Planet India is a vegetarian Indian restaurant in central Brighton, East Sussex. It serves authentic homemade Indian food and is family-run. Plant India is also right next to The Level, a large urban green space that is popular with both locals and visitors.
The menu is tight and focussed. The selection of starters is a roll call of Indian street food classics. Headlining these are ketchoris, spiced peas and coconut moulded into a pastry-like ball. There’s also classics like onion bhajis and samosas, as well as three different types of puri. Dhai bhel puri is perfect to share, the thin puffed up rice balls served with onions, yoghurt, coriander and the famous tamarind sauce. Bhel puri is the same but minus the yoghurt, while pani puri sees the puri filled with lump mashed potato and then poured a sulphuric black salt water, tamarind and mint sauce. This is then eaten whole, exploded in the mouth and delivering a truly unique hit of flavour.
Main course options are a selection of curries. These are divided into plant and dairy. The former features a range of both familiar and authentic dishes. The tardka dall (chana lentils cooked with ginger and garlic) substitutes the usual spinach for kale. There’s also a classic mixed vegetable curry and a vegetable, the latter being extremely mild and based on plant-based ‘cream’ and coconut milk. The sweetcorn and patra curry is one of the spicier dishes, but the most spicy is the black chickpea curry, described as ‘very, very spicy’ by the owners on the menu.
Dairy curries take three forms: spain and paneer, peas and paneer and aubergine in yoghurt. The first two are Planet India’s take on classic dishes, while the aubergine curry is creamy and smooth. Cumin rice is the only rice dish. Bread options are either chappaties or thepla.