Many of the herbs and spices popular in Asian cuisines are known to have health giving properties. Now Sudesh Singh, executive chef at Scene Indian Street Kitchen which opened last year in Spinningfields, has worked with celebrity nutritional biochemist Jeannette Jackson Scene’s to create a new menu of dishes high in protein and low in carbs which retain the authentic flavours of Indian cooking. Healthy food to nourish the mind, body and soul.
All you need to do is choose a protein, a healthy carb and side salad to create your own super-meal.
We started with the healthy Soup Of The Day (£4.95) – Carrot and Coriander which didn’t really get us that excited before it arrived but turned out to be one of the highlights of the meal. We loved the fact they didn’t hold back with those spices. This was serious stuff. Gorgeous, thick, and packed with coriander and turmeric.
We tried a selection of their new starters. Chicken 65 (£4.95) a classic street food originating from Chennai featuring chicken thigh marinated in herbs and spices with some complex flavours artfully applied.
Mirchi Pakora (£4.95) are peppers stuffed with Scene’s ‘special stuffing’, which we couldn’t quite place as it had the consistency of sausage inside but was definitely vegetarian.
And our favourite, the Potato and Mint Chaat (£6.95) – potato cakes served with spiced chickpeas and drizzled with assorted chutneys, sweet yoghurt and pomegranate. Fantastic!
For mains we had our protein dish of Shahi Murgh Tandoori (£11.95), boneless chicken breast marinated overnight in fresh yoghurt, ginger, garlic, garam masala, fenugreek and lemon juice.
Our superfood was provided by Kale, Beetroot and Spiced Orange Salad (£4.95), and our healthy carb came in the form of Quinoa & Cranberries with Pomegranate (£4.95). All the food was super healthy with no compromise on taste.
Alongside these new and exciting street food dishes, innovative grills, and the healthier superfood alternatives, some long standing favourites are still on the menu.
We tried a couple of naughtier dishes. The Lucknow Chicken Biryani (£11.95) came with the most fragrant basmati rice flavoured with saffron, rose water, fresh coriander and mint.
One of my favourite dishes, Daal Punjabi (£7.95) a dish of yellow and black daal and kidney beans, tempered with a sprinkling of coriander leaves, ginger, garlic, and spices was served with the best buttery and light naan bread (£2.95).
Alongside the new dishes, there is a selection of juice shots packed with vitamins and minerals to compliment, enhance and boost the nutritional content of the entire meal. The Rejuvenating Sweet Potato & Apple Shot (£2.95) looked appealing but we stuck to white wine with our meal. Oops.
The new menu is now available www.scenedining.com