Images: DAISY DICKINSON
In the spotlight this month, Nicola Foley pays a visit to impressive south Cambridgeshire curry house Kaz’s
It’s no secret that as a nation, we’ve got the serious hots for curry – and as any local foodie will know, Cambridgeshire excels at delivering the perfectly spiced goods. In fact, you could even say that we’re rather spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing the location for our weekend curry.
In amongst stiff competition from all sides though, Kaz’s Indian and Bangladeshi Restaurant continues to shine – achieving numerous nods in the prestigious English Curry Awards in recent years, as well as boasting a set of Trip Advisor reviews so glowing and unblemished it’d have most restaurateurs weeping into their napkins. So it was with great anticipation that my dining partner and I paid a visit to Kaz’s, located on Sawston high street, during a sunny September lunchtime.
Perusing the menu, it quickly becomes clear that Kaz’s offering is a cut above your standard curry house, featuring lots of intriguing, lesser-seen dishes to tempt the more ambitious diner.
“It was with great anticipation that my dining partner and I paid a visit to Kaz’s”
Showcasing authentic Indian cuisine is key to the restaurant’s philosophy. In fact, as Kaz’s website points out, although there are “thousands of ‘Indian’ restaurants serving ‘curry’ – that term is almost as misleading as ‘chop suey’ is to Chinese cooking.” So whilst they’ve got all the classics and favourites on there (don’t panic, korma squad), there are also lots of rare culinary delights from the cuisine of Bangladesh – some of which you can’t get anywhere else in Cambridge.
Whilst we were keen to try the more exotic offerings on the menu, in time-honoured tradition we kicked the meal off with a round of poppadoms and assorted dipping sauces. A good litmus test for any Indian restaurant, Kaz’s crisp discs passed with flying colours. The accompanying colourful array of chutneys included a bright pink dried coconut number that turned out to be a scrumptious revelation.
Onto our starters, where the vegetable roulade was first to arrive. A light pastry encasing a gently spiced vegetable mix which included potato, spinach and peas, this would make a perfect lunchtime treat if you’re in the area. The standout starter, though, was the pakora – a classic Indian finger food which is impossible to resist in my opinion. Kaz’s version had the most amazing sweet aroma and a satisfying batter crunch which gave way to juicy marinated chicken inside. Deep fried deliciousness of the highest order.
For my main course I opted for the lamb Shatkora – one of Kaz’s specials – which takes its name from the shatkora lime (traditional in the cuisine of Sylhet in Bangladesh) which adds a zesty zing to this rich curry. The lamb had a great smoky flavour and worked beautifully with the citrus notes, ginger and garlic – rounded off with a nice kick of heat.
My dining partner, a vegetarian who sticks resolutely to the milder end of the curry spectrum, selected the Amm Shahi curry. Deliciously creamy, this dish gets its addictive sweetness from the coconut and mango in the sauce it’s cooked in. Quite similar, we agreed, to a pasanda, but with more depth of flavour and all the more delicious for it.
Our feast was completed by a range of sides which included a gloriously garlicky, creamy and colourful paneer saag and the brinjal bhaji, which added a nice bit of freshness to the meal with its chunks of delicately-spiced aubergine. The peshwari naan also deserves a special mention for its crisp, buttery exterior, fluffy core and sesame seed topping, which added a nice textural element.
Following the closure of the Rang Mohol down the road, Kaz’s is now the only curry house in Sawston, but fortunately for Sawstonites, it’s truly excellent. If you fancy trying it from the comfort of your own sofa, there’s a 10{b486c5a37ab2d325d17e17d701cb2567b1ecd1814e8ceb33effa2a4f1f171d46} discount on takeaway orders, and Kaz’s will be getting in the festive spirit over the next few months with a variety of Christmas party packages. They can seat up to 50 people, with the option of multiple sittings if you’ve got a large office – and we have to say, we think a hearty Indian feast would beat the usual dry turkey affair hands down…
