Mirch Masala

You'll find this place tucked into the Belgrave Commercial Centre, right in the thick of Leicester's subcontinental heartland where the smell of proper spices drifts down Belgrave Road. The setting isn't much to write home about – think strip mall practicality rather than Instagram-worthy interiors – but that's rather the point. This is cooking for people who know their way around a tandoor, not tourists after a gentle korma. The kitchen doesn't pull punches with heat levels, and their karahi dishes arrive still bubbling in proper cast iron. The lamb chops are worth ordering, charred just right with a proper kick of green chilli. Service can be brusque when they're busy, but you're here for food that tastes like someone's mum is actually running the kitchen, not corporate curry house blandness.