Indian restaurant Saravanna Bhavan has only been open for six months, but already has a fast growing reputation.

The restaurant in Upper Tooting Road, close to Tooting Broadway tube station, specialises in vegetarian cooking from south India and also has a delivery service.

If you are looking for a tame korma and a naan bread this restaurant is not for you, as it's focus is on traditional Indian cooking.

At first glance the menu can be somewhat bewildering with pages of dishes ranging from rice, breads and 'tongue ticklers', which you order like tapas.

But the attentive and friendly staff are on hand to recommend the best options and willing to explain what each dish is.

We started off with vegetable spring rolls accompanied with a chilli dip (£2.25).

Next we moved onto chilli paneer, a fried cottage cheese with mixed spices, and chilli baby corn, both priced at £4.25.

The chilli paneer was so moreish I managed to guzzle the whole plate down within a few minutes.

An impressive channa batura (£2.95), a big fluffy bread filled with steam which needed popping before you could tuck in, was great fun to share.

Afterwards we tried a rava masala dosa, which was a large crepe stuffed with masala accompanied with a tomato, chilli and coconut dip (£3.45).

The dosa was a refreshing change from a naan bread and poppadoms usually served in westernised Indian restaurants.

We finished off with devil potato, chilli mushroom and Beijing noodles, washed down with a glass of lassi which was like a mango smoothie.

Unfortunately I was too stuffed for a desert, but I plan to try one on my next visit from the array of sweet Indian treats that greet you at the entrance.

The restaurant is worth a visit for an experience of traditional Asian cooking cooked by the real experts, all for a very reasonable price.

To book a table call 0208 355 3555.