
That’s how they do it – was the uninformative reply.
Why choose it in the first place? – remains Hector’s viewpoint.
Mein Host removed my debris.
That was different – he wasn’t taking me on.
The Bill
£88.45 Dr. Stan had cash, haven’t seen that in a while.
The Aftermath
Mein Host, Sharif, was sitting in the far room, I sat myself down at his table. We had a wee chat. He confirmed the Keema in the Karahi. I had to tell him that the Onions were quite inappropriate (as served) and this most certainly was not a Lahori Karahi. I did confirm that despite that, the overall Flavour was – wonderful!
Give an honest review.
I shall.
As always.
Menu extracts
Trips to 
Today the Meat Platter was – Hyderabadi Lamb Thali (£16.50), a veritable mountain of food.
The Mini Poppadoms went straight into the Mix Veg Pickle Dip, very tasty. However, the strength of Pickle can wipe out the taste-buds receptive capabilities for what follows. The Daal was served – hot – and so provided an interesting alternative to the cold Pickle, a decent Daal. Clive’s tactic was to dip his Naan into the Daal, a time consuming feat given their relative dimensions. 
It was time to address the Curry and Rice. The Rice was emptied on to the tray, the Hyderabadi Lamb arranged on top. There was still plenty of Daal and Carrot/Mooli on the periphery, diversity was certainly the name of the game. 
The Masala had a Mint Leaf garnish, would Curry Leaf not have been more apt? The Tender Lamb was Dry, Earthy. Although the Masala looked the part, it was void of Seasoning, and consequently was lacking in Flavour. A pity, it was all going so well until this point. The detailed description of what was in the Masala was lost on me. This is when the remaining components came into play. The Carrots/Mooli added a crunch and some more Flavour. The Daal and Rice worked well, even though that in itself was a strange combination. Time to scrape the Pickle Pot. Everything bar the Masala had something to offer. Seasoning has not been an issue here before.
Very hot in temperature, I thought the Curry was quite tasty, and the meal as a whole was absolutely ample. 
The Aftermath
I had already persuaded Clive that we should order three Main Courses. London Portions – unless one has a Starter, there’s a good chance you’ll leave simply wanting more. Bhuna Lamb – Chef Special (£13.00) with the 
The waiter did the raised eyebrows when I asked for Bhuna times three. Maybe they should offer their Mains in differing sizes? One is always happy to pay extra for a declared larger size of portion. Paying extra? The prices at The India Club have increased in line with inflation, not the level admitted by the government, but the reality to reflect the cost of key ingredients having doubled.
When one orders Pilau, one expects a bit of colour, not today. The Rice did have Cumin Seeds, always a bonus. The sensible portion was enough to cover the plate, who needs more Rice?
Served – naked – as requested, the Dark, Rich Masala beckoned. I tilted half a portion of Curry over my Rice and did likewise for Clive. This covered more of the Rice than I had envisaged. Has the portion size actually increased? The irony.
When the full portion was added, here was a feast. The Meat count was well into double figures, possibly approaching the half kilo, this was more like it. There was only a trace of Oil. Here was a classic Tomato-rich, Minimal Masala, an authentic Bhuna. Why do so many venues get this wrong? 
Remember Curry Houses back in the 1960s, OK, 1970s? There was something simple, straightforward back then, an instant blast of Spice. This Bhuna may have shared the appearance but was markedly different, a slow burner. The Spice felt innocuous at the start, but registered slowly on the palate, growing steadily. I recorded the Seasoning as – neutral. Similarly, the Flavours revealed themselves gradually. Had this been a first visit, there might have been concern, however, one knew what was coming. Every mouthful was better than the last. This is where the added quantity came to the fore. A standard portion, and it would all have been over too soon. That the Meat required a good chew also prolonged the pleasure, and no, it wasn’t tough, far from it. Today I got to savour this wonderful creation for even longer. 
Every grain of Rice was meticulously rounded up, the solitary Green Cardamom is all that remained on the plate. For the first time at The India Club, I felt replete, sated.
£47.00 Service not included.
