The Kashmir Smashing It!!

Trips to The Kashmir are regular occurrences, and these days always top notch, value for money and a jolly good hardcore Bradford Curry.  Also, 'The Kash' always seems to through up splendid photo opportunities.  Below are a few from our last visit:  

Classic Bradford Curry House
Exterior

Popadoms and an iPad kept Izzy happy.  The Onion Bhaji
are one of my all time faves in Bradford.

Lamb and Lentil was top draw

Happy campers exiting The Kash.  The steps
down to the basement cafe is a must do
Bradford Curry eating experience!

A Cheeky Kashmir

Eid and Bradford is like a ghost town!

Plan A - The International - shut!

Plan B - The Kashmir... Rest assure it's open. It's always open!  And remember the old saying... "If in doubt go to t'kash."

Onion bhajis are excellent. Love them from here. All twisted shards of crispy battery oniony goodness.  Still my favorite to this day.

Meat Rogan Josh soon follows - this is t'Kash after all - and again is very good. A little bit oily, resulting in a slightly looser curry than I've been seeking out recently, but peppery and meaty. A perfect balance of zing too.

Still good - one of the best - and I will always keep returning to the legendary Kashmir.

The Kashmir

Once in a while I like to pop into The Kashmir.  It's like my home away from home, and the place I have eaten most Bradford Curry in over the years.  Although in my youth I never ever really went anywhere else, now, with my new found Bradford Curry knowledge, I no longer consider it the best, except for the bhaji's and naan that is!  Recently too, curry has improved a great deal.

However, the Kashmir soft spot remains to this day, and still remains the place I would take a newbie to experience hardcore Bradford Curry.

Old Kashmir sign overlooking the car park to the rear.  If I told you they
were bullet holes* would you be surprised?

'WELCOME TO THE KASHMIR'.  Down these stairs, into the bowels of
t'Kash, where perpetual night reigns, is one of THE all time
Bradford Curry eating experiences. 

No windows!  It's forever any time of the day you like in the Kashmir.

The Kashmir's Onion Bhaji - My favourite.  Crispy onion shards give way to
softer doughy insides.  Not overly powerful on the onion flavour front, I
like to much them with the raw  onion salad and dipped in the mint sauce.

The Meat Karahi excellent too.  Rich but not overly oily.  The dry(ish) texture
of the dish is also and meat rich, and gives you something good to gnaw at,
and very garlicky. 

* I elaborate for dramatic effect.  I don't think for one minute they are!

The Kashmir - Izzy and Me Do t’Kash

"You will learn to like curry Izzy"

Currently I’m struggling to get as much Bradford Curry in as I’d like.  The perfect window of opportunity I have managed to engineer myself over the last few months (Thursday househusband day) has bitten the dust to a certain extent!  My beautiful 2yr old daughter, who I thought was going to carry on in her fathers footsteps, has suddenly started declaring “Izzy no like curry… ‘addy like curry… Izzy no like.”  Aaaarrrgghh!

Anyway, after a couple of Thursday's worth of househusbandry, with nothing but beans on toast for lunch, I’d had enough, and bundled Izzy into the car and sped to Bradford.

After much deliberation en-route, The Kashmir was the opted for establishment.  No fuss, bish bash bosh dinning, and cracking fish pakora for the Iz.  It is also part of my personal ‘Holy Trinity’ of The Kash, International and Karachi, and, in addition, I am trying to monitor the Kashmir’s apparent return to form - so seemed logical.

Fish Pakora

The Kashmir didn’t disappoint.  Initially quiet, we were offered menus, but there was no need, and I ordered straight away.  Within minutes fish pakora were presented, and were indeed as good (the best?) as always.  Chunky, flaky fish, in a light pleasantly spiced batter – a must try I reckon.

