Arranged Marriage


This post was published on Thursday 10 January 2019.

What can I say. We’ve just got back from our meal tonight – at a South Indian restaurant called Arranged Marriage. It’s rated as one of the best restaurants in Palmerston North, which is known for having lots of great places to eat. And it didn’t disappoint. 

Neither of us can remember eating a better curry, anywhere. It was utterly delicious.  Kerala is a region of South India, not one I’d heard of, but if this food is as authentic as it claims to be, worth a visit for the food alone!

Our meal began with three lentil doughnuts, served with Sambar (lentil soup) and coconut chutney. 

Next we had Kerala Beef, described as a Kerala Syrian Christian delicacy, pot-roasted beef cubes mixed with spices and sautéed shaved coconut, and then caramelised. It was incredible. I can’t describe how delicious it was – I still have a smile on my face from eating it!!

Our waiter recommended eating it with a plan paratha – we initialled said no but he said it is delicious with the beef – and wow was he right! I don’t know how but somehow the paratha made it even more delicious. 

With the beef we had a Masala Dosa, and it was the biggest dosa I’ve ever seen...

And it was equally delicious. 

The whole thing had the perfect amount of spice, and we are genuinely talking about adjusting our journey back so we can eat here again! I’m not sure we have time because of the ferry availability, but if we can make it work I think we will. 

We each had a glass of wine, and then a glass of dessert wine each – and the whole thing cost less than £50. Unbelievable. In the UK it would be impossible to get a table at a place like this – people would be queueing out of the door. We walked in and had our pick of tables.

Here is the place: Arranged Marriage, The Square, Palmerston North. It’s worth a visit – it’s worth a detour to eat here.