Kulcha Kulture along Kingston Road at Slacks Creek touts itself as the best Indian food in Brisbane – not a slogan I haven’t seen before.
But in this case, the owners might just be walking the talk.
They’ve brought street food from Amritsar, a region in the deep north of India, less than 30km from the Pakistan border.
The beauty of this is that they’re showing that not all Indian food is the same. To the contrary, there are subtle differences in cooking style and ingredients which whack a massive punch – not only in terms of heat, but in flavour.
Amritsari chicken pakora is a tender boneless chicken fritter dipped in a light flour batter and local spices. The power of the flavour puts any fast food chicken to shame, and it’s just $13 on the menu.
There’s a fish version which is comfort food from the masses of pilgrims who flock to Amritsar to visit a temple regarded as one of the most holy of the Sikh religion.
Some of the curry flavours will be familiar to lovers of Indian food, but there are a number of twists and turns in this menu which the friendly staff will be more than happy to steer you through.
Unlike some restaurants which allow you to dive in boots and all, they’ll even explain some of the flavours which you might not take to.
Chicken drumsticks stuffed with keema, a tandoori chicken cooked overnight in secret spices, and a malai tikka are all tempting starters.
There’s also a special street food menu which offers up some of the simpler dishes – add them to your main meal mix and you won’t be disappointed.
Look around and you’ll see people from the sub-continent flocking to this place because they know the food is good and authentic – always a positive sign.
For mains, there are various curries – some dry and others wet. The floor staff will help identify what you prefer, and they’ll help ensure the spice is at the right level for your palate.
There are a number of fish, lamb and chicken options. And the restaurant is noted for selling quite a bit of goat.
Like any good Indian restaurant, there’s an abundance of vegetarian options, but not just a few vegetables thrown into a soup flavoured with curry.
Paneer, a type of Indian cheese, becomes the hero in a number of dishes and well worth a try.
There are the normal options of naan and other breads. The trick is not over-order.
There’s always next time to try something new.
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