Dining In Derbyshire – Anila Indian Restaurant
For many years I’ve driven past the little single storey building that sits katy corner wise on the green at the junction of the A610 and the A6 at Ambergate. My first memories are when it was the Little Chef and we considered it a treat for the family.
Times change however and during lockdown it again became a firm family favourite when it opened as Anila, serving time honoured Indian cuisine and somewhere we could safely drive to where the kitchen would bring our order out to the car.
Recently Anila opened its doors after a lengthy refurbishment, as a modern restaurant offering, as we were to appreciate, a lovely relaxed dining experience.
On our visit we were greeted by courteous staff who showed us over to a quiet table by the window. The menu outlines the fascinating history of Indian cuisine and the influence Mogul rule had over the centuries, this is reflected in the variety and styles offered. Anila also source local, fresh ingredients where ever possible.
Poppadoms and a pickle tray are always a good way to start and build anticipation for what is to come. My companion began with Paneer Achari Tikka, described as roasted Indian cottage cheese, although the texture is not as we would expect cottage cheese, but has much more flavour as it is marinated in Achari pickle before it’s lightly grilled.
Served with a side salad it’s a starter which compliments many dishes. I chose the Salmon Macher Tikka, chunks of salmon with just a light touch of Indian spices, and cooked over a charcoal grill, served with a crisp salad and slice of lime, the garnish added texture and flavour and was gentle on the palate.
I followed this with a house speciality, Murgh Makhni, a dish I hadn’t tried before, but our waiter described perfectly. The chicken was tender and buttery, and the Makhni sauce mild but with distinctive flavours including ginger and garlic but executed with a light touch. Pilau rice was all that was needed as an accompaniment. My companion enjoys his dishes with more of a medium heat and so ordered the Hydrabadi Biryani Chicken, a mix of basmati rice, chicken and onion with aromatic spices and a separate sauce. This was well presented and had a lovely balance of spices.
We decided to share a Peshawar naan cooked in the traditional way. To finish our evening a dish of cooling ice cream was a simple but perfect finale, followed by a coffee. Just a note here, Anila don’t serve alcohol ( just soft drinks) but are happy for you to take your own alcohol.
In all honesty I’m amazed at the skill set of the chefs to achieve these beautifully balanced dishes, each so individual with its own characteristics. They embody a rich heritage and culture going back thousands of years, and we found here at Anila they really were top of their game. We regularly enjoy a takeaway, but will in future add Anila to our list of favourite places to dine in.
Our thanks also to the waiters who so patiently answered our questions and offered advice, making sure we had a very enjoyable evening .