Lamb Rogan Josh and Kashmiri Naan

For the main curry, I chose Lamb Rogan Josh.  I’ve been in a Lamb and Spinach rut of late, so it was nice for a change.  The Kashmir’s Rogan Josh has always been a strong dish, and the crispy bell peppers add a real zing.  A high meat quota, diced small and in a thick sauce – it is Bradford personified.  The dish was a touch oily, but nothing excessive.

I’ve nothing to say about the best naan in Bradford - the Kashmiri Naan - except OOooo ERRrrr.

The Kashmir is still maintaining it’s current high standards.

Izzy and Me Do ‘Bratford’

The cat's called Jawa

Izzy and I had a few things to do last Thursday.  Essentially a trip into Bradford was necessary to buy some traditional Indian sweets for Crimbo present’s.  So, with this in mind we trotted off with a sense of urgency that only a Father and Daughter pair, with something useful and worthwhile to do, can do.  At the back of our minds though I’m sure, was the thought that “whilst in Bradford it would be rude not to eat some Bradford Curry for lunch.”  Would you expect anything less of us dear readers?

La Jawaab, Oak Lane, Bradford

We initially headed to Oak Lane where, last time I was up that neck of the woods, I’d spotted Mughal’s Sweet’s.  It seemed like a good place to buy sweet’s, considering the Bradford Curry Club enjoyed their café style eater on Leeds Road…  However, Mughal’s Sweet’s was shut down!  Never mind, we had spotted La Jawaab – another sweet shop - just down the road – so popped in there.  Now, I’m no expert on such matters, but La Jawaab seemed to have a decent selection, and at £3.25/500g, they seemed value for money.  They didn’t last long at work either, so must’ve been pretty good.

An aside...  The Sheesh Mahall refurb is coming on

Fish Pakora

Kashmir Established 1958...
Izzy Established as the No. 1
Bradford Curry Eating Toddler
2010

However, all this is merely preamble to the highlight of our visit to Bradford – a trip to the legendary Kashmir.  Now, most will know that, although the Kashmir is by far and away THE Bradford Curry restaurant this blogger has eaten most Bradford Curry in over the years, and that, although the Kashmir has numerous excellent aspects to its dining experience, the curries have, sometimes, left me a little disappointed.  This appears to have changed recently, and a recent dinner time trip last the summer, after the Sky Ride, proved that the Kashmir to be on the up.  So, how would it fair this time?  Brilliantly is the answer.  There is no need to worry about the Fish Pakora, as these have always been excellent.  Likewise with the Kashmiri Naan - which was found to be stuffed to the gills with flaked, and crushed almonds, and with a healthy helping of sultanas to boot, and served piping hot and smothered in butter.  Mmmm!! For main course, Izzy and me shared the Meat and Spinach Masala, and it certainly had a good bash and tipping my favourite Karachi Lamb and Spinach from its lofty pedestal as my favourite Bradford Curry – and that’s saying something.  It had all the ingredients of the classic Bradford Curry in that it was dark and rich, and generally dry.  There was a good meat quota, and the spinach added that slightly irony flavour.  Ours was not too hot and spicy, so was enjoyed greatly by Izzy too – a winner.

Say 'Cheese'

Roll on next time…

Kashmir you mess with my mind……

Kashmir 31/07/2011

Attendees: Jenny, Pete, Lilly, Dan, Rob, Gill, Lynda, Izzy and John

The day started with Lynda, Izzy and I taking part in the Bradford SkyRide – which allowed cyclists to circumnavigate Bradford city centre on closed roads. A good morning was had, and an appetite had been created for a spot of brunch.

The arrangement had been made to meet early (noon) at Omar’s (Home of Yorkshires Biggest Naans), and consultation with the website had suggested it’d be open, but as I wheezed my way up the side of the Alhambra, a call from Pete said Omar’s was very definitely closed. Bum!!

As the local saying goes round here…. ‘If in doubt default to the Kashmir’ so that’s what we did. It’s the staple curry in Bradford for this Blogger, and partly the reason for starting the Bradford Curry Club – as a means to try and get away from the place….

