Karachi

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This I decided needed a small celebration, and in order to celebrate properly, a proper 'Old Skool' Bradford Curry was needed.  Therefore, I headed for one of MY - oh and that there Rick Stein guy's too - all time favourites - Karachi's Lamb and Spinach Balti. Quite simply one of the best dishes in Bradford - One of THE all time classics... end of. 

Today, as always, Karachi served their Lamb and Spinach Balti freshly prepared, and sizzling away in a Balti Dish.  It was verging on perfection!  From the first to last mouthful it is perfect in every respect. The seasoning was spot on, as was the amount of heat, and the balance of good quality meat to sauce was spot on too. The flavours of meat were good, and not masked by the sauce. The sauce, by the way, was irony from the spinach, and fresh tasting with coriander. The fresh coriander stalks stirred in at the end added further herby fresh bite. There is also a good tartness balanced with an underlying sweetness, and a lingering garlicness which stayed with me the rest of the day!  The dish looked right, smelt right and tasted right.

Like I say - virtually perfect.

3 included chapatis is all that is needed. Happy days.

Karachi

Not been to the Karachi for a while, and I am glad to report all is fine - just as good as always.

A little unusual this visit - we actually got the menus to look at!  I set about with much gusto trawling all the options and thinking I would - should - try something different.  However, although I sure anything I could have picked would have been great, nothing jumped out at me, and I went for my usual Rick Steins Lamb and Spinach.  Yawn - I hear you ermmm... yawn!

No, 'if it in't broke, don't fix it' - as they say round these parts - and I had kind of spent the morning with my heart set on it.  I promise next time I will have something else.

The Lamb and Spinach was without fault in my opinion but, to be ultra fussy, I felt it did have an ever so slight taste of undercooked chilli powder?  However, we are dealing with perfection here, and this small criticism is all I could level at the dish.

As per usual the dish was inclusive of chappatis, and these were indeed... chappatis!  Plain, warm and fresh, they are all that is really required to transport the curry to the mouth.  However, we did get a spoon each...  with which I spilt curry down my front!  Not a drop was lost using the traditional chappati method.  Lesson learned.

Doing the Rounds

Just a couple of quickies to a couple of my faves.  The International and the Karachi.

International

Bradford Curry lunches are becoming more and more regular in my curry eating calendar.  The International offers the perfect curry lunch.  The fantastic curry goes without saying, but choice of chapatis or naan, and included poppadon and pickles, make a meal from a single dish.  Today I thought I'd try something new, and opted for the Lamb Achari.  Achari is not a dish I select often, but here I'm so glad I did.  The addition of lime pickle in to one of Bradford's finest curry's added real zing to the proceedings.  I'll be going down the Achari route again soon.

Karachi

Back to old faithful - Karachi's Lamb and spinach.  The Karachi again was quietly buzzing with a few tables taken by midday.  Just went straight for curry today due to just popping in for a quick lunch.  Soon arrived and was the usual verging on perfection quality, with no evidence of skimping on the early diners.  It soon disappeared and I was on my way.  Until next time...

Karachi - The Same Greatness but Better…

Me eating my Lamb and Spinach

But Why?

Well, the Karachi, as we know, serves, what I consider, virtually perfect Lamb and Spinach, and, on this occasion, it was no different.  It provided the craved endorphin hit I desire so much these days.

The addition of plate full of wonderfully tasty fragmented shards and clumps of onion bhaji whetted the appetite fully prior to the arrival of the sizzling pot of curry too.

The waiter was especially helpful and friendly on this occasion – not that they aren’t normally - in as much as – assuming I am a recognised face within the curry eating Mecca that is the Karachi – I don’t receive a menu, but am treated more as a guest, and just asked what I want.  On this occasion, I was given the option of two varieties of Lamb and Spinach – a normal one and a spicy one.  Suffice to say the spicy one was ordered.  It turns out that this is the one I normally receive.  It was probably the Rick Stein version I’m guessing.

The wife eating her Lamb and Spinach

No, the real treat on this visit was the accompanying wife.  We made this visit during a few stolen hours at the end of the day, before returning home to the madness that is ‘terrible two’s’, and outside the group curries enjoyed in the Bradford Curry Club, and almost without the pressure of official Bradford Curry Blogger work - it was just me and the Mrs eating Bradford Curry…  Just like the good old days.  Joy. 

It's Good to be Back Eating Bradford Curry

Back to Reality

Well, holidays are now over, and as good as it is experiencing wall to wall sunshine, warmth, and the sea and the sky, and an unexpectedly good curry, it's good to get back to reality...  Am I really saying this?