With Marg away, Hector is out to play. Lord Clive and Lady Maggie of 
With respect to Maggie’s own ongoing hiatus, she declared herself hungry enough to join Clive and Hector at Zari Restaurant & Lounge (212, 214 Ifield Drive, Crawley RH11 0DQ) at 17.40, ten minutes after their advertised opening time. Zari was empty, as ever we were asked if we had a reservation. We were led past the bar and waiting area to the far side of the dining room. Whatever the psychology of clustering may be, subsequent diners were sat at adjacent tables leaving the bulk of the room empty. 
Clive and Maggie were already sold on the Chicken Chettinad (£12.95) before we arrived at Zari. I had warned them that the super-dry Chettinad served at 
For Hector, the Famous Red Mutton Curry – Laal Maas (£13.95) caught the attention. Resisting a Laal Maas, difficult, but would it resemble 
The Mushroom Rice looked appealing, a sensible portion in comparison to that reported in recent Blog entries. The Naans were served halved, both were a bit peely wally, not large, by any standard. When Clive broke his Bread, I spotted the sign of a quality Keema Naan. The Mince was brown, precooked, not the pink – Donner-like – creations that too many venues serve. The Fig and Coriander Naan gave a big, gritty hit. Figs, I love. However, Hector had just added a source of Sweetness to his Curry, would this dominate in the same way that Garlic Naan does?
A Rajasthani Curry, so the menu informed me, the Masala was Thick as promised. The – red – was thankfully down to the abundant Tomato content. With shredded Onion featuring prominently, the Masala was more of a mixture than the Mainstream blend. 
The Spice Level I noted as – reasonable. The Seasoning was decidedly lacking, consequently there was no big hit of Flavour coming from the Curry, a real pity. The Meat was cooked to perfection, well-tender. 
South Indian – the menu informed us, I should hope so. Coriander topped the light brown Masala. The viscous texture was far removed from the predicted Shorva, a definite – plus. 
There may have been Sweetness lingering on the Hector palate, what I sampled was also Sweet. If this was meant to be a South Indian Curry, then where was the associated Smokiness? This was just Curry, a Chicken one at that. I did not recognise this as a – Chettinad.
The manager engaged once more. Remnant grains of Mince were spread across the table. He explained that they cook the Mince before adding it to the Naan. A lesson for Maggie who had not appreciated this. He asked what I thought of the fayre.
I gave Howard ten minutes during which time I ordered a 330ml bottle of Sparkling Water (6Zl). This gave me plenty of time to study the menu.
Another source had suggested the Naan would tick Hector’s boxes, but Bread and Rice? The Vegetable Biryani (36Zl) option was considered, however, the translator on the trusty Oppo revealed that Rice or Bread was included in the price of a main course. As the Butter Naan (10Zl) was already at a premium in the inclusive option, I decided to have the inclusive Basmati and pay for the Butter Naan. With hindsight, it may have been cheaper to switch this. 
The portion of Basmati was sensible, that Rice would be left was down to this commentator being less so. On arranging the Rice on the plate, a single, whole Clove was discovered. 
Dessicated Coconut topped the thickest Masala I have been served in quite some time. This was the antithesis of a Soupy Curry, here was what the Hector seeks, bring it on. There was probably no need for Rice, with this Curry, Bread would have sufficed. 
The Meat was delightfully Tender, certainly the best Lamb/Mutton served to Hector in 
There was no point in Howard having the Mutton Madras, this left him little choice but the Fish Tikka Masala (44Zl). He too chose the inclusive Basmati and added a Plain Naan (8Zl). The price of Bread remains realistic in 
Yellow and Creamy, this looked more like a Traditional Curry. Did I just write that? Well, the Masala was thinner, Soupy, that which the Hector prefers to avoid. I feel a mass of contradiction here. Maybe, it’s the lack of authentic Karahi Gosht? 
