Swaad, Dublin review: Authentic northern Indian food with an impressive selection of vegetarian dishes

What’s on offer?

Saurav Jindal took over Swaad takeaway in Crumlin in June 2023, serving authentic northern Indian food with a few additional dishes from the south. It is a broad menu that includes set meal deals for one person at €19.95 and for two at €37.95. Starters include samosas, pakoras and kebabs, and mains include tandoori and biryani dishes as well as much-loved dishes that include butter chicken and chicken tikka masala. The vegetarian section is good, with 10 options to choose from.

What did we order?

A vegetable platter, lamb biryani, dal makhani, pulao rice and goc naan.

How was the service?

Ordering online was easy with the exception of the meal deal which is possibly a glitch. It says you can get a vegetable dish but then it requires you to pick chicken or lamb. Our food arrived promptly, hot and in good condition.

Was the food nice?

The vegetable platter includes a vegetable samosa with a potato and pea filling, spiced with fennel and coriander seeds; two onion bhajis, which are particularly good, with stringy melt-in-your-mouth onions; aloo tikki, which is crispy on the outside, and a vegetable pakora. The dal makhani is delicious, a creamy dal of whole black lentils and red kidney beans spiced with ginger, cumin, fenugreek and garam masala.

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The biryani is a generous portion with rice that has been spiced with clove, cinnamon, star anise and cardamom, sitting on top of the lamb pieces. The raita is very good with it. The naan bread is soft with plenty of flavour.

What about the packaging?

Our food arrives in a plastic bag (not ideal) with a brown paper bag inside. The veggie platter comes in a compostable cardboard container. The rice comes in aluminium containers which can be reused. The plastic containers are also reusable and microwave safe, although there is probably no shortage of these in most homes. The naan comes in a foil lined paper bag which is not recyclable.

What did it cost?

It was €43.10 for dinner for three people: vegetable platter, €7.95; lamb biryani, €13.95; dal makhani, €10.95; pulao rice, €2.50; and goc naan, €3.25; including €4.50 delivery and service fee.

Where does it deliver?

Open daily, delivering within a 5km radius from 5pm-10pm.

Would I order it again?

Yes and I love the fact that there are good vegetarian options