Tucked away in Uckfield, this unassuming restaurant is making quite a name for itself in the local area, serving authentic Indian and Bangladeshi food at reasonable prices. Amira’s Kitchen is a family affair set up by a married couple and named affectionately after their daughter Amira. Lauren Ahmed had always loved a curry but when she met her husband to-be Towfique she was blown away by the home-cooked dishes that emerged from his mother and grandmother’s kitchens.
Skip forward to the arrival of their daughter Amira and the couple decided to relinquish their day jobs to focus solely on their shared passion of sharing delicious food with family and friends. Amira’s Kitchen was born.
The restaurant prides itself on an ever-changing menu with many speciality dishes and family favourites diners are unlikely to have experienced elsewhere. The stylish restaurant and bar just off Uckfield’s high street is a cute setting for lunch or dinner but the dishes are also available for takeaway. Either way, we recommend stopping by between 5.30-6.30pm to enjoy their 2-for-1 cocktail and mocktail offer.
To start, there’s a variety of tikka, kebab and tandoori options. We love the sound of the suka king prawns, lightly spiced and cooked with tamarind and curry leaves, served with a sweet sauce. From the mains, diners can choose a classic curry or tandoori dish or go adventurous and try something from an intriguing list of specialities.
Highlights include achari gost, a traditional dish from Hyderabad where marinated lamb is cooked in a tangy pickle masala and murgh zafrani – chicken pieces marinated in cheese, chilli, garlic and coriander then cooked in a sauce of coconut milk, turmeric, mustard seeds and fresh green chilli. Don’t miss out on the accompaniments: tarka dal, Bombay aloo and vegetable bhajis are just a few options to choose from along with a wide selection of rice, naans, rotis and chapatis.
Family is central to this restaurant’s ethos and as such children are warmly welcomed. On most days of the week kids up to the age of 10 can eat for free when dining with a full paying adult, and child-sized portions are available on request.