This year Prana will be celebrating their 14th anniversary – 8 of those years in their extensively refurbished space (with more changes to come). This upscale yet informal Indian restaurant in the heart of Mill Road has come a long way since its beginnings as a tiny takeway, even winning a slew of prestigious awards.

It’s no secret Paulo and I have been regular customers for many years as the food is always flavoursome and prepared with quality ingredients. Prana continue to use their own spice blends rather than curry powder – the results are clean, vibrant flavours that are a delight to the taste buds. We have our tried-and-true favourites but also look forward to trying more dishes on the menu, which has been streamlined over the years to simplify the previously overwhelming choices.

Owner Kobir Ahmed kindly invited us to enjoy dinner at his relaxed yet elegant establishment. We ordered our favourites – papadums, garlic naan, pulao rice, tarka dall and green murgh curry. I asked Kobir what other dishes he would recommend and Rizwan’s platter was a good reminder to order this deliciousness more often. Knowing that Paulo is a spice fiend, Kobir also suggested that he try the sizzling naga chicken.

With a Cobra beer for Paulo, we started off with Prana’s crisp and greaseless papadums, accompanied by their chutney tray of mixed pickle, onion & coriander salad, mint yogurt and mango chutney. Kobir revealed his secret for serving the papadums warm and crunchy – you’ll have to ask him about it!

Rizwan’s platter for 2 featured a selection of starters. The gunpowder prawns were served first. The battered tiger prawns, sprinkled with chaat masala and drizzled with masala sauce, were served on a bed of fresh salad leaves.

The other delicious starters on Rizwan’s platter were duck breast (marinated and grilled over charcoal), chicken tikka (marinated chicken breast cubes grilled in the tandoor oven), sheek kabab (pungently spiced mince lamb grilled over charcoal) and chicken chaat (diced chicken in a blend of sweet and sour chaat masala).

Paulo’s naga chicken dish came out sizzling – an impressive presentation. The chicken was cooked in hot naga pickle sauce and was indeed hot (both in terms of heat and spice).

My medium-spiced green murgh curry was spot on as always. This tasty dish featured tender strips of chicken breast cooked with broccoli, aubergine, coconut milk and aromatic ground spices.

The pulao rice was made with high quality basmati rice and this was apparent in terms of taste and texture. Fragrant and delicately spiced, the rice was cooked in butter, bay leaf and cardamon.

Prana’s buttery garlic naan was a must for mopping up all the delightful flavours in our main courses.

The tarka dall, a favourite side dish of ours, was made with three types of lentils. We enjoyed using the naan as a scooping utensil. What a great combo!

Kobir surprised us with not one, not two, but three desserts! It’s so nice to have homemade desserts of this calibre on an Indian menu.

The cinnamon pear had a little upgrade with a sprinkling of cashews, providing a nice contrast of flavours and textures. The pear was gently simmered in syrup of whole cinnamon and drizzled with fresh cream.

Firni, the chef’s speciality, was an aromatic and creamy rice pudding made with coconut and flavoured with saffron and cardamom. A very comforting dish!

The crowing glory was the gulab jamun – a dessert classic consisting of fried balls of dough made from milk and semolina, then soaked with an aromatic syrup.

Prana has taken its place among Cambridge’s best eating establishments and is well worth a visit. The latest news is that Prana will start serving breakfast soon, including a thali breakfast. Follow Prana on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok for updates.

AD – PR invite: I was invited by Prana Indian Restaurant. Although the food and drinks were complimentary, all views are my own. I did not receive compensation for my review.

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