Curry favour with new flavours

Bitter experience has taught me to steer well clear of any takeaway offering any and every form of cuisine under one usually greasy roof.

You want Chinese? You got it! Fish and chips? No problem! Kebab? Pizza? Burger? Curry? Piri Piri? You’ve come to the right place!

Sadly, at first bite you usually realise you have actually gone to the wrong place. If a place doesn’t specialise it’s usually because it is not in their ability to do so.

This in mind, I was sceptical to hear in January that the new owners of Th’ Owd Chippy in Leyland were to offer Indian cuisine too.

Needn’t have worried. By process of Chinese whispers only half the story made it through. In place of that much loved old chippy the town now has Cod’s Plaice, with owner Rezaul Majid having transformed the former takeaway’s eating area into a totally seperate operation – Mumbai Masala.

With an emphasis on authentic cuisine from the sub-continent, approaching the menu will be quite the voyage of discovery for those used to standard Anglo-Indian fayre.

We decided to start with the Mumbai Masala Mixed Platter, a Malabari Chicken Curry and a Chicken Shashlick.

The platter was generous and all components – onion pakora, meat somosas, spiced chicken wings, anda bhuna (very tasty spiced eggs) and sheekh kebabs – were all well cooked, seasoned and not a crumb was left behind.

The Malabari Chicken Curry, a dish from the coastal side of South India was excellent, a hearty onion masala rich with curry leaves, ginger and garlic, which packed great complex spice but not too much heat.

The shashlick – my own choice – was a similar delight, the chargrilled juicy chicken perfectly seasoned with the fresh herb and spice mix, a perfect match for the succulent peppers, tomatoes and onions.

Will definitely be back for more.

Barry Freeman