Mother of all Meals

Stepping into Mother India one is hit first and foremost by the contemporaneous quality of the establishment. Subdued tones and damask wall-features make it a far cry from the traditional curry house; the only hint of its heritage being displayed in greyscale, arty photographs. Even these are combined with images of Edinburgh, however, leading to an atmosphere which asserts that there may be curry, but this little restaurant is firmly rooted in Scotland and the 21st century.

Everything about this place is a new take on an old theme: the food is served in tapas-size portions - the recommendation being that one orders three or four dishes between two to get a full range of flavours - while the dishes themselves are unlike anything I have ever tasted this side of the Bosphorus. The best word to describe it is probably 'authentic'. I mean not to offend any who are more knowledgeable than I, but eating here feels like you are enjoying a real piece of India. Any curry lover I'm sure will agree that generally Indian eateries, though varying in quality, are pretty uniform in what they have to offer in terms of dishes and flavours, and have been thoroughly Anglicised in both.

Not so for Mother India: every dish is distinct and faithful to real Indian cooking, with bold flavours and subtle complexities, and just the right amount of spice to set the tongue tingling and a warm fuzzy glow to spread throughout ones body and lasts for hours. The variety in the menu also reflects genuine Indian cuisine; it is very rare in the UK to find restaurants that offer such dishes as dosa – a kind of stuffed pancake – or raita, a sort of yoghurt-based sauce. Both of these were superb; the dosa was filled with the best aloo sag (spiced spinach and potato) I have ever tasted, while the raita was thick, creamy and delicately flavoured with cinnamon, providing the perfect antidote to the more spicy dishes.

The only fault that I can find with this restaurant is the prices. Each serving costs around £4, which – though fair – makes the size seem a little disappointing. However, even the starters are filling, thus I can only conclude that the quantity really isn't important when the quality is so high.