December, the Silly Season is upon us, time for sensible chaps to stay in on a Friday night. Marg, however, traditionally has places to go meaning that Takeaway tends to rear its head in this month more than any other. Takeaway, had enough of that through Lockdown, but hey-ho, there’s a new venue open in Clydebank close to Hector’s House, I have been waiting for the opperchancity.
The Bread at Spice India (133 Riddle Street, Clydebank G81 2DH) featured in Hector’s last home-cooked Karahi, a pity the oven ruined it. No Bread tonight, Curry and Rice, but what to have? Spice India Specials – everything is listed under Chicken Tikka (£7.95) with supplements for Lamb or Mince (£1.00). Is the Lamb also Tikka, not clear. The usual suspects are on the menu, plus the – Classics. Lamb Mirchi Masala (£8.95) – Cooked in a tangy chilli sauce with green chillies, extra herbs and spices – looked – safe. To accompany, Special Fried Rice (£3.00) would hopefully have an array of Vegetables.
Arriving at 18.50, the front door was wedged open, inviting, but cold inside.
Authentic Indian Cuisine – I didn’t see anyone that I would associate with India.
I relayed my Order to the young chap serving.
What is in the Special Fried Rice?
He didn’t know, a mature chap was summoned.
Onions, Mushrooms and Peppers.
Can I have it without the Peppers?
This was possible. I added the same caveat to the Curry. Off he went. Meanwhile, the young chap tried to record the Order. The elder chap was back to take sliced Mushrooms and Onions from the Pizza toppings under the counter. Today, I knew for certain that the Mushrooms were fresh.
Chillies are fine – I said loud enough for all to hear.
The young chap had to ask me what the difference is between Peppers and Chillies. Now he knows. During my ten minute wait, I watched online Orders pop out of the till. It still intrigues why peeps cannot get off their arses and collect, we are talking – local – here. Spice India cannot have been open that long that its fame has spread beyond these streets.
The Bill
£11.95
It was time to hand over the Calling Card. The young chap passed it to an elder, they both studied it, bemused.
Spice India is my new local Curry House, I have high hopes.
The Takeaway was assembled, Hector was having complementary Poppadoms and Spiced Onion, attached to the main bag. Five minutes later, Hector was home, and so was Marg, evening curtailed. Guess who had the Poppadoms?
The Special Fried Rice did not appear to have been fried. This was a standard Pilau, there was maybe not enough to share, but probably more than I could manage at one sitting.
Lamb Mirchi Masala
When I saw the container being passed over in the shop, Soup was the observation. However I was pleased to find a decent, blended Masala, this was Curry. Time would tell if the ratio of Masala to Rice would culminate in the plate being cleared. A modest sprinkling of Coriander was accompanied by slices of the large Green Chillies. The latter were a welcomed sight.
I counted eleven pieces of Meat as I arranged the Curry on top of the Rice. Large pieces, one could easily have halved each piece. Let’s face it, Takeaway portions tend to dwarf those served in many Curry Houses, the pukka ones in particular.
Tangy – is why I chose this Curry. Had Achari been available I would have gone there, alas, this was a close as. Note to self: another visit to The Village is overdue. We had Flavour, not a lot of Seasoning, and the Chillies boosted the Spice Level. There was a familiar undertone: The Clydebank Curry Taste. I ate on.
The Lamb was super-soft, Chefs are always commended for achieving this. The Flavour from some pieces of Lamb was more than just the Meat itself, the first half of this Curry was ticking the right boxes. Having travelled such a short distance, the core temperature was still – hot.
It was approaching half time in the football as I dealt with my own second half. The food was cooling, rapidly. The Flavours from the Rice were planting – Clydebank – foremost in the mind. It can’t just be the Rice, I’ve had Clydebank Curry with Bread alone, but not often. The more I ate, so the tanginess dissipated, and that oh so familiar Curry Taste became prominent.
Curry in Clydebank, it cannot all come from the same pot, surely? Theoretically, it could all come from the same kitchen and be distributed accordingly. Too fantastic to consider.
Spice India, competent Curry, but too similar to that which is available in nine other outlets.
The Aftermath
Saturday night, Hector was back. I was assured yesterday that – Till Late – meant 23.30. At 23.15, the place had been wiped down, spotless. The staff were clustered, keeping warm (?), any chance of a Kebap?
I was offered – Tray of Donner Meat (£3.50) – the leftovers. No problem. There was no mention of Bread, I asked for Pitta (£0.50). One was duly put in the Pizza oven.
There’s no point appraising the Donner, these do all come from a central supplier, it’s what we have in the West of Scotland. The Pitta was pathetically small.