Today is the penultimate date on the Riverside – 20 – tour, and also for Howard and Hector in 
I entered Yummy Punjaby at 15.45, two other couples were possibly already in situ, I couldn’t see the far side of the room once I was shown to my window table. Two staff were on duty front of house, Mein Host and a young chap who was evidently learning the ropes. He was asked to give culinary advice to the next couple who arrived, one of which was “American”. She sought Indian food without Spice. The young chap suggested Samosa, clever.
Despite the off-putting colour, the Lemoniada was cool, refreshing, tasty. And indeed, there was a sense of Spice. 
The presentation impressed, grains of white Basmati on top of the Pilau, with a threat of Coriander and a slice of Lemon. As with my visit to 
The Biryani was well Seasoned, the Vegetables each had firmness, so cooked as I like, no mush here. At the end, a solitary Clove appeared on my plate, however, something else was on the bottom left which puzzled. This was possibly the largest Black Cardamom ever seen. Later I studied the texture, too firm. Nutmeg? This Spice has intrigued over the decades, it’s in Hector’s Spice cupboard but is used rarely. What does it do? What does it taste like? I thought it best to play safe. If it had added to the overall Flavour of the Biryani then so be it. Hector was not for biting into this large, solid, object. 
Generous strips/wedges of Ginger and a sprinkling of Coriander topped the Soupy Masala. The sign of the Oil separating, on one side of the Onion and Tomato Masala, I took to be a positive. I counted the Meat into double figures as I arranged it on the Biryani. A Shorva-esque Masala but not a Soupy Curry per se. There was a sufficiency of sauce. 
Damn tasty – was my first consideration of the events here. The Masala was well Seasoned, the Spice Level was moderate. Whole Peppercorns were mixed through the Curry. 
Ginger Strips, Coriander and Raita, topped the Curry piled high in the bucket. Chef was evidently trying to present a more Creamy Masala. Once decanted to the plate on top of his Basmati, Howard added more Raita. The Creaminess may have been more suited to his palate. 
A piece of the Lamb from the Balti came my way just as I was finishing my Rogan Josh. The redder, creamier Balti (left) stood out. More Tomato here? This piece of Lamb was more tender than I had in my Rogan Josh. Pot luck? 
Riverside? Remember why we were here? 
Arriving, alone, at 19.30, the street level tables were eschewed, Hector headed downstairs. With large tables set to the rear, some reserved, I was given a small table facing the TV. I have never seen such a brutal Bollywood movie before, blood everywhere, and still the wicked uncle sang throughout. 
Curry by weight, 450gm, that’s nearly half a kilo! Alas, that should include the Masala, this was not going to be a feeding frenzy. Kadai Curry (Fish – 32Zl, Mutton – 35Zl) featured Vegetables, a bonus. However, given Polish prices, here was the opperchancity to have a Vegetable Biryani (28Zl). 650gm, well of course, huge Rice, it’s mandatory in Europe. Curry Mutton (35Zl) looked the best bet, Spicy – was agreed. Sparkling Water (300ml – 7Zl, 700ml – 14Zl) completed the Order. 
A mountain of Rice, two weeks ago at 
The aroma of something from the south of 
Tender Mutton, and giving of Flavour, always a bonus, and not to be taken for granted. The blended Masala had the – kick – that one would hope for when ordering – Spicy. 
It took a while to appreciate why I was enjoying this Curry so much. Then the penny dropped, it was the Seasoning. However, I believe the Seasoning was coming more from the Biryani than the Masala. Occasionally, I get to write the word – synergy – and here was a classic example. The Curry was decent, the Curry with Biryani was something special. The Vegetables played their part too, a diversity of textures. Serendipity perhaps also. Serendipity and synergy in one blog. When my chap asked the customary question, I was able to say – yes, I was truly enjoying this Curry. 
Having paid and given the Calling Card to the chap who had served me, another chap, who had acknowledged me downstairs, appeared at the counter, clearly – Mein Host. Start again. I had to congratulate him on the quality of the fayre. 
There would be no heavy duty Curry, Chapli Kebab and something with Vegetables was the plan. The Aloo Gajar Matar fitted the bill. I asked if Fish Pakora was also an option, this was confirmed. No Bread, none was necessary.
