As a nation that has taken Indian food to heart as much as we Brits have, there is so much more for us to discover about the country’s cuisine, and some of that comes under the category street food. Whilst the term has been derided by some, in many places around the world people take great pleasure in grabbing a bite to eat on the road side, that’s probably because a lot of it amazing, and nowhere more so than in India. Over on the Curry Mile in Rusholme, Ziya Asian Grill have earned many plaudits for the authenticity of their dishes, and they’ve just added a whole lot more, including snacks and street food items, so we went down to sample some of what their new menu had to offer.
Kothimbir wadi roughly translates as coriander fritters, like crisp little cakes these things would go great with a chai tea and are a lovely way to start your meal. I’ve not seen them served anywhere else in Manchester but they’re exactly the sort of tasty snack you’d expect to find for sale wrapped in paper on a street corner in India. Dosas have been making a bit of a name for themselves in the UK over the past few years as their popularity has spread, the classic South Indian pancake is traditionally served for breakfast alongside a tangy curry sauce and coconut chutney. We tried Ziya’s delicious cheese and chilli dosa, if you’ve not had one before forget your onion bhajis, this is the best way to get warmed up for a curry.
Chole bhature is a Delhi delicacy of round, hollow fried breads that are served alongside a thick, rich chickpea curry. They make great finger food, tear the breads and mop up all that delicious sauce. The corn cheese tikki are another great dipper, these patties are coated in crispy corn flakes and have a meltingly smooth cheese centre – they go fantastically with the sweet and sour tamarind yogurt.
All but one of the dishes we tried are meat free, and a great example of how exciting vegetarian Indian food can be, there’s certainly no compromise of flavour. Similarly if you want to eat vegan there is plenty on offer, for example the sabudana wada, a spicy potato based fritter traditionally served at religious holidays in Maharashtra (just switch out that yogurt dip).
Don’t worry though, if you’re a carnivore Ziya have got you covered too. We sampled their oat lamb cutlets, made with minced meat and potato, and they were a definite highlight. Much more meaty than a samosa, and just gently spiced, with a lovely range of textures from the soft centre to that oat coating. To cool down after all that a little dessert was in order, something light mind as we’d had quite a feast. Pineapple halwa with ice cream was a perfect way to have a treat when you’ve not much room left to eat. The sweet, but not overly so, halwa with flaked almonds is definitely worth a try if you like the taste of something fruity to end your meal.
The new street food menu is available at Ziya Asian Grill now.
65-67 Wilmslow Road
Manchester
M14 5TB
0161 257 2010
