Pure Indian Cooking – not your run of the mill Indian restaurant!

Pure Indian Cooking is situated on Fulham High Street just past Putney Bridge and it would be so easy to walk by this hidden gem.  Their frontage is unassuming and does not even hint that it is the home of such culinary delights.

As soon as you pick up the menu at Pure Indian Cooking, it has a far more A La Carte feel to the dishes and some really interesting flavour combinations and ingredients.  I could feel myself getting excited as I realised this was not your run of the mill Indian restaurant.

Owned by husband and wife team Faheem Vanoo and Shilpa Dandekar, Pure Indian Cooking is a finessed operation from the warm, knowledgeable hosting to the expert cooking.  Shilpa has worked with the likes of Raymond Blanc OBE and Sriram Aylur of the Michelin starred Quilon and it shows.

I opted for a mocktail with Black Mangosteen Juice, Lime and Chai Seeds.  Finally, a mocktail which brings something more to the table two juices mixed together.  There is a faintly savoury taste to this with peppery notes that I got to enjoy the more I drank.  The Chai Seeds added texture and I really enjoyed trying something completely new.

The Pani Puree and amuse bouche style street snacks were a lovely and welcome introduction to the evening. 

For starters I couldn’t wait to try the Sharing Platter which was honestly perfection.  The juiciest, most tender chicken thighs, lightly fried squid, beautifully dressed spinach salad with interesting details such as spiced toasted cashew nuts.  My guest and I couldn’t stop raving about it.

The Patra Chaat was absolutely stunning.  A colacassi leaf rolled in spices, fried and sliced, served with a date and tamarind chutney.  Apparently a very common street snack which tasted anything but common.  It provided textures and tastes which I know I could never recreate and was my dish of the night.

For our mains we decided to try the Prawn Masala and Southern Spiced Chicken.  My heart soared when I saw the biggest, juiciest prawns heading towards me.   The sauce complimented them perfectly allowing me to still get the fresh seafood flavour.  The sauce with the chicken was seriously rich with coconut and had a creeping, alluring heat which I couldn’t get enough of.

Both mains were jam packed with sophisticated spice combinations.  This is the heart and soul cooking that I love.

Despite being incredibly full I couldn’t resist the Chocolate Fondant which oozed with all you expect from a good fondant.   Served with Pistachio Ice Cream it was the perfect end to a perfect meal.

I cannot recommend this local, hidden gem enough and congratulations to the winning team who run it!

Review and food images by Emmie Blower (@emmiebhungry)

Feature image and Shilpa restaurants own.

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