The young chap, whose name I should have established by now, assembled the Fayre. A Salad with Pickled Chillies and sliced Green Olives, was accompanied by two Dips. A feast, but where to start? 
Salad, the Chilli Dip and the Chaplis kicked things off. These Chicken-based patties are all about the Spice and Seasoning, hence they punch above their weight in terms of Flavour. I cannot see me visiting 
Seven large pieces, more than a Fish. The fresh Spicy Batter shrouding the Haddock, always tasty, is there better served anywhere? 
Potatoes, Carrots and Peas, a Vegetable Curry, but not the classic which also contains Green Beans and Cauliflower. I started with the Carrots, and as expected, there it was – The Yadgar Taste. They have denied that Carrots are the key ingredient to create this, yet I keep returning to this theory. 
The Coriander Topping and cooked in sliced Green Chillies added Flavour and a kick. The Masala appeared to be mostly pulped Carrot. The Yadgar Taste and a Big Kick, this was a fine conclusion to my day of – not – going out for Curry. 
The Bill
Raunak Raseeli India (10 Clarendon St., Glasgow G20 7QD) was 
The food arrived, my two Dishes had different Toppings, Rohit knew which was which. Was Hector being tested? I started with the one which I took to be the Laal Maas. Once a regular on the Specials Board at 
I counted six pieces of Meat, two of which were appreciably larger, as I arranged the Meat and Masala over half of the Rice. Ginger Strips and a threat of Coriander topped the viscous Masala. The Masala appeared to be Tomato-rich which is how it was at 
The Spice registered, not OTT by any means. The Seasoning was right up there, this was a Curry to savour. Spice can hit the palate hard, it’s unusual for the Flavours to do so to the same extent. This was a seriously powerful Curry, well flavoured, intense. A moment perhaps to reflect upon the plates of total blandness that have been served up to the Hector over the decades. 
On seeing a couple of pieces of sliced Green Chillies cooked in, hence I waited for Marg’s usual declaration. For once it didn’t come. This size of pot would suit Marg, I insert this here to justify what follows later. 
The Keema looked decidedly crowded in the pot with the Peas, the sprinkling of Coriander and even Potato reported. There was a definite moistness here, but authenticity had been maintained, this was not a Soupy Keema. 
Syboes topped this Curry, the Masala had a similar texture to the Laal Maas but was paler in colour. This was possibly even more Tomatoey and had a hint of Creaminess, so, somewhere in the middle of both Rogan Josh camps? 
I took the remainder of the Rice and basically started over. Once more, six pieces of Tender Meat were present. I thought I was safe having bitten into a Green Cardamom, but no, a second got me too. This Curry was appreciably mellow, and as a comparison with the Laal Maas is inevitable, far less intense. 
After yesterday’s sublime 
I have often questioned the quantity of Rice served in European Curry Houses. Yesterday I managed every grain, today I would accept defeat from the start due to being earlier in the day and having two Mains. 
Topped with Fresh Coriander and Ginger Strips, was the centrepiece – the half Herb – half Root – something aromatic – which Shahzad showed me on 
The Dry Herb Topping puzzled, I should have asked. With Fresh Coriander on the Qeema, why put – dry – on the Aloo Gobi? It didn’t look like Methi being still on the stem, which we do not eat. 
Shahzad took a seat at the adjacent table, conversation was ongoing throughout my time of eating. The Mince did not taste of Lamb and was too dark to be Chicken. 
Fine as the Beef was, it was the Potatoes that were giving off the most intense Flavour, as they should having sat in the Masala. The Peas were firm, disturbingly so, not Birds Eye then? This post is turning weird. 
The Cauliflower, served a bit soft for my liking, gave off a remarkable amount of Flavour. Cumin was noted then a blast of Aniseed. The Potatoes, on both sides of the plate, were perfectly cooked. The bits that had been sat with the Mince gave off the greater depth of Flavour. 
I had to decide when to stop, how much Rice to leave, a few Peas also. Overall, a satisfying meal, Desi Fayre, but not at the same level as yesterday’s 
In recent years, September has been –