Urban Indian Canteen: Tamatanga (Where else?!)

I've been a neglectful blogger it's shameful, if my blog were a child social services would have taken her away by now! I'm afraid third year is kicking my little behind and it's only the first term... Scary stuff. But enough about that, I've been meaning to write this blog post for weeks and weeks! I recently made not one, but two trips to the fabulous (yes it's that good) Tamatanga in Nottingham.

I come from an Indian family that know food. So it takes a lot for Indian cooking to rival my mums, which is why I often avoid Indian restaurants but I'd heard nothing but good things about this place so we ventured in...

Firstly, there's a warm and really inviting atmosphere in this place that makes you think it'd be far more expensive than it is. Our first trip was being paid for on expenses so we didn't hold back (free food always tastes the best). We had onion bhajis to start which were delicious and what made them even better was they were gluten free! They were accompanied by a yoghurt and mint dip (I think! Whatever it was it was to die for). 

My boyfriend got the malai lamb chops- this looked pretty awesome even to me and I don't eat meat! He described it as the best lamb he'd ever tasted and it kept him quite for a good ten minutes so I can only assume that it was scrummy. The menu sums it up beautifully, tender lamb shops marinated  overnight with ginger, garlic and freshly ground cloves, with a mint and coriander chutney.

I went the whole hog and decided on the vegetarian thali, so I had four dishes, naan and poppadums not to mention salad and another onion bhaji! Embarrassingly the couple at the table next to us were sharing this between them... This was great as I got to try a bit of everything- the naans are so fluffy and tasty and the curries were really tasty. They give you a choice of one curry and then give you a selection of three others. I went with the paneer makhni which was accompanied with daal makhni, bombay aloo and bhindi do piaza. All of these looked so good I didn't really know where to start! 

All in all a very good first trip! The second time round I went for one of the curry bowls, I chose the paneer makhni again because it was so good first time! The garlic naan was delicious both crispy and light :)

If all of that wasn't good enough if you go along before 5 you can get a curry bowl (with naan or rice) and a drink for £6.95! So if you're ever in Nottingham definitely take a break from shopping and head over to Tamatanga.

:) xoxo

She (Occasionally!) Cooks; Veggy Chilli

I've been a vegetarian my entire life and it's never something that I've considered changing about myself. Like most vegetarians I have struggled to get a sufficient amount of protein in my diet (there's only so many nuts a girl can eat!) but then along came Quorn! I know I don't have a frame of reference but I think it tastes pretty damn good, so I thought I would share one of my favourite meals with you all; chilli. I love anything and everything Mexican and chilli makes for a really hearty winter warmer and it's great on a student budget too! 

So here's what I use for this yummy meal;

Olive Oil, Rice, Ouorn Mince, Pointed red pepper, 1/2 Tin of Mixed Bean Salad, Chopped Tomatoes, 1 green chillie, Crushed Chillies, 1/2 red onion, 1 Clove of garlic and generous handful of coriander.

I will admit that I am the worst at cooking rice. But this Asda white rice came out surprisingly good! I just took a handful (roughly enough for one person) added a tiny bit of oil and salt to the boiling water and let it gently simmer while I cooked the chilli. 

The great thing about Quorn is that you can cook it from frozen, so I threw in a dash of oil to a hot frying pan and cooked the mince on a low heat. I then added the chopped onion, green chilli and garlic (I always crush garlic to get more flavour) and let that cook through. I then chucked in about half a tin of chopped tomatoes and sliced red pepper followed by the beans. Slowly let that simmer and thicken slightly before adding salt and pepper to taste and some crushed chillies for extra heat. Keep tasting it so you don't end up blowing your heads off!

Finish off with a good amount of coriander and let all the flavours combine for about five minutes before serving with rice and lots of cheese!

Et viola! A really filling and satisfying dinner, maybe not one to have just before donning that new body con leather skirt... But hey that's what Spanx are for!

I'm back to living away from home so I'll be experimenting a lot more with food and blogging all of my successes and some of my mishaps (I'm sure they'll be a few!)

:) xoxo

High Street Wish List

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

I've been a very bad blogger this last couple of weeks but I' all settled in my lovely new uni flat now so I shall be posting lots more. Plus I'm back in Nottingham which usually means going shopping all the time! All of that aside, here are my favourite high street pieces for A/W 2013;

1. It was love at first sight, as soon as the student 20% River Island event starts I will be straight in there for these little ankle boots! I find ankle boots can be a bit awkward on me but these sit a little lower which it perfect for me because I hate boots that make my ankles look chunky! And the gold capped toes are just bootiful.

2. I gasped a little when I saw this little skirt. Enough said.

3.Tartan? Check. Fur Collar? Check. Boxy boyfriend fit? Check. I was unaware that such sheer perfection could exist in a coat plus it looks like it'd be so cosy warm for the winter months. Miss Selfridge have done well here!

4.Even more tartan but hey, can't have enough tartan can you? 

5. I am obsessed with leather look anything at the moment and I think these quilted shorts have that added bit of texture, definitely on the 'To Buy!' list. 

6. Its a quilted sweatshirt with a tapestry accent, basically A/W in a jumper.

I just can't live without... Nando's Peri Peri

It might seem strange that, as a lifelong vegetarian, I am completely obsessed with Nando's Peri Peri sauce! I've been putting it on everything at the moment and I mean everything so it seemed appropriate for my first 'I just can't live without...' post. 

I never really realised just how versatile this little bottle is but I've been including a splash here and there in breakfasts, lunches and dinners! So I've put together a few of my favourite meal ideas using Peri Peri;

Breakfast: Fried egg and mushroom sandwich with a dash of spice to kick start the morning (trust me, it's beautiful on a hangover) or simple cheese on toast with a little extra heat. 

Lunch: Grilled halloumi and portobello mushroom coated with Peri Peri on a rocket salad. I like to add avocados and sweetcorn along with the usual tomatoes and cucumber. I'm a massive fan of warm and cold foods together, especially warm salads. 

Dinner: As you have probably already gathered I am a sucker for spicy food, especially in pasta. Add a little splash of Peri Peri in a simple (student) tomato and onion sauce and let your taste buds explode ;) 

Or homemade chips for dipping. Because nothing beats homemade chips.

I believe that food should be enjoyed and that there is a happy medium between junk food and detoxing. Indulging from time to time is a good thing :) Plus eating spicy food can speed up your metabolism and can do your heart some good too!

I think I'm gonna make these kinds of posts a regular thing. Let me know what you think! 

I will post some of these recipes in more detail in time :)

:) xoxo

With me it's always about first impressions.

Hello! This is my first official blog post on my new and 'proper' blog, so I had better get all the boring bits out of the way and tell you a bit about me. My name is Priya Sund and I like to eat. And I enjoy fashion.

I'm a print journalism student at NTU, soon to be entering my third and final year (eeeek!). I'm orginally from Hitchin, Hertfordshire.

She Eats. She Wears will be a food/ fashion/ beauty blog all baked into one. From vegetarian recipes on a student budget to this seasons fashion and beauty picks. Hopefully the pics will give you a taste of all the stylish deliciousness yet to come.

Oh and be sure to follow me on Instagram (@priyasund) and Twitter (@PriyaSund) 

:) xoxo