It's true to a certain extent.  The mundane monotonous drudgery of everyday life of get up, go to work, go home, go to bed, repeat, is all worth it for the odd occasion of unplanned Bradford Curry eating at the likes of the Karachi.  All worth it and Karachi's Lamb and Spinach is still my fave Bradford Curry.  Like I say, It's good to be back.

Karachi Lamb and Spinach

Off With a Bang in 2012 - Karachi does it Again

Three generations enjoying the Karachi

The start of a New Year, but no time for romanticising about New Years Resolutions/New Dawn’s/starting afresh/etc.  Only time for the continued quest to eat Bradford Curry… To the Karachi we go.

After being teased regarding my lack of 2012 curries by my new friend and No.1 curry aficionado Hector Curry-Heute, I had to up my game and get into Bradford town centre as soon as possible for a Bradford Curry.  Luckily my current life situation affords me Thursday’s off work - to do my house husband bit and mind my beautiful daughter Isabella.  These Thursdays are fast becoming opportune Bradford Curry eating fixes.  Isabella loves it too.

A sideways view of  curry

Izzy tucks in no worries

So, with this in mind, and my Dad in tow too, it was off to the Karachi.  As you are all probably more than aware, Karachi currently offers up John the Bradford Curry Bloggers, oh and that chef Rick Stein’s,  No.1 Bradford Curry, in the form of the mouth watering Meat and Spinach and, yet again, it was verging on the ridiculously excellent.  Beautiful tender and abundant meat, in a thick, perfectly spiced, and slightly deconstructed sauce – this curry offers everything to this writer, and every mouthful was met with increased endorphin release. 

A bit of a sickly sweet shot
I know, but I like it

On this most recent visit, the above was paired with a massive plate of perfectly haphazard and tasty onion bhaji and a peshwari naan.  To be brutally honest, neither was perhaps up to the standards of the near by Kashmir, but certainly not far off, and didn’t stop us devouring every last morsel.

Until next time….

Din Dins at the Karachi

The terraced house exterior

Another Friday and another dinner time in transit through the middle of Bradford….  Strange that isn’t it? But totally coincidental I promise.

I’m a traditionalist as you know, and would normally treat myself to fish ‘n’ chips on a Friday dinner time.  However, when in Bradford, the draw of a dinner time curry is too much to resist these days, and tradition is all too soon out the window.

I wonder how long it will be
before my picture graces a wall

Well, it was International last time, so where this?  Many ideas whizzed through my little brain as I hot footed it down towards the centre of town, with Karachi winning the head battle this time.  I think Karachi’s Lamb and Spinach (as favoured by Rick Stein) is my favourite Bradford curry… but I have to keep eating it just to make sure.  Will it live up to the hype again on this occasion?

It was really quite early – just after 12noon – and wasn’t expecting many people to be in to be honest.  To my surprise, there was a table of about eight workmen, and also about three lone dinners.  In addition, a Christmas Party table was set up for about twenty, and this slowly filled up during my brief stay.

Karachi is no frills to the max dinning.  The waiter simply asked what I wanted whilst presenting me with a jug of water and small salad of onion, tomato and riata.  No menu’s it seems unless requested.  No matter as I knew exactly what I was after and ordered Rick Stein’s Lamb and Spinach forthwith.  Chapattis are included at the Karachi, so no need to worry in that department.

As with the International the other week, my meal turned up in super quick time, and was presented in a sizzling balti dish.  The luxury of a clean bowl and spoon to aid ‘spooning’ my curry from its spitting cauldron was also proffered.  I selected to go posh and transfer the virtually boiling curry into its fresh receptacle, and scoff it utilising the chapattis from there – saved burning my fingers on the balti dish too.  Goodness knows how/where they are heated to reach such a temperature?

Piping hot

What can I say – it is still my favourite Bradford Curry full stop.  That Rick Stein chap certainly knows his onions.  Dark, dry and not oily - the sauce was perhaps not quite a reduced as on previous occasions, and the addition of fresh coriander stalks added a certain zing the proceedings.  All this resulted in a fresher, cleaner taste.  This simply added another chapter/verse/dimension to the ongoing saga of me and this curry.

£7.00!!!  Wonderful.

