“AD” – Why is this here?

I have been well overdue a revisit to Prana. This multi-award-winning Indian and Bangladeshi restaurant has been a Mill Road favourite of mine since my first visit back in 2014.

It is the little differences at Prana that makes it such a popular restaurant in the city. For example, they source their chicken from a local butcher, make their curry sauces fresh rather than using a generic base gravy, and ensure their food is accessible to vegans by using a non-dairy ghee. These are all small but important reasons to get excited about visiting and is key to their success.

Back in the day…

I remember Prana’s modest beginnings as little more than a takeaway with a few tables tucked away in the basement. The atmosphere was unique (to say the least) with an interesting, if slightly unusual, experience marked by echoing acoustics and dim artificial lighting. However, the food immediately stood out from the competition on Mill Road, showing immense potential. I always felt the only missing piece was a premium dining area. Shortly after, Prana did exactly that and invested in a significant extension at the rear.

This transformation introduced a more comfortable dining experience, welcoming significantly upgrades like natural light and substantially increased seating capacity. Crucially, they achieved this without compromising their superb cuisine. This resulted in Prana quickly becoming a local favourite, and the awards soon followed.

Starters

​We started with a selection of starters, hand-picked from their menu. The first dish was one of the best examples of an onion bhaji I can remember. These two meaty balls of utter joy came with a beautiful red colour that gave way to a vibrant yellow in the middle. These colours are bold but absolutely no artificial colourings are used at Prana. The skin was crispy with the centre being delightfully soft with a lovely flavour to follow. I cannot recommend these enough!

Watch video here

Next was something called the Alvi Special, a grilled chicken dish prepared on a skewer. It was beautifully presented with green peppers, onion, pomegranates and garnished with trail mix.

What stood out for me was the tenderness of the chicken where the meat quality really shone through. This was complimented by a lovely crunch from the trail mix. My guest said “the chicken was so soft you could eat it with your tongue”…and he did. Point proved, I guess 🤣

So far the starters were all exemplary but the Samosa Chat still manages to stand out from the pack as the personal favourite starter. This eye catching dish is a popular Indian street food staple that is all the rage at the moment. It is vegan and made from crushed chickpeas, potatoes and a vegetable samosa. The icing on the cake, or should I say, the sauce on the samosa, was a sweet and tangy sauce that invigorated it with an energetic flavour, while also providing a comforting spicy glow on the palette. It is a dish that has everything from start to finish.

All the starters managed to nail the texture test, with everything having a soft yet crunchy bite in one exciting mouthful. The colours on everything were vivid and exciting, bringing the table to life. This is what sets Prana apart.

Murgh Biryani

This stunning example of a biryani is made ‘dum’ biryani style, this is where the dish is cooked on a low heat in a sealed pot that locks in the flavours. The chicken had such a lovely deep colour from this process that inevitably translated into a robust and aromatic taste. The rice itself was filled with the same depth and was evenly cooked throughout, without that dry crispy bit that can sometimes be found in poorly executed biryanis. It was the ideal dish to battle a cold and dark autumn evening – pure winter comfort food!

Green Murgh Curry

The Green Murgh Curry was a refreshing change from your usual curry, in that it is made from coconut milk. My initial thought was that it was going to be similar to a Thai curry but it wasn’t anything of the sort. It feels very much like a Bangladeshi curry but with a thinner sauce. It was mild and sweeter but also complex in flavour and thoroughly enjoyable – a great recommendation for anyone looking for someone in a curry rut.

We were presented with two side dishes. The first being a Saag Paneer – a dish made from chunks of Indian cheese called paneer, and saag (Indian for spinach). It is cooked together to gradually turn it into an almost like paste to make it creamier and bring out flavour. It was a beautiful execution of this popular dish and something I would highly recommend trying if you have never had it before.

The second was a mushroom bhaji, a mushroom based spiced tomato dish that was not only versatile enough to go with anything at the table but tasted great in its own right. I can be funny with mushrooms but I still found myself picking at it throughout the whole meal.

Garlic naan

I was surprised at a certain garlic naan that slapped me around the face with flavour. More often than not, a garlic bread will contain a subtle garlic taste that can sometimes be absent. This, however, was made with a type of garlic paste that is spread over the naan to give it a punchy garlic flavour, as well as an earthy green colouring. Some may find it overpowering but this truly hit the spot for me. This is another example of how Prana takes traditional everyday dishes and innovates them into something exciting.

New deal!

​I noticed a promotion on the window that offered a set menu for just under £20. This is definitely worth a look if you are someone like me who enjoys dining before the evening rush!

​Free parking available at Gwydir Street Car Park across the road

An elevated Indian experience

By blending its award-winning cuisine with sophisticated contemporary surroundings, Prana has truly solidified its reputation as a cornerstone of the Mill Road restaurant scene. The commitment to quality, from the local sourcing to innovative execution of familiar classics, offers a consistent and premium experience from start to finish, while still keeping things exciting and fresh.

Finally, don’t let the closure of the Mill Road bridge put you off visiting, as there is free parking available at Gwydir Street Car Park just across the road with free parking after 18:30.

Thanks for reading