Reviewing the speciality dish at 7 Spices Balti in Sheffield was going to prove a tricky task, the dish in question being a leg of lamb and the reviewer vegetarian!

Luckily for me the Lamb Massalam, a chef’s house special feeds four people and as expected I didn’t have to look far for hungry volunteers ready to take up the challenge. First things first, don’t be put off by the exterior. From the outside there is not a great deal to tempt someone down the rickety stairs into the hidden jewel that is the 7 Spices Balti.

A welcoming smile greeted us as we walked through the doors into a surprisingly large, can seat 120 people, dining area. The look was bright and not what one normally associates with Indian Restaurants but nether-the-less it was warm and comfortable. I’m glad to say the American diner music changed half way through the evening to more traditional Indian tunes and at once I felt more relaxed.

The Lamb Massalam had been pre ordered as this speciality dish has to marinade and be slowly cooked so needs ordering 24 hours in advance. We started with a round of popadoms which arrived quickly with a good range of fresh dips. The hungry bellies ordered onion bhajis and meat samosas, the bhajis arrived sizzling which was a nice touch. Tempted to try a bite, for the purposes of this review you see, I’m glad to say the bhajis were crisp, not over oily and not the colour we’ve come to expect as the 7 Spices menu boasts that no artificial colours are used in the cooking – which is good news.

There was a good break between the starters and the lamb arriving, one of my guests was starting to get fidgety but I knew once this £47.50 leg of lamb marinated in a rich sauce with herbs and spices and then roasted arrived they’d be glad of the break, and I was right. The dish says enough for four people and I can verify that. There were only three meat eaters who all ended up extremely full and there was plenty of the dish left for a doggie bag.

I heard tales of my guests experiences of lamb curries before and heard how sometimes tough meat can spoil the dish. This was not the case here. The dish was wheeled in on a trolley with little candle heaters keeping the sauces warm. The knife sliced through the lamb easily and lots of ‘mmmm’s’ were heard. Nice, spicy nice was the conclusion, the tender lamb came with potatoes and pilau rice. The dish is a dry one so we ordered a mild sauce and a madras sauce which kept everyone happy.

I ordered a Vegetable Rogan Josh I find it a good dish to compare places. It was the spiciest I’ve had but managed the balance of spice and taste. Lots of tomatoes added to the mix with just enough coriander it scored high and that particular dish could rival some of my favourite places. We shared a garlic nan which was doughy on the edges but a little thin in the centre and the pilau rice cooled down a little quickly, maybe a suggestion would be to leave the heaters on the table.

A whole chicken, fish or duck can also be ordered in the Massalam Chef Special. The restaurant is currently making about 10 of these dishes a month. For parties who like to share and like to leave feeling that they’ve eaten a substantial meal, go for it.

Overall I’d rate the 7 Spices Balti 8 out of 10 for good service, friendly banter, spicy, fresh and tasty food and it definitely deserves a return visit. The 7 Spices Balti, at West Bar, Sheffield, also does takeaway dishes.

Seven Spices /// 120 Mayfair Court /// West Bar /// Sheffield S3 8PP /// 0114 275 7695 ///
www.7spicesbalti.co.uk