AD FYI: The meal featured in this post was gifted by Namaste Delhi in return for this review post.
I might lose all credibility when I say this, but spice is not for me *buries head in shame*. And to that reason, a curry night has never been top of my list – that was until I dined at Namaste Delhi.
Now I’m not saying I hate curry but whenever I go out for an Indian, it always has to be a korma or tikka to avoid the risk of setting my tongue a-light with spicy heat and taking my forehead from shiny to extra shiny. Fire-like spice just isn’t for me.
A food blogger who can’t handle heat? A travesty! So when I was invited down to Namaste Delhi to try out its menu, I grabbed the opportunity to explore new options and stray away from my comfort zone. Joining me was gf Rachael who as a veggie, rates a curry and made the perfect person to join.
What you need to know about Namaste Delhi
Located on the bustling end of Bridge Street, Namaste Delhi pulls inspiration from India’s capital bringing Indian cuisine enriched with culture and heritage to diners looking for that authentic taste of India without clocking up the air miles.
Since opening in 2018, Namaste Delhi pins itself as the first Indian restaurant in Aberdeen to bring the social aspect of Indian cuisine to the city through its tapas concept allowing diners to muck in and share around the table.
With a spacious seating area adorned with vibrant paintings and woven features drawing in on Indian traditions blended with greenery and detailed features, a chilled yet inspiring dining environment is created.
The food
Starting off with poppadums and delicious homemade chutneys (the tomato chutney was on point) we inspected the menu to pick out four tapas options to tie in with the tapas for two offer (priced at £19.95) which came with a choice of rice and naan.
To start we ordered the mixed vegetable pakora and the Samosa Chaat, a dish with spicy potatoes and crispy top just like what would be found served up by vendors on the roadside in North India.
As for the main course, we opted for the tapas option allowing us to order four dishes maxing out our voyage of the Namaste Delhi offering.
Immediately the Railway Lamb Curry jumped out at me with its inspiration drawing from a dish that was served to first class passengers of the Indian Railway dating back to the 17th century. The coconut infused lamb fell apart with every cut and the rich sauce blended with the crumbling potatoes made this a luring eat and I could see why it was a favoured choice in first class.
At first glance of its menu listing, I wasn’t sold on the Aubergine Bharta but when it arrived my pre-conceptions of a mooshy aubergine dish were quickly tossed out the window. Arriving to our table was a choppy and caramelised dish with roasted aubergine, onions, tomatoes, green chillies and ginger giving the dish a slightly sweet taste with a little heat. This ended up being my favourite dish of the night.
Railway Lamb Curry – Namaste Delhi 
Aubergine Bharta – Namaste Delhi
Adding to the order was the Prawn Moilee which was a take on a korma with bright yellow colour rich in coconut flavour met with an almost mango spice taste creating a sweet and punchy dish. There’s nothing worse than piddly sized prawn (you know the ones) but at Namaste, big meaty prawns with fresh flavour are used and blend perfectly with the delicious sauce.
I love Daal so the final dish to complete our tapas selection had to be the Punjabi Daal Tadka which was hearty daal with plenty of bite from the yellow lentils and rich butter sauce making it a perfect accompanying dish to eat on the side of our other dishes and allowed for plenty of naan scooping.
And speaking of naan, it had to be the Peshawari for us which was crisp and thin with a light layer of sweet filling which was a much welcomed change to the doughy naans we’ve had in the past. What I loved about the naan is that it was cooked in a tandoor which gave it a fired char and traditional taste.
What else to expect from Namaste Delhi
Out with the pandemic, Namaste Delhi offer cooking masterclasses allowing you to get up close to the culinary processes to make your curry of choice with a member of the chefing team. Priced at £34 for one person or £68 for two people this would be a fantastic gift for a fellow foodie’s birthday or Christmas in 2021 (once we get back to normality of course).
On the topic of Christmas, Namaste Delhi has a great offer on for the festive period offering three courses for two people with a bottle of prosecco for £59.95 – Christmas has indeed come early! There’s more offers to take advantage of on its website where you can buy gift vouchers too.
With travel plans shelved for further notice, the authentic cooking and stories behind each dish at Namaste Delhi was gave me a taste of what to expect if I ever do make it on holiday to India. I couldn’t recommend Namaste Delhi enough and I’ll definitely be returning to try out more of the menu. This spice woose’s horizons have been well and truly broadened and I might even attempt a Roganjosh on my next visit…
Stay safe and eat well folks!
The Food Hoover 