Before we moved to Hemel, C and I could never agree on a 'safe' Indian. Sure there were pricier Indians restaurants we liked and went to occasionally, or things that were a bit left field that were fun to have now and again. We could never agree on a staple, affordable Indian meal. Too spicy (for C), too boring (for J), too expensive (for wallets). The great news is we agreed quickly here - Mazza is probably one of our choices for a 'safe' Indian meal for Hemel.
What do we mean by safe? No pre-ordering required, for the 'oh crap we have nothing in the house' pang at 6pm. That precludes places like the excellent Khana Cookery It also has a more recogisably British- Indian menu - which rules out the amazing Cochin with its authentic Keralan cuisine. Stuff you wouldn't mind serving unadventurous in-laws, or getting what you expect from a list of comforting familiar dishes, and having a meal you enjoy.
We went for a hash tikka (which is a duck starter), butter chicken, a house recommendation; a chicken Tawa, plus some extras: two naans, onion banjis and rice. That came to £34 via Uber Eats (there was an offer on that saved us £7). All the food arrived in good time, nice and hot.
The hash tikka looked very dry to the naked eye - but thankfully was much more moist than it looked. It was a little over done, but I really enjoyed the tikka flavour and texture.
I really enjoyed my Tawa, the standout dish for me. It had a good amount of chicken that was cooked really well, with an interesting spice mix. I think a lot of curry places load garnishes/veg into takeaway curries which you don't touch when you've eaten the protein. But the Tawa was loaded with tasty peppers that I really enjoyed. The veg felt like part of the dish rather than a bulker. The butter chicken was juicy and had enough heat to keep it interesting for me yet mild enough for the spice wuss (C). It had creamy undertones and had a nice tang. Both meat dishes weren't trying too hard to be anything really out there. They were simple in composition, but were cooked well and weren't oily which is the big watch-out for all Indian takeaway.
... Well almost. The onion bhajis had already soaked through the paper bag they were in with oil. Look, no-one is expecting a bhaji to be oil free, but this was ridiculous. They tasted OK, but these needed to drain quite a bit.
But overall I would happily recommend Mazza as a place to go when you need a good Indian meal, pronto. Nice and safe - nice and tasty.
Service:
Food arrived nice and hot and in good time via Uber Eats.
Quality:
The meat was of a good quality. Lean and nice tandoor char.
Value and price:
There was an offer on that knocked £7 off the bill - which was great. The portions were a decent size and was the perfect amount of food for two people.
OVERALL:
VERY GOOD: In a town full of Indian restaurants, this is one to add to your mental repertoire. Nice meat, good flavours, simple, familiar and comforting dishes. Give it a try one night.