If there’s something we Brits love it’s Indian food, so much so that it’s our national dish. Masalas, Biriyanis, Kormals, Jalfrezi’s…true it cannot be said that any of these represent what you would eat in India. Most Indians are vegetarian, but whether authentic or not, we Brits have adopted the wonderful spices from this former colony and made our own bastardisations of true Indian food. And it’s great. There is an abundance, if not overload, of Indian restaurants to choose from in Leeds. Moreover, Bradford is not too far away where the best curries around can be found, so it’s a tough market to conquer. So when Khana Bombay Cafe opened in studentville, Headingley, I was sceptical. I was wrong.
The menu is designed to evoke the street food of Bombay where its swarming populous is fed and maintained by thousands of street sellers offering freshly cooked snack dishes, mostly vegetarian. Whilst the menu here is certainly veggie friendly, fear not meat-loving brethren; there is meat a plenty to satisfy you.
The restaurant is located in the old cinema by Headingley Taps which underwent a transformation about 10 years ago to become the Arc. Inside the décor is simple and stylish with an open kitchen (which I always love). The menu is compact, roughly 7 starters and 10 mains – my usual curry house drama of indecision and losing the plot when the waiter arrives thankfully did not occur here.
For starters I went for the deep fried chillies stuffed with soft cheese and my partner had the papri chaat. These are poppadum-like crisps with a mix of chickpeas and spices on top. The deep fried chillies were supremely hot, probably not for those that love a korma. The batter could use some work and was a touch on the heavy side. The papri chaat was surprisingly sweet but a tasty vegetarian dish.
For mains my partner ordered the sizzling prawns and I, the desi karahi with lamb. The prawns really stole the show; huge, sweet, succulent and bursting with flavour. My karahi was pleasant enough, the flavours akin to what I would be used to in a standard curry house, albeit a tad on the oily side. The lamb however in the curry was excellent; slow cooked and melting– really how it should be. Unfortunately, the breads were disappointing. I had a roti which was crisp rather than soft and my partner’s peshwari naan lacked filling, was dry and missed that fluffy softness you look for in a good bread. Although my experiences in India are limited to a 2 week trip in Goa, I’m pretty sure this is not the traditional way their breads are done. We had two sweet cocktails, a mango daiquiri and a pomegranate mojito, both of which I enjoyed.
Khana Café has not re-invented the wheel of Indian dining but there are a few interesting and unique dishes on the menu which I would like to come back and try. The atmosphere beats most of the gauche, LED lit curry houses I commonly frequent, the prices are reasonable and the quality of ingredients is excellent. A bit more finesse is required with the breads but other than that it was a decent meal and I'd certainly come back.
Khana Bombay Cafe
38 North Ln, Leeds,
West Yorkshire,
LS6 3HU
http://khanabombaycafe.com/
Written by Erin Goodall, FoodGoblin Northern Correspondent 
