In my capacity as a literature student I've been coming across quests quite a lot of late. In 'A Handful of Dust', Evelyn Waugh has one of his main protagonists going off on an ill-fated quest to find another Eldorado. In 'Coming up for Air', George Orwell sends his protagonist off on a nostalgic quest back to his childhood.

I have a quest of a different sort in mind: to find the second-best Keema Rice and Tarka Saag dahl in Swindon. Yes, I guess you might just be detecting a theme here. Food. Well it is something that is close to my heart. But I won't only write about food and restaurants here I promise. It's just with eating out last night it's currently uppermost in my mind.

Anyway - back to the rice and dahl quest. I say second-best because I think I have found the best of these dishes in Monsoon on Faringdon Road.

I've tried a number - though not all - of the curry houses in Swindon over the years and I almost invariably order keema rice and tarka saag dahl as they are two of my favourite things. But so far I haven't come across any as good as those to be had in Monsoon.

I have such a weak spot for theirs. It's just yummy. I've eaten some fabulous asian food  down Tooting Bec High Road - some of it to die for it's so good - but I still prefer Monsoon's version of these particular dishes. It just always hits the spot.

I'm not given to ordering take-aways very often (student income, blah, blah, blah - plus I do try to eat healthily most of the time and I'm not sure that barrel-loads of ghee qualifies) but when I do, I almost always order from that particular establishment  just so I can order extra portions of the said dishes to put in the freezer for another time.

So, of there are any other keema rice and tarka dahl lovers out there I'd love to know of anywhere (in Swindon or its environs this is) they have come across that is, in their considered opinion, particularly good with these two dishes and I'll aim to give it a go sometime.

http://www.monsoon-swindon.co.uk