Prana Indian Restaurant

97, Mill Road, Cambridge, CB1 2AW

01223 229988

www.pranarestaurant.co.uk

Go back 30 years and Indian restaurants offered a fairly limited range of dishes; mild korma for the wimps, madras for the masses and volcanic vindaloo for the bravest tastebuds. But in recent years curry houses have had to diversify to survive, offering new and innovative options for more refined palates. Cambridge’s award-winning Prana Indian Restaurant is one such success story.

 

Run by Kobir Ahmed, Prana opened in 2016. It’s light, airy, and contemporary, tables impeccably dressed with crisp white tablecloths (iron-pressed, no less). The menu caters for all, offering dhansak, bhuna, dopiaza, madras et al for takeaway traditionalists, fresh seafood choices and a multitude of vegan options (including a vegan naan made without milk and eggs, so original it’s garnered national attention).

 

Signature dishes include melt-in-the-mouth Sikandari Lamb (a shank cooked over 48 hours and served in a chickpea sauce), and fragrant Korai Kabab Khyberi (chicken marinated in a mix of exotic spices). The platter appetisers, thoughtfully named after Kobir’s son Rizwan and daughter Amira, are also bestsellers – mouth-watering medleys of street food, samosas and pakoras.

 

You can also now enjoy authentic Indian comfort food at home through Prana’s innovative Tiffin Subscription Service, with delicious food delivered hot and fresh to your doorstep weekly in fabulous reusable tiffin tins. It’s also a great way to reduce takeaway packaging at the same time.

 

Prana in Indian means ‘soul’ or ‘life’ and there’s no doubt Kobir has put his heart and soul into this venture. He also sees himself and the restaurant as being very much part of the local community. Recent fund-raising has seen Prana’s loyal customers helping Kobir to raise £1,500 to support the Little Hearts Project and now, with a ‘how hot can you handle’ curry competition, Kobir is raising money for Lifecraft, based opposite the restaurant, to support their vital work in local mental health care.