Danny Malin: 'I tried veggie restaurant Prashad in Drighlington and realised that meat can ruin a curry'

I couldn’t believe I had agreed to take my wife out for her birthday to a fully vegetarian restaurant. 

It wasn’t the most excited I’ve ever been for a meal out. Far from it, I’m a kebab-loving Yorkshire man.

I had heard good things about Prashad in Drighlington, but how would it fare to my usual Indian takeaway staples of butter chicken and lamb chops?

Before I became a content creator, I would deliver meat to food joints throughout Leeds.

Prashad in Driglington always intrigued me but I never had an excuse to stop there until meeting our lass Sophie. 

We tried the seven course tasting menu to give me a good introduction to this Gujrati grub. I’ve been meaning to take our Soph for a while as she’s vegan.

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It’s a nice cosy set up inside, it felt high end but family friendly. More than just decor, for me, it is about how friendly all the staff are. 

First up we had an amuse-bouche which for those like me are used to takeaways, it’s a little canapé to tickle your tastebuds that are served free, selected by the chef. You barely get poppadoms for free these days. This one was like a deep fried falafel ball on a mini bed of beetroot. 

Rather than samosa and onion bhajis, our first starters was a samosa style cornetto called a Sanku. A cone of fresh veg and garam masala. It was bang on. Literally flavours popping in my mouth. 

Next up was a bit of griddled Paneer with a crispy funghi. It was just enough to get the cheesiness in my mouth. And the mushroom added a nice chewy texture. 

For the penultimate starter we had a pea and cauliflower kebab on a mini naan bread. I’m not normally a cauliflower fan but the veg soaked up the spices and the peas added the texture.  

Puri with tamarind was up next. Three light crisped up puffs served with different ingredients and I attempted to pour this yellow liquid in and then down the mini puri in one. Slightly sweet but with a good kick. This was fine dining Indian style. 

I was already pogged at this point but it was time for our first mains. 

Now this is what I’m talking about. A huge crepe called a dosa, with dahl and coconut chutney. 

The dosa was light with crispy edges and the flavours of the curry was spot on. I actually think sometimes meat can ruin a curry because it’s over powering and the texture is too chewy.

I just had a little bit of the second main, the kofta so I could devour the dessert. There’s always room for dessert.