Get Your Street Food Fix: Tuk Tuk Edinburgh's New Tiffin Lunch

Street food is all the rage right now. But you won't find hordes of food trucks parked around Edinburgh. Instead, you'll find these quick and budget-friendly meals at any number of brick-and-mortar restaurants dotted around town.

A pioneer in establishing Edinburgh's newfound authority in the street food scene, Tuk Tuk aims to reinvent Indian food's (unjustified) reputation as "just curry and rice," while still maintaining traditional flavors. The brightly-colored eatery located in Tollcross is known for its Indian-style tapas; small plates of vegetable samosas and single-portion bowls of addictive butter chicken let you have a little bit of everything.

My personal relationship with Indian food is a bit, well, complicated. Boston doesn't really have a strong Indian restaurant scene, and I wasn't too keen on spice a few years ago. Luckily, my best friend and neighbor from home (who happens to be Indian) educated me on the cuisine, leaving me with a more authentic sense of Indian food. Fast forward to now, and I can guarantee you that at least three Indian restaurants top my "favorite places to eat" list.

And Tuk Tuk certainly falls on that list. But I'm not writing here to tell you about Tuk Tuk's regular menu. I'm writing to introduce you to their new lunch concept that takes the best of Tuk Tuk's standby dishes, and combines it with an incredible value for money.

A couple of weeks ago, I was lucky enough to have a sneak preview of Tuk Tuk's new lunch menu, along with a few other Edinburgh Bloggers. We chatted, exchanged instagram handles, and indulged in the warm and homey spices of Tuk Tuk's tiffin special.

Here's how it works: For just £12 you can treat yourself to a starter, two mains (one meat, one vegetarian) and a side of either rice or naan. In true Tuk Tuk style, the portion sizes are on the smaller side- but I promise you'll be fuller than you expected by the end of it.  

If you're not familiar with the concept of tiffins, here's the lowdown: Tiffins are traditionally used in India to transport packed lunches for workers and students, and are usually delivered to offices by either on foot or by bike. Think of it as the Deliveroo of India- but better.

For my tiffin, I started with the mixed pakora- an assortment of fresh vegetables fried to perfection. When I've had pakora before, it's always been in the form of vegetables mixed into a ball of sorts and fried together. These ones were especially tasty because they were individual slices of veggies, coated in a thick (but not too thick!) batter.

Always one to opt for other kinds of meat over chicken, I chose the lamb curry. The succulent lamb was drenched in a rich, peppery sauce with just enough heat to pack a manageable punch. My vegetarian choice, saag paneer, ticked all the boxes- creamy spinach and mild cheese with just a touch of crispiness on the outside.

Faced with a number of naan choices to pair with my meal, I went for a personal favorite, peshwari naan. The perfect sweet complement to a spicy meal, peshwari naan should be at the top of your list if you haven't tried it before.

An authentic way to explore India's diverse cuisine at a reasonable price, Tuk Tuk's Tiffin lunch menu is the perfect antidote for you rainy-day essay slump. While it hasn't been offered up in the restaurant quite yet, look out for the new menu to launch at the end of the month or beginning of November. You can check out Tuk Tuk's daily menu here.

And if that isn't enough to be excited about, Tuk Tuk is growing! Expanding its reach to neighboring Glasgow, Tuk Tuk will be opening up on Sauchiehall Street. The exact opening date is currently on the DL, but rumor has it, it will be opening sometime in November!

Happy eating :)

Thank you to Tuk Tuk for hosting us at their Edinburgh Restaurant!