Review: Namaste Village Christmas Menu

Ever wanted a festive curry during the Christmas period instead of the 7th portion of Brussel sprouts you have had to suffer through?

At Namaste Village by Oxford Castle, you can. They have launched a Christmas menu featuring all of their bold and classic flavours with an elevated festive twist. It is the perfect combo during these dark and cold evenings. Having only opened over the summer, they have cemented themselves as an Indian cuisine staple in Oxford.

I can’t ever go to Namaste Village and not order a mango lassi, it might be my favourite drink of all time, so this was the first thing we did and it did not disappoint.

With a vegan version available and made to order, it is the best drink to cut through all the spicy food. We began with a lentil soup that ended up better than expected. Soup is not my favourite form of food, but this soup could convert me. Similar to daal, but thinner and with a smooth broth, the soup had the correct blend of spices that made it not too spicy but spicy enough that if you had a blocked nose it would clear it up nicely. Then we also got the crispy spinach chaat to start, which even though it was not on the Christmas menu, it is one of our favourite dishes they do – fresh, crunchy, creamy, it is a great palate cleanser.

For mains we tried the Saffron Royale Kofta, which consisted of cheese-filled potato dumplings swimming in a saffron tomatoey sauce. They were delicious and felt very Chrismassy. The sauce was rich and full of flavour, but this dish was not spicy. We had the jewelled cranberry and nut pilau rice and red velvet naan to mop up all of that tasty sauce. The naan was naturally coloured with beetroot to give a festive appearance. It was perfect for not wasting a drop of the mains.

The second dish we tried was the Chestnut Bhuna Masala, featuring slow-cooked, caramelised spices on chestnut mushrooms in a spiced nut gravy. I am always taken aback by the depth of flavours that the team at Namaste Kitchen can achieve and the mains on the Christmas menu are no exception. With an all veggie/vegan menu and gluten-free as well as onion or garlic-free options, Namaste Village caters to many dietary requirements making it a great place to visit this festive season.

Unfortunately, by this point we were so full of delicious food that we couldn’t bring ourselves to have a dessert, even though they sounded fab – it’s now just an excuse to return so we can try them!