When I go to Southall for my regular Indian food fix, I make a point to stop into Ambala for some delicious savoury snacks. I first discovered the shop when I wandered round looking for a good place to buy some samosas to take home. Of all the sweet shops (most also sell savouries) on the Uxbridge road, this one consistently had a queue and a queue of locals is always a good sign.
Inside there’s a glass case full of colourful, milky Indian sweets and behind the counter, behind the men clad in white, there are even more sweets, but those are more difficult to see. They (the men) are very nice there and are always happy to answer your questions. But say you’re like me and these sweets don’t get your heart a-thumping – I much prefer the savoury, crunchy things all studded with lots of cumin.
At the far end of the counter are baskets full of freshly fried delights. Samosas and pakoras make their home there. Their samosas are some of the nicest I’ve had, mainly because of the delicious, flaky pastry encasing them. If I don’t feel like having a whole samosa, I buy these nimki, little diamonds of flour pastry, the same pastry used for their samosas.
Thanks to Planethalder, I’ve recently discovered their Ambala mix, a mixture of fried gram flour crunchies and raisins and nuts and fried peas and fried lentils and sugar and spice and all things nice. It’s very addictive. Very very additictive. It comes in both handy tubs or bags.
Of course, if you really like the sweets, they’re pretty well known for that too! But don’t take my word for it, look to the queue.
Ambala Foods
107 The Broadway
Southall
Middlesex UB1 1RP
There are branches across the UK and one in Paris.
Not food related but the salons in Southall do good and cheap eyebrow threading too – only £2.50 compared to the £17 charged at Blink.
Mon, 18 Feb, 2008 at 07:37
that mix does look addictive 🙂
Mon, 18 Feb, 2008 at 11:39
Mmm !
Reminded me to pick up some gathia mix when I go into town this afternoon. Julian Graves does a great one. Their Bombay (or, should I now call it ‘Mumbai’?) mix is pretty good, too, if you pick the mild one, rather than the regular.
Mon, 18 Feb, 2008 at 17:24
You need to visit Tooting – just ‘down the road’ from me. Savoury, sweet – it’s got them all…
Tue, 19 Feb, 2008 at 01:01
Eyebrow threading tips and wonderful, wonderful carbohydrates!? This is a wonderful site for sure.
Tue, 19 Feb, 2008 at 20:06
Everyone on my blog keeps recommending Gupta’s on Drummond Street which apparently do samosas etc even better than Ambala. Have yet to try them but keep meaning to… Perhaps this weekend.
Wed, 20 Feb, 2008 at 21:33
Kat: Oh it is! I bought the small tub and soon after regretted not buying the large one!
travelrat: Oooh, I haven’t been into a Julian Graves in a while. That’s a good excuse to pop into one!
aforkfulofspaghetti: I’ve been wanting to visit Tooting for a while. That and Ealing Road. And the area around Wembley. Gah, too many places to go and too little time!
Cakespy: Thank you so much! I didn’t know if I should include the eyebrow threading info but it’s such a deal there that I couldn’t not share it!
Planethalder: Oh, that’s one I’m going to have to try. It’s been a while since I’ve been to Drummond Street though…Southall is more convenient for me.
Thu, 21 Feb, 2008 at 03:38
I definitely prefer savory over sweet! Now I’m craving samosas 🙂
Thu, 21 Feb, 2008 at 08:08
>>I haven’t been into a Julian Graves in a while.<<
That’s where I always get my ‘office jelly babies’ !!
Sat, 23 Feb, 2008 at 00:03
Steph F.: Same here! I’m eating tortilla chips and salsa as I type this!
travelrat: I don’t recall seeing jelly babies there! Now I do have to go!
Sat, 23 Feb, 2008 at 07:24
You’re in for a treat! You can actually taste the fruit!
They have some nice wine gums and licquorice allsorts, too. And, I especially recommend their boiled sweets … I take some to save my voice when I go to Spain on these English-language talk-a-thons.
Sat, 23 Feb, 2008 at 16:23
Nice blog…
Sun, 24 Feb, 2008 at 14:28
We’ve been buying from Ambala in Drummond Street Camden since I was a young child. Pakoras, burfi, ras malai, carrot cake… as well as their sev and other mixtures. They supply many of London’s Bengali restaurants and have always been consistent and excellent. But for maybe even better and more exciting snacks and sweets, I recommend the bakery in New Tayyab, the Pakistani restaurant in Fieldgate Street, Tower Hamlets.
Mon, 25 Feb, 2008 at 22:23
travelrat: I could’ve use those boiled sweets this past Saturday – but luckily the Royal Opera House provide free cough drops!
yusufyusuf85: Thank you! Thanks for dropping by!
Trig: That’s a restaurant I’ve been meaning to visit…and I would have sooner if it wasn’t so far east…. 😛 And thanks for the info – I had no idea they had a bakery.
Tue, 4 Mar, 2008 at 00:44
Good Lord, hello Su-Lin… and hello Planethalder! How funny that the three of us are crossing paths here: I’m visiting this wonderful foodie blog because of Londonist and my alter-ego Hazel The Editor of Aforementioned Website – and I’m bumping into an old blogging friend completely by chance! Just goes to show the unifying effect of food and cooking, it brings the lovers and artists of the world together!
Sat, 8 Mar, 2008 at 21:27
Hi Hypatia! Sorry, for some reason your comment got marked as Spam and I only just saw it today! Thanks for dropping by – it’s fun writing for Londonist!
Tue, 20 May, 2008 at 21:45
[…] I also like to buy nibbles to eat at home, like these pakoras. There were pakoras of potato, onion, aubergine, cauliflower, and stuffed whole chilies. These were purchased from Ambala Foods. […]
Thu, 11 Feb, 2010 at 01:33
This recipe looks cool. Does not seem like lot of work, and the end product that is Samosa looks tempting. For me Samosas is one of the best Indian food.
Thu, 21 Oct, 2010 at 17:18
great post
Thu, 21 Oct, 2010 at 18:03
Loving your post. I think you should post more often, you clearly have talent for blogging!
Fri, 15 Nov, 2013 at 02:22
The ambala southall samosas are amazing the best ever.interestingly they appear to be exactly the same recipe/make as those that were served in the 80s and very early 90s in a shop across the road now called “ritas”.I love the flaky thick pastry and the all I veg mix and the lack of oiliness. Nirala and savoury junction the streetside stall also do very good samosas but none beat ambala southall.as I write this its 2am I just finished boxing tonight at my club earlier this evening in dealing but know what I was smart cos pas sing southall on the way I bought six of these ambala samosas! I already ate 3 and was saving 3 for tmrow but I’m going down to get them now as I lie on my bed on the floorvwatching dvds!!! Marshallah I love my life all praise to Allah swt.God bless u all
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