Mother India’s Cafe is located in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town, nearby to all the major landmarks that people flock to the city for - the National Museum of Scotland and Edinburgh Castle, for example. The menu is designed for sharing and tasting, with a great variety of freshly prepared dishes that merge classic Indian flavours with more modern twists.
As Indian restaurants go, the menu here might initially seem quite concise. But the Mother India group isn’t like every other Indian restaurant and takeaway. This restaurant is a labour of love, an homage to high-quality, authentic Indian home cooking at affordable prices to be enjoyed in a relaxed and welcoming setting. The original restaurant, Mother India in Glasgow, has been serving the local population since 1990, and even received a visit from renowned author and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain.
The Mother India’s Cafe menu is constantly under maintenance, receiving regular updates to maintain the high standards which the restaurant is now known for. First on the menu are the vegetable and vegan dishes, including aloo gobi with green peas, okra and potatoes, sweetcorn and paneer masala and pindi chana.
Then there’s a relatively long section dedicated to samosas, pakoras and dosas, which includes aubergine fritters, aloo saag dosa, tawa lamb chops, vegetable pakora and spicy keema dosa. Blessed with easy access to a wealth of Scottish seafood, Mother India’s Cafe features a fantastic choice of fresh fish and seafood dishes. Think prawn malabari curry, machi masala, chilli fish cakes and a prawn biryani.
Traditional Indian dishes are on the menu, including some fan favourites: butter chicken, chicken saag and chicken on the bone, lamb handi biryani and keema mutter, to name just a few. Mango chutney, pilau rice, butter naans and chapatis can all be ordered as extras, so make sure you save room for the delicious sides.