AFTER two weeks of biblical rain and kids TV in the school holidays, I was ready to kill The Inbestigators.
I have nothing against the mildly amusing child detectives, but if I see those braces and hear that theme tune one more time…
I grabbed the remote, put on Open All Hours and ordered a curry, re-seizing control of my house.
The Cove is my go-to takeaway for an Indian, but I had been hearing good things about Guru Spices in Attadale, so I decided to give them a whirl.
The menu had all the old favourites – korma, madras, masala – and a nice range of tandoori and biryani dishes.
There were no fancy fusion creations with the chef going for an authentic and traditional approach, but Guru Spices did have an extensive gluten-free and vegan menu with dishes like saag aloo, chana masala and dal makhani.
My prawn masala ($25.90) was a humdinger.
Thick juicy prawns were lurking in a rich tomato, onion and masala sauce, which was moreish and crammed with flavour.
The spice level was just right (I ordered mild) allowing you to taste the fleshy prawns and the thick chunks of green capsicum.
Accompanying the dish was a light and fragrant saffron rice ($7.90) providing a sophisticated twist.
The portion size was spot-on and everything tasted incredibly fresh and piping hot.
My young kids were tearing apart the garlic naan bread ($4.90) like a Rottweiler with a squeaky toy, then dunking it in their butter chicken ($24.90).
They wolfed it down no problem, and despite the odd complaint about the spiciness, it was a hit.
The naan bread was big enough to share among the four of us, but not too large, as I’ve had some that are the size of a whale’s tongue and tough as Chuck Norris.
This specimen was nice and light with a good burst of garlic.
Across the table my wife was enjoying her mango chicken curry ($24.90).
“Often the meat is not the best quality in a curry, with the sauce and spices hiding a multitude of sins, but this chicken is super tender and absolutely delicious,” she said.
“The mango, cashew nuts and almonds are well balanced and the creamy sauce isn’t too sickly, as some coconut and mango curries can be a bit cloying after a while.
“It’s a delicious dish and the quality of the chicken and sauce is great.”
The complimentary poppadams hit the same heights – crunchy, hot and thin.
I always thought The Cove was the best curry takeaway just south of the river, but it’s got some competition with Guru Spices breathing down its neck.
As I tidied up in the kitchen, I heard the kids giggling in the living room, then The Inbestigators theme tune and the voice of a prepubescent Kojak…
Guru Spices Indian Cuisine
88C Moreing Rd, Attadale
guruspices.com.au
by STEPHEN POLLOCK