Sitara Spice - Edinburgh, City of

I don't need to say much to love Stockbridge, but if I had to, the fact that this restaurant is just a stone's throw away from my house is an added bonus.

I frequently order from Indian takeaway restaurants in Edinburgh, and Sitara Spice is one of the best choices.

I recently visited this takeaway over a year ago, but the experience remains unforgettable. A standout memory from our short stay in the city was the teppanyaki meal.

I don't need many more excuses to love Stockbridge, but if I did, the fact that this take out joint is a stone's throw from my little house? Bonus love. On any given day, at any given hour, I want Palak Paneer. Fact. It's been a personal mission to find a great spot that serves up this dish since I landed. I've yet to actually FIND one, but the investigation has been delicious. Sitara Spice takes the closet contender with its Saag Paneer. All the elements of a tradition palak paneer but this specific dish is made with a spicy red sauce. Either way, it lives up to its cousin dish in delicious. It's one of those handy little orders that makes you feel like you're being healthy (it's spinach based after all! , without actually HAVING to be (cheese. so much cheese. I also took down the lamb Ceylon curry (cold indian food left overs are my weakness! . It's wickedly spicy a plus for me, but perhaps a warning note for anyone else and although the lemon/coconut elements were interesting, i'd likely pass on it next time around. I found it a little bit greasy, and a little bit heavy. Delicious? Yes. But as previously mentioned, I had ordered a paneer laden first dish, so I would have opted for something less in your face unhealthy. The two dishes plus rice came out to a fair £15 and I had enough for late night snacks and the next day's lunch. The order was quick 30 minutes total and the online ordering process is a snap. I will still seek out my good ol' go to spinach goodness (any suggestions? , but in the meantime, i'm pretty darn happy my culinary investigation led me to this solid, neighbourhood spot. Worth a try.

There's 4 or 5 Indian takeaway restaurants that I frequently use in Edinburgh. Sitara Spice is one of them, and it definitely rates amongst the best! Unfortunately, I've had to scratch several takeaway places off my list due to finding the odd random stray piece of meat in my [supposedly] vegetarian dish, meaning I've had to throw the whole thing out. I've never had this problem with Sitara Spice however, so I do feel that I can trust them. Their food is always delicious full of flavour and each dish distinguishable from the next. Too many curry houses seem to dish up the same curries and it's impossible to tell whether you've ordered a Madras or a Rogan Josh. I'm a fan of the Vindaloo (I'm a total chilli fiend), but all too often the fieriness of the dish takes over from the flavour and it can all start to taste the same. Not at Sitara Spice. Their Vindaloo comes highly recommended the blend of spices works perfectly and whilst hot, this doesn't detract from the flavour of the dish. I can also recommend the Dhakai Soup, Sag Aloo and the Mushroom Bhaji. Disappointingly, Sitara Spice has no aubergine based dishes on the menu as most restaurants do hence why I'll often choose to order from elsewhere instead. Delivery isn't so quick however. I'll usually find that the average wait from most delivery services is around 45 minutes to an hour at the most. I've had to wait around an hour and 25 minutes for the last couple of orders I've placed with Sitara Spice. This isn't quite so ideal when you're hungry! Overall, really great food. Just don't expect it to arrive quickly!