Credit to the Kashmir I guess but a little frustrating for me, who wants to be able to write about new experiences. Alas, it was a little early in the day, and most nearby establishments had yet to fire up their mighty tandors.

One thing about the Kashmir that has always surprised me is that no matter what time of day or night it is (and I’m sure in days of your, it was open 24hrs a day?? Seemed like

it any road) there are always people in!! And this occasion was no different, with two tables, totalling approximately ten diners, already tucking into yummy curry – at just past noon o’clock.

Service, as always, is ‘with a smile’, and orders were soon efficiently taken and dispatched to the kitchen. No sitting around here and twiddling your thumbs. Bish bash bosh basically!! The selection of onion bhajis and fish pakoras soon arrived and boy were they good. Always a strong point – the Kashmir does deliver good starters.

The mains, usually a little let down in my humble opinion, were also excellent on this visit. My Chana Masala, was full of flavour, and not oily at all. The Peshwari naan is the best in the business. Lynda’s Lamb Rogan Josh was also exceptional – dark, rich, melt in the mouth meaty (of a good quality) and dry – everything a Bradford curry should be.

All this for a total of just over £50 – to be honest you can’t go wrong really.

So yes, a new experience had been ‘experienced’ for want of a better word – actually being able to rave fully about the Kashmir for a change. Just Brill……

Kashmir 9/08/09

Attendees: Lynda, John

HHHmmmm the Kashmir - one of the original curry houses in Bradford, and one of the only establishments that I have visited on countless occasions. For me, however, the jury has always been, and still is, out??
It is quite an experience wandering down the stairs into what must have been the old cellar - There is ‘posher’ seating upstairs but that is only open on an evening – but it certainly has character.

The service is always very good at the Kashmir – they used to be pretty well known for being pretty surly, and your curry would quite often come sliding down the table at you and the waiter would never speak – but those days have now gone. CRIKEY – you always seem to get a spoon these days too – whats the world coming to I ask?

So anyway, I digress, on with the service, the waiter brings a jug of water and a ‘palette cleansing’ onion and riata salad with the menus. The fare is nothing new or different and is simply split into starters, meat, chicken, keema and vege.


Kashmir quite possibly does the best onion bhaji I’ve ever had – and I’ve had a few – and all for 90p. You can’t grumble there. Well tasty with crispy, all mangled together, outsides and soft insides. Although not sampled on this occasion, I can also vouch for the fish pakora too.

Now onto the mains, and this is where the Kashmir has always fallen down to me. I have just never really got on with the mains. I have sampled many over the years, and the Rogan Josh is perhaps about the best (of a bad bunch), good and peppery. The problem is the quality of the meat in general, and they can be very oily too. I’ve taken to eating vege now and, although this has helped, it is still not ideal – not because of the lack of meat by the way – just that even the vege curries aren’t that good either?? On this occasion I tried the Chana Masala (Chick pea curry usually seen at breakfast time), and it was ok – bland to be honest – nothing special. I managed to eat most if it though, which is unusual for me at the Kashmir. Again the Rogan Josh – in vege guise – seems to be about the best. And it is pretty good by the way.

Chapatis are included with the mains but when we visit the Kashmir we cannot resist the pashwari naan. Again they are possibly the best.

Price wise it is pretty good VFM, although it does seem more expensive these days. It used to be that it didn’t matter what you ordered it always came to £5/head, oddly? Easy maths for the waiter’s maybe?

All in all, for me, the Kashmir is a mixed bag. It is the best on one hand and one of the worst on the other. I’ll keep going back though for the bhaji and peshwari alone. And it is probably the only place you can get a curry at 4am, after a club (not that this concerns me anymore), and then go for breakfast at 8am!! I’m not sure it ever shuts?? It’s an institution, a ‘must do’ curry experience, and Bradford is all the better for having it.

John