A curry and a beer is synonymous with a good night, but not so much with squeezing into a pair of skinny jeans the next day.
Enter It's Mirchi Healthy Indian in the heartland of Brisbane's funky Paddington scene. This restaurant caters to the health conscious, whatever than means for you. Low-carb, low-sugar, vegan, dairy-free, vegetarian, nut-free and organic options are all available. These guys can omit anything.
But don't fret if you've accepted elastic waistbands as a wardrobe staple, regular old mango chicken and garlic naan remains on the menu.
So has tweaking the tandoori dulled the dhal in any way at all? Lets find out.
Enter It's Mirchi Healthy Indian in the heartland of Brisbane's funky Paddington scene. This restaurant caters to the health conscious, whatever than means for you. Low-carb, low-sugar, vegan, dairy-free, vegetarian, nut-free and organic options are all available. These guys can omit anything.
But don't fret if you've accepted elastic waistbands as a wardrobe staple, regular old mango chicken and garlic naan remains on the menu.
So has tweaking the tandoori dulled the dhal in any way at all? Lets find out.
Stepping into It's Mirchi was an experience in itself. Bright elephants and dancers adorned the walls, and the first question we were asked was whether we wanted to sit at a conventional table or on the floor. Peering further into the restaurant, we noticed a back section behind gossamer curtains and an array of colourful cushions on the floor, surrounding low wooden tables.
This was too much of an adventure for my three-year-old, who made the decision for us and lead us to ground-level.
While It's Mirchi is uniquely healthy and accommodating for an Indian restaurant, the menu still boasts everything you'd expect for a good night out. Like a decent drinks list.
Craft beers include local favourites: Newstead Brewing, Slipstream Brewing, and Green Beacon. I also tried what I instantly heralded the best Mango Lassi I've ever had, packed full of both mango juiciness and cardamom.
We then kicked off our food decisions from the healthy menu with Light Tandoori Prawns, and the Vegan It's Mirchi Naan.
The prawns came out in a sizzling pan and even caught the otherwise wayward attention of a toddler performing a "Let It Go" interpretive dance routine in the middle of the restaurant. The brightness of the prawns made me wonder if the kitchen had been overzealous with the spices, but my fears were quickly allayed after my first bite. There was a slight kick to the prawns, but their natural sweetness was in no way suffocated by other unnecessarily strong flavours.
The vegan naan was gluten-free, and filled with onion, spinach, mushroom and avocado. Again I wasn't sure what to expect with this creative idea, but it wasn't long before I decided that avocado did indeed work wrapped up in naan bread and why on earth didn't more people do this? The gluten-free naan itself was much softer than your usual naan bread, but still every bit as satisfying.
This was too much of an adventure for my three-year-old, who made the decision for us and lead us to ground-level.
While It's Mirchi is uniquely healthy and accommodating for an Indian restaurant, the menu still boasts everything you'd expect for a good night out. Like a decent drinks list.
Craft beers include local favourites: Newstead Brewing, Slipstream Brewing, and Green Beacon. I also tried what I instantly heralded the best Mango Lassi I've ever had, packed full of both mango juiciness and cardamom.
We then kicked off our food decisions from the healthy menu with Light Tandoori Prawns, and the Vegan It's Mirchi Naan.
The prawns came out in a sizzling pan and even caught the otherwise wayward attention of a toddler performing a "Let It Go" interpretive dance routine in the middle of the restaurant. The brightness of the prawns made me wonder if the kitchen had been overzealous with the spices, but my fears were quickly allayed after my first bite. There was a slight kick to the prawns, but their natural sweetness was in no way suffocated by other unnecessarily strong flavours.
The vegan naan was gluten-free, and filled with onion, spinach, mushroom and avocado. Again I wasn't sure what to expect with this creative idea, but it wasn't long before I decided that avocado did indeed work wrapped up in naan bread and why on earth didn't more people do this? The gluten-free naan itself was much softer than your usual naan bread, but still every bit as satisfying.
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My three-year-old did not go unnoticed by the staff, or by anyone else in the restaurant really, and without any prompting whatsoever, the kitchen produced her very own Chocolate Naan from the kids menu. Well, I say "her very own" but she only got to about a third of it with me siting next to her. Life lesson #89- guard your food.
Chocolate buttons had been oven-baked on top of the naan and peppered gooey, melty, chocolatey goodness into your mouth with each bite. This was decidedly not from the healthy section of the menu.
After the food adventure we'd already been on, we finally made it to the actual curries. These were worth the suspense.
The Organic Lamb Dhansak was cooked in a blend of lentils and spices and was just as moreish as a good curry should be. The lamb was melt-in-your-mouth tender and everything in this dish was cooked to perfection.
We also tried the Malai Kofta curry, which included vegetable dumplings filled with paneer, nuts and raisins in a milk creamy sauce. They had me at dumpling and every bite in between. This curry was unique and a lovely change from the usual veggie curries that are simply based on lentils and florets of cauliflower. The dumplings themselves were brilliant, and to have them swimming in a tasty curry was the pinnacle of happy taste-buds for me.
Dessert was also on the cards at It's Mirchi, with some perfectly executed Gulab Jamun on offer. These fried cheese balls were soaked through in a rosewater syrup that rounded off our meal nicely.
Chocolate buttons had been oven-baked on top of the naan and peppered gooey, melty, chocolatey goodness into your mouth with each bite. This was decidedly not from the healthy section of the menu.
After the food adventure we'd already been on, we finally made it to the actual curries. These were worth the suspense.
The Organic Lamb Dhansak was cooked in a blend of lentils and spices and was just as moreish as a good curry should be. The lamb was melt-in-your-mouth tender and everything in this dish was cooked to perfection.
We also tried the Malai Kofta curry, which included vegetable dumplings filled with paneer, nuts and raisins in a milk creamy sauce. They had me at dumpling and every bite in between. This curry was unique and a lovely change from the usual veggie curries that are simply based on lentils and florets of cauliflower. The dumplings themselves were brilliant, and to have them swimming in a tasty curry was the pinnacle of happy taste-buds for me.
Dessert was also on the cards at It's Mirchi, with some perfectly executed Gulab Jamun on offer. These fried cheese balls were soaked through in a rosewater syrup that rounded off our meal nicely.
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With the rise of paleo/ keto/ vego/ notsurewhatelseo diets, it's nice to see a restaurant responding to these needs while still keeping true to its roots.
It's Mirchi Healthy Indian has made the most of taking generational recipes and giving them a modern twist to cater for even the most discerning of macronutrient counters.
This place is a must-try for those seeking tasty meals that don't require an extra belt notch.
It's Mirchi Healthy Indian has made the most of taking generational recipes and giving them a modern twist to cater for even the most discerning of macronutrient counters.
This place is a must-try for those seeking tasty meals that don't require an extra belt notch.
