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  • The Scent of Flavour – a peek into the Mughal art of using perfume in food.

    I want you to close your eyes and take a deep breath. Now, imagine a resplendent garden bursting with the vibrant colours of the Damask rose. Take another deep breath as the intoxicating sweet and floral aroma imbues your soul, whisking you back in time 500 years to the time of Nur Jahan, the queen of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. The queen, for whom the Taj Mahal was built, stood in this rose garden and upon being overcome by the heady aroma of the roses, requested her physician to concoct a sherbet so that she could savour this ethereal aroma whenever she wished.

    The scent legacy of the grand Mughal Empire is as timeless and majestic as their cuisine. Long before the advent of technology, Mughal kitchens perfected the art of slow and intricate cooking that reflected the finest produce across the empire. There are accounts of rice being boiled in rose water before adding spices, jasmine flowers and copious amounts of silver leaf to make the show stopping biryanis and pulaos; whole game birds would be coated in a sandalwood paste and Fuller’s Earth to clean and scent them before marinating further with saffron, lime and spices. Whilst the queens bathed in rose water, the courtesans adorned their necks with bejewelled vials of gold &silver filled with various attars.

    The third Mughal Emperor, Akbar the Great (16th c) was known to be a connoisseur of fine food with Turkish, Persian and Indian flavours gracing his table. He even had a department in his court responsible for developing scents for culinary purposes. In deference to his various Hindu queens, Akbar became a quasi-vegetarian and his alliances saw many regional influences work their way into the palace kitchens such as Paneer Naranj, a paneer kofta with nuts and spices bathed in a rich onion & yoghurt gravy scented with saffron & screwpine. The Portuguese had, by then, introduced potatoes and chilli to the Indian culinary spectrum and both find their way into this recipe, one of my favourite vegetarian dishes from the Mughal repertoire. Here the richness of the kofta with it’s delicate fragrance of cardamom and cloves is accentuated by a cashew gravy bursting with saffron and brightened with a top note of kewda or screwpine. A floral water obtained from the production of screwpine attar, kewra is reminiscent of rose, hyacinth and honey with a sparkling crispness.



    Best eaten with rice, you can add a whiff of decadence to this dish by adding a  splash of rose water to the rice during cooking.

    PANEER NARANJ
    Spiced paneer & nut dumplings in a fragrant saffron & screwpine sauce

    Ingredients (Serves 4)

    Dumplings

    Paneer, grated – 250g

    Pistachio, chopped – 35 g

    Ground Almonds – 40g

    Cloves – 3, ground
    Green cardamom, ground– ½ tsp

    Potatoes, boiled whole, chilled and grated – 150g

    Raisins – 25g

    Ground black pepper – 1/2 tbsp

    Gram flour, lightly toasted in a pan– 1.5 tbsp

    Ground asafoetida– pinch

    Salt – 1 tsp

    Curry

    Spice paste

    Onion sliced – 1

    Cashews – 1/2 tbsp

    Cloves – 3

    Cinnamon – 1/2 inch

    Pepper – 1/2 tsp

    Green Caramom – 2

    Black Cardamom – 1

    Ghee – 1 tbsp

    