Karachi 15/05/2011

Location

15 Neal Street
Bradford BD5 0BX

Tel: 01274 732 015

Time

15th May 2011 @ ~15:00

Attendees

Lynda, Izzy, Claire, Freya, Rob, Gill and John

Local Watering Hole

The Lloyds Bar (a Weatherspoon’s Pub) in Centenary Square was chosen for a pre curry drink. Nothing else to say on the matter really – it’s a Weatherspoons. Centenary Square is nice enough though, in a modern kind of way and, once all the building work opposite is complete, with an inner city lake of all things, I dare say it’ll be a very pleasant place to while away a few hours.


Expectations

My expectations were very high on this occasion. This was to be only my second visit ever, but remember being blown away by the Lamb and Spinach Balti (LSB) – as championed by Rick Stein - last time, and the general overall quality of the fodder excelent.

I was eager to give the LSB another go.

The Reality

Good in general. Jugs of water and a small plate of onion, tomato and yoghurt where immediately placed on the table once seated. However, the onion was very tired and the less said about it the better I feel.

My starter, on this occasion the mushroom pakora, was certianly nothing to look at – all shriveled up like a plate of slugs – but the taste was there. I think they’d been microwaved, if I’m honest, as the batter coating was a little soggy, and the already mentioned shriveledness again suggested this method had been adopted – However, no ‘ping’ was detected during our wait, so who knows. The starters were not as ‘fresh’ looking or tasting as our previous visit I’m sure.

Poppadoms and pickle tray preceded the starters and were perfectly acceptable – enough mango chuckney was provided to sink a battle ship and more than saw the meal out.


Not that you’d want to smother your Rick Stein endorsed LSB in mango chuckney it has to be said!!! It really is excellent – and I’m sure it’s got to be one of the best in town…. Sure of it. One comment from the group was that the meat was starting to fall to pieces a little and, if it had been allowed to go further would have been a problem probably, but here it was just enough to add to the thick, rich gravy. The meat, I thought, was also of excellent quality, and melted in the mouth – although this could be the product of over stewing as noted in the disintegrating meat??

The korma and dansak dishes were popular with the babies – as were the mushroom pakora funnily enough…. See what do I know??

3No. chappatis are issued as standard with all main courses. Naans and rice are extra.

Drinks Policy and range

The alcohol policy is strictly BYO. I took a few bottles of Kingfisher. Also, Karachi has range of fizzy drinks and lassi (mango and plain) on offer. Lassi wasn’t taken on during this visit.


Highlights

It was the Lamb and Spinach Balti for me. It is almost perfect. 9/10.

Lowlights

The starters were a definite let down – especially when compared to the quality of my main.

The Damage

The total bill for five adults and two babies came to just over £50. Pretty reasonably I think? But, of course, this is without drinks.

Aftermath

Nothing to speak about - I can report all fit and healthy the following day.

Overall

No complaints with the service for a restaurant such as this – ie basic. Staff friendly etc and The LSB is to die for and no doubt will keep me going back and back in the future.

Karachi 25/04/2009

Brill brill brill. I thought Karachi was best so far – but only just.


As we all know now Karachi is a traditional style Bradford curry house, which has been recently endorsed by Rick Stein, in one of his TV shows.

The BYO policy of Karachi was used (abused) to the max with the purchase of bottles of wine on the way to the restaurant. On arrival we were seated straight away, and glasses, jugs of water and a small onion/tomato/riata salad were plonked on the table. Jugs of water immediately cast aside, the glasses were utilised for the consumption of the old vino. Wine is not my preferred tipple during curry consumption escapades but, under the circumstances, it was perfectly adequate.

Following poppadons (required ordering – not a problem for this kind of restaurant), the starter I ordered was onion bhaji, and was very happy. A nice plate sized portion of crispy small morsels of fresh tasting bahji. The other starter of note was Kebab Sandwich??? From what I understand it was nice enough.


For main I had the Rick Stein’s Lamb and Spinach Balti. Defo can see why Rick likes it so much – it was lovely in every respect. It was rich, meaty, not too oily, flavoursome and just excellent – The best I have ever had. Chappatis included too - although that means ordering a naan is a little out of the question – unless very hungry. The other main to note was the Fish Balti. I tried a little and it had big bits of fish (cod/Haddock – something like that) and was well tasty. Next time.


Restaurant seemed popular and, although not heaving, was busy all the time we were there. Service was good and delivery of dishes was quick. The decor was the usual sort of basic Formica tables and odd cutlery (if lucky) type of place, but that is what these kinds of places are all about really – not supposed to be posh. Also quite a unique location – built into two terrace houses – which was quite endearing.

Overall, for me at least, the combination of location, price (came to about £9 each) and quality, the Karachi is top of the BCC league so far.

John