All Kebabs are Served with Fresh Naan – maybe the tray does not qualify. It was late, so no gripes. But I do ask why we have to put up with this thin, supposedly Greek-style, Pitta. Check any of my post from Athena (Hellas) and witness the wonderful Bread served in Athena Curry Houses.
The Salad became buried beneath the mass of Meat, just in case one thinks this was not consumed. There was enough left over for Sunday brunch.
My local Kebap Shop, this is really what I hoped Spice India would become. Till Late – however, 23.30, not late enough for the Hector.
Menu extracts
Arriving at 14.45 this Monday afternoon, there was a smile of recognition from the manager standing behind the counter. I took a window seat in the otherwise empty restaurant. The waiter brought the 
As expected, prices have increased since last time, around 10% for most items, however, the big hitting Karahi have increased by some 20%. Such is the way of things. 
When the food arrived, it was way better than anticipated. The Naan, served in two pieces, was as puffy as a Naan can be. With a Buttery sheen, light and fluffy, excellent. The waiter said he would bring another Naan if required. I assured him I would be lucky to manage half of this one. Some have Bread with Curry, Hector has Curry with Bread.
Behold the – foliage! Accompanying the abundant Ginger Strips and Coriander were copious slices of Green Chillies, the large ones, so not as fierce as their thinner counterparts. I was expecting Curry, this looked more – Karahi – than – Curry. The given description was – thick masala sauce. What sat before me was way more special. The thickness was there and the Texture had – Tomato-based – written all over it. Normally I would have eaten straight from the karahi, but I had to see the Masala. 
I took about a third of the contents of the karahi, the Cauliflower was present, but so was a lot of Meat, and not much sign of bones. I watched the Oil collect in the corner of the karahi which had been vacated. 
The colour of the Masala intrigued; no sign of – red – this was approaching grey-brown, almost the shade of Namkeen. As I dipped my first piece of Naan in the Masala, so there was a Peppery blast. Having expected Curry, I had definitely been given Karahi, and was now considering how close this was to Namkeen Karahi. 
So much pleasure here today, as ever, I reached the point where I had to take stock of how much Bread could be managed. A little over half of the Naan had been eaten, enough already. 
Having served the flat karahi to my fellow diners, the waiter asked the customary question.
November has been a good month for Curry, 
No sign of Sijin today, it was a waitress who was front of house. There was a new menu on the table, with increased prices since my last visit in June. A glass of Tap Water was ordered, it tasted nothing like the bleachy stuff served south of the river. 
Malabar Parotta, 
Hector was not put off by the sprinkling of Coconut on top. Beneath lay a sinister, dark, thick Masala; a Dry Chettinad, the holy grail of South Indian Curry? To maintain the heat of the contents of the bowl, I decided not to decant to the plate. Compared to the mountains of food presented last week at 
I was in a dark corner eating a dark Masala. I could sense slivers of Onion, caramelised I deduced, given the Fruitiness that emanated from the Masala. There was so much going on here, then add the joy of the Beautiful Bread, a spectacular meal, a wee bit more Parotta would have had Hector in raptures. 
Today’s was the planned visit to 
Repeating 
They suggested I try a Buffet establishment in Rusholme, those I try to avoid. Here was an opperchancity to ask about the much missed 
A flight to Manchester was the chosen route – Back to Blighty. At the time of booking, it was an evening arrival, too late for
The plate brimmed with food, the ritual decoration meant adding more. Rizwan took the Oppo and recorded the moment. Hector reciprocated. Chaps at the adjacent table watched with interest. Who is this guy? I ask – who was the chap with the biggest smile? If there’s a third Gallagher brother in Manchester, this was he. 
Karahi Lamb it is, and still the – Wow! – is retained. The extra sliced Green Chillies upped the Spice Level The well pitched Seasoning is a major contributor to this Dish. The quality of the Lamb which Rizwan sources remains consistent, so he clearly has not cut back here. Sucky Bones, and sook I did. Delightfully Tender, the Meat was giving back so much Flavour. I am evidently on a run of impressive Meat, maybe a return to the Mainstream is called for, maybe not. 
The table was cleared by the gentleman who is always on hand to do this. A couple of glasses of tap water provided a moment of respite before the Spice reformed on the palate. This would last a long time. I also noted how – clean – the water tasted, nothing like that on Glasgow’s Southside. 
After a decidedly abstemious afternoon spent in the company of the Berlin Ladies, then watching the World Cup at Society, the munchies arrived. This was triggered by the friendly chaps, sharing my table, filling the table with food. They were also interested to hear that half of the Australian football team had a Scottish connection. No wonder they lost. Another Curry? Back in the day, there would have been no question. Lockdown changed this. 
