En Root Peckham

“Providing nutrition to the mind, body and soul” might sound a bit hippy-dippy to some, but there’s substance to En Root’s elevator pitch. We first encountered co-founders Nish and Harsh six years ago, selling hot sauce at the Herne Hill market. That deliciously fiery sauce, it would turn out, was just the tip of the iceberg.

Stepping in from the sunny streets of Peckham, we were first greeted by a wall of hot, spice-filled air. Wall hangings, mandalas and plants adorn this cosy haven, while smiling staff slap parathas on the grill. Nish was there, hacking open a coconut with a machete. This, combined with his signature Che Guevara-esque beret, made this vegan restaurant feel like an anarchist hideout.

You might expect such an ascetic temple of food to be booze-free (after all, En Root is more “CBD or seamoss” than “shaken or stirred”), yet the grinning staff quickly asked if we would like our juices spiked. The watermelon, beetroot, ginger and apple concoction paired well with vodka, while the rum-laced mango lassi was a real winner.

It’s a pretty foolproof playbook to take a Mexican dish and inject Indian flavours. As such, the generous paratha-tacos (£5 each) were bang-on, packed with spicy bean, mushroom and plantain, balanced with pickled cabbage, raita and salsa.

The ‘don dada platter’ (£10) continued to deliver the goods. Coconut curry, dhal and saag aloo were all uniquely aromatic and warming, although the rainbow salad could have been a little more colourful in the flavour department. Crispy but soft dosas housing more jerk goodness (£9) came with smooth sambar (lentil soup) for dipping and an even smoother coconut chutney. Our meal ended on a high, or more specifically with a soothing mango lassi cheesecake (£4).

In our books, En Root is like its hottest sauce: pure fire.

En Root in Peckham is a casual eatery and takeaway offering Indian-inspired vegan food like poppadoms, dosa, curry and salads, as well as a range of healthy drinks. The menu focuses on authentic Gujarati spices and nutrition for the mind, body and soul.

This is a multi-faceted business. En Root has its original restaurant in Clapham, offers catering for events and even has an online shop featuring its famous En Root Raja Bonnet Sauce. This hot sauce comes in three flavours: original, Lime & Ginger Kicker and 'Fyah Fyah'. We tried the sauce and absolutely love it, so be sure to grab a bottle if you visit.

The menu at En Root features some lesser-known Indian street food dishes, alongside more famous favourites. Start off with some small bites, like plantain or samosa chaat, pani puri (mini baskets of beetroot, onion and chickpea), pav bhaji (spiced mashed veg with a vegan buttered roll) or para-tacos (parathas with mushroom, kidney bean, plantain and more). For a lighter main, there are wraps and salads, packed with crunchy bhajis and veggies, while bigger bites include masala dosa, jerk dosa, platters with basically everything and a very reasonably priced lunchtime special.

Dinners can also choose from a range of extras to supplement their hearty vegan meal, including dhal, curry, saag aloo, paratha, naan and chutneys. 

En Root is BYOB with a £2 corkage, but there is still a range of healthy alcohol-free drinks, including coconut water, mango lassi, juices, kombucha, as well as a range of teas like cacao chai, ayurvedic, iced angel and turmeric.

To finish, sweet treats are on offer, such as mango lassi cheesecake, Moonji ice cream or a vegan brownie made with beetroot, blueberry and cacao. Don't miss their specials, which feature the likes of "Mumbai Bravas" - a spicy Indian take on patatas bravas.