When Black Cumin quietly opened its doors to Cotham Hill a few of weeks ago, it was to little fanfare or fuss with no marketing, promotions or even a website.
But its three owners, skilled and experienced Indian restaurateurs, admit to enjoy “working in the shadows” and, from sampling a meal here, it appears the trio know what they are doing.
Opening in what was once Greek restaurant Elia, Black Cumin’s interior has been completely revamped and now has a regal feel to it – from the ornate gold embellishments to sweeping colourful murals on the walls that have peacocking exuberance.
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The food is inspired by head chef Arvind Pawar’s mother’s cooking, and promises to “take you on a journey across the majestic sub-continent, ranging from the royal kitchens of the North to the succulent dishes of the Southern shores”.
Our veggie starter was far removed from a typical curry house
On a recent evening, there was pleasant atmosphere that gained in volume as more customers arrived, only tainted slightly by the too-loud pop music emanating from the sound system.
Looking at the menu, price-wise the vast majority of main dishes are in the mid-teens, with a range of starters and small plates for less than a tenner.
Poppadums (£1.50 each) are a classic in Indian restaurants across the land, but here the tray of homemade pickles was particularly good, a spicy beetroot one coming up trumps.
For a starter, we had the ‘vegetarian sizzler’ (£13), the name of which doesn’t quite do the platter of stunningly presented food justice. It was a refined take on a classic mixed starter with four elements: aloo tikki, panner tikka, samosa and an onion bhaji. Each morsel perfectly complimented the other and appearance was so colourful and attractive it almost looked like a dessert. Easily the highlight of the meal.
We were given large helpings of our main courses
From korma to butter chicken, it’s possible to get all the much-loved classic dishes here but for our main we chose, as recommended, the champaran meat (£16), described as goat on the bone cooked in a handi (clay pot) with champaren spices, along with a vegetable biryani (£12), fresh mixed vegetables in a sealed pot with basmati rice, onions, coriander, spices and saffron.
The goat was drowning in a rich tomato-based sauce and its meat tender. It was a joy when stopped up with their peshwari naan (£3.95), the balance and salty and sweet doing somersaults on my tastebuds.
While portions were big and good bang for our buck, it did mean there was no room for dessert (this time). All priced at £4.95, diners can choose between a mysteriously named ‘homemade K’, gulab jamun, or fried milk dumplings, Black Cumin special, a mango mouse served with “sweet juicy and soft cheesy morsels” or a less traditional chocolate brownie.
With wonderfully attentive staff, great curries and a warm atmosphere, Black Cumin is everything you could want from an Indian.
Black Cumin, 50 Cotham Hill, Redland, Bristol, BS6 6JX
www.blackcumin.co.uk
All photos: Betty Woolerton
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