I recognised none of the staff, all change. During my wait I kept my eyes on the kitchen doorway, no sign of Chef Rashid, though if he has a brother… A new guy popped between the kitchen and the serving area where the grilling is done, a new manager? In January there will no doubt be more late night visits to 
£8.99 It was 20.30, have I ever been here so early?
I opened the box: Rice, and a Salad, of sorts. Maybe a Naan would have been too dry an accompaniment, I was given a small portion of Sauce. This partly covered the greenery. 
The Chops had been suitably cremated, the burnt taste takes them to a different level. The eating of the Chops was therefore having the desired experience, however, I had the Rice to address. How much Rice can a Hector eat in one day? Today I found out. Is there a conspiracy? Rice without Masala needs other distractions, the Salad was not it. 
Curry in 
Taking refuge from the snow, Hector arrived at 13.15 to a warm welcome by Sydney, Mein Host the Chef, and his lady assistants. They appreciated that I clearly made the effort to come here, I was not a passing shopper. That I have been to 
Essen Wieim Urlaub, eat like on holiday, was posted on a board. This is why I chose Saphir today. After the exposure to the excellent fayre at 
Rice & Curry is how the food was advertised, I asked which was better Beef Curry (€14.90) or the Fish Curry (€13.90). I was assured I would enjoy the Beef more, and was the invited to choose an accompanying Vegetable. Hector chose Potato. A 500ml bottle of Sparkling Water (€2.90) was chosen over Sri Lankan soft drinks. 
The Poppadom acted like a shield, dividing the two sides of the plate. A mass of Beef sat on one side, Potato on the other. Beneath was the Shorva infused Rice. On the edge, a Chilli Paste plus sliced Green Chillies looked menacing. When Sydney brought the cutlery, he told me he made the Paste himself. 
absorbed Spice also, tasty. The Shorva had all the Seasoning required, and so I set about mixing the contents of the plate. The Chilli Paste was eleven on a Spice Scale of ten. I took Soupçon after Soupçon of the Chilli Paste to bring the Shorva up to a level that suited the Hector palate. Few Chefs provide this option. There was something orange beneath the Chilli Paste, this I couldn’t identify, best left alone, especially if it was Coconut. 
When I was down to my last twelve pieces of Beef, I knew that I could not finish all before me. The Potatoes were easier eating, the Beef more demanding. I restored the Poppadom to its vertical position and waved the flag at eight pieces of Meat. 
Day #3 in 
I recommended the 
I took a litre bottle of Sparkling Water from the fridge and went up to place my Order. Ohne Brot, mit Reis – today I made it clear, Rice only. There was no point in wasting more Bread, and Rice for that matter. 
I was prepared for Shorva, that the Masala was in the classic, blended style was for me, a bonus. The Oil was separating, such a familiar sight, but only with Desi Curry, not the Mainstream. This Masala was markedly different from the 
The Spice Level was the highest of the three Dishes ordered this week, but still far from the extreme. The jury was out on the Seasoning to begin with. I later concluded that the Potatoes were the least Seasoned part of the Curry. Despite the absorption, the sheer size of the pieces meant the interiors were – just Potato. 
From somewhere, there was a Ginger blast, yet no Strips today. Chef clearly knew what he was about. The Overall Flavour was markedly different from yesterday’s 
It’s OK – was as good as I got from Dr. Stan until he was finished. 
It was certainly spiced – began Dr. Stan – and well seasoned. Authentic Curry, not as rich as 
There was almost an air of – too good to be true – on Hector’s return visit to 
Arriving at 15.30, the chap who served me yesterday was again taking orders, it’s Self Service at 
Today, I was not given the magic coaster, when my meal was ready, it was another customer’s which beeped, then Adnan realised it was my Order. Hector was summoned to the counter, another mass of food awaited. 
One could tell just by looking at this Curry that this was another authentic masterpiece. Just look at that Masala, a tweak on 
Herbs had been cooked through the Oily Masala, not Methi, surely. Anticipation ,,, anticipation, oh yes! 
A large Punjabi supermarket lies adjacent to the Curry Cafe, something has been happening here already. I entered 
Lamm Karahi – mit Knochen
Achtung! Behold! Finally, proper Punjabi Cuisine in 
There was an instant – kick. The Tomatoey Flavour from the Masala, gosh, was Hector dreaming? The Seasoning was a few stops down from the Hector idyll. Salt was on the table, but Hector has made a pact. Eat it as it comes. 
