Thursday, June 11, 2009

Last night's dinner

I got home from work last night with a head ache that I'd had all day and though HELL NO I am not cooking! SO we ordered a takeaway from the new Keralan/Goan takeaway that recently opened in Chatham - Coco Diner. 45 minutes later an intriguing smelling bag came through the front door ~

Dinner from the new Keralan takeaway

As a main course we ordered Kozhi Ishtew - tender chicken breast with vegetables in a coconut broth ... could have been hotter - and Attu Thakali Kari - slow cooked lamb with fennel and turmeric which was probably (along with the rice - how did it taste so good??) the star dish. The lamb was moist & tender and even with the over-laying flavour of the smoky spices and turmeric tasted of lamb.
Deep fried aubergine

Excitingly, the Coco Diner serves Dosa - paper thin rice or semolina pancakes sandwiched around a spicy potato filling, so we had one of those ... which came with 3 little pots of sauce - a spicy ketchupy mixture, a fermented prawn paste and something that looked like taramasalata kept 3 weeks too long. To round off the bread selection we also asked for a roti and a poori and 2 side dishes some batat keerai soung aka potato and spinach and some of the best raitha I've tasted in a long time.
A selection of breads

Well ... what do I say? I eat a lot of northern Indian food, have my own masala dabba and always cook curries from scratch - thanks to cookery lessons from Shisho and Harpreet - this was unlike any curry I'd ever tasted. There were delicious flavours - the fennel with the spiced smoky lamb was genius BUT where was the heat and intensity? Where was the creaminess that coconut should impart? And finally the crispness was missing from the spiced, battered aubergine and king prawns we ordered to start. So, whilst I was incredibly glad that someone else did the cooking I don't think I shall be calling on the Coco Diner again anytime soon.
p.s. my saag aloo is better than theirs!!

9 comments:

Ms Mac said...

I am so hungry now.

*eats a stinkin' peach*

Lesley said...

Me too, I'm starvin' and not enjoying my high protein diet.

I think a trip to Kerala/Goa may be called for so that you can compare the take-away experience with the in situ experience.

Melissa said...

I'm always a little depressed when I cook better than the restaurants, then I realize that I didn't have to do any work and it tastes much better. :)

Just mingling...but I can't use my open id today for some reason...very annoying...

Wandering Coyote said...

Perhaps you should share with them some of your recipes!

I hate it when i find I can cook something better than what I'm served at a restaurant, too. I tend to feel like I've wasted my money. But when it comes to desserts - I always feel vindicated when I know mine are better!

Tina said...

I'm still thinking about those potato pancakes though....... But yeah, that is a disappointment after paying out good money for a meal...especially when you've had a rough day.

Betty Carlson said...

Oh well, it still looks pretty nice to me.

wineandroasts said...

That's it. When Hub and I come over for a visit we're stopping by your house and you can cook for us.

What's that address again? :o)

ShannonW said...

Hello! I found your web site through the June Mingle. I have enjoyed visiting your place. Please stop by for a visit!

~Shannon

ShannonW said...

Yummmmm! I am really hungry now.