For years Harry Khinda dreamed of owning a restaurant.

With a passion for Indian food, he desperately wanted to bring the authentic taste of the country to his home town of Bradford.

And last year he saw his dreams come to fruition, with the opening of Zaara's in Bradford Road, Saltaire.

"It has been amazing - really exciting," he says. "The building was just a shell and there was a lot of red tape to overcome such as planning permission, but it has all been worth it."

The stylish restaurant serves "authentic Indian food", including the traditional spinach and cheese dish saag paneer; chicken seek kebab, prawn and garlic masala samosa; various fish dishes; and Harry's favourite tandoori paneer tikka - "It's paneer (Indian cheese) marinated in yoghurt and spices, and cooked in a clay oven. It's soft and succulent with pure white cheese inside."

He adds: "We also have a good range of vegetarian dishes - a great many Indians are vegetarian and their love of vegetarian food is reflected on our menu."

A graduate in business with tourism from Northumbria University, Harry, 36, worked for many years in the financial services industry, always harbouring a burning desire to run a restaurant.

A trip to India in 2005 signalled a turning point. "I came back and felt fed up. I really wanted my own restaurant and decided I had to do something about it.

"If you wait for things to happen they never do, so I drove around looking for vacant premises that might be suitable. I had in mind a main road, and while I was stuck in traffic I spotted two derelict units - the rest is history."

Born and raised in Bradford, Harry's love of Indian food stems from his background. His parents came to the UK in the 1960s, from the Punjab in Northern India.

"As a family we regularly eat Indian food, and my mum helped me put together the mix of spices we use in the restaurant, and I travel to India about once a year, where I get inspiration.

"You need to travel around India to experience the variations in food from the different areas. The menu in Zaara's is diverse, but much of it is based on food from Northern India."

The former pupil at Tong School is proud of being the brains behind both the restaurant's menu and decor.

Although he has not worked in a commercial kitchen, Harry is not without catering experience, having spent time at Akbars, the former Norfolk Gardens and the Midland Hotel, in the bars and front-of-house.

He lives with his wife Sharon and four-month-old son Arun in Queensbury. "Arun was born in August, he's so cute. It is a great feeling to be a dad."

And, he adds, a "fantastic" feeling to have achieved his ambition in opening Zaara's. "I have wanted to do this for such a long time, and now I am actually doing it. We have a lot of regulars already, who say they love it, which is great. I feel fulfilled."