Santa has a list of names showing which boys and girls have been good and bad; I have a list of restaurants offering festive fare. I suspect my list is longer.
If you’re a sociable sort, you may find yourself attending half a dozen or so party nights before the big day arrives, resulting in what I like to call tinsilitis – an overdose of tinsel and turkey. A visit to the Rajah Indian Restaurant in Inverness is the ideal antidote. Yes, it offers a Christmas menu but there’s no turkey or trimmings in sight.
Established in 1982, the Rajah is the oldest Indian eatery in the Highland capital, and it was here I tried my first proper – as in not made by my mother or Vesta – curry. I’ve had a soft spot for the place since, particularly as having eaten in numerous curry houses across the UK, I realise the standard here is pretty high, which I put down to its policy of using top-quality ingredients, often sourced locally.
Award-winning chef Kabir Hussien has put together a nice selection for the three-course Christmas menu, priced at £21.95 a head. From a choice of five starters, I plumped for Mumbai prawn cocktail while my chum ordered chicken moduban. We resisted the offer of poppadom and dips as we know it’s too easy to demolish these and leave no room for what’s to follow.
My seafood starter looked pretty, presented on a white scallop shell-shaped China plate. This was similar to a regular prawn cocktail except the Marie Rose sauce was spicy, with a good dash of peppery heat. It was served on a bed of fresh spinach, rocket and mixed leaves, with tomato, lemon and a sweet cocktail cherry which went surprisingly well with the fresh prawns.
If I thought my starter was good, then my chum’s was knockout. She had what appeared to be a whole chicken breast cooked in a tandoor oven, then dressed with sesame seeds and honey which added extra sweetness to what was already a flavoursome tikka-style dish. Chicken cooked in a tandoor can sometimes be dry, but this was really succulent.
As we waited for our main course, the lively chatter of the busy restaurant, which is tastefully decorated with lots of golden-framed paintings, including one of the Mona Lisa as an Indian woman, came to an abrupt halt when a waiter began vacuuming the carpet close to the spot where a toddler had been sitting. Great that the staff are on the ball, but perhaps next time they could use a quiet carpet sweeper as we didn’t need to be reminded about housework at this time.
Our main courses were brought out as peace was restored. King prawn kulna for my chum and beef aghni, a dish I hadn’t tried before, for myself. Made with local topside of beef it had a fairly hot sauce, about the same heat as a rogan josh, which suited my tastebuds perfectly. The big chunks of beef melted in the mouth, while the sauce, tomato-rich with plenty of garlic and fresh green chillis, was wonderfully aromatic.
The king prawn kulna, made with Bengal fresh-water prawns, huge ones incidentally, also got the thumbs-up. It came with a tomato-based sauce with spring onions and a real kick of ginger which added heat without overpowering the fresh taste of the prawns. To accompany this we were offered a selection of rice and naan breads, choosing a basmati fried rice with mushrooms and a Peshwari nan which we shared. Again, the chef excelled himself. I’d happily have eaten the mushroom rice as a main course, while the naan, stuffed with almonds, coconut and fat sultanas was perfect for mopping up the curry sauces.
We were glad we’d declined the offer of a rice and naan each as we struggled to clear our plates. We also wanted to save space for dessert, which I don’t usually have in Indian restaurants. I may have to reconsider after sampling the Rajah’s Bengal banana bites – banana fritters served with a special Bengal sauce and ice-cream. I’d taken a gamble ordering fritters as they’re sometimes overly ripe and far too sweet with a sticky syrup making everything mushy. This was not the case here. Crisp, light batter over firm banana, and a light, delicate sauce with just a hint of sweetness. My chum finished her meal with pistachio kilfi, a creamy pale-green Indian ice-cream with a light, nutty flavour, topped with cream and served in an elegant wine glass.
A superb meal and excellent value for money, especially at a time of year when some eateries push up their prices. There was only one conclusion to be drawn for our visit here – how far in advance we’d need to book for next year.
- THE RAJAH INDIAN RESTAURANT
2 POST OFFICE AVENUE, INVERNESS. PHONE 01463 237190 OR 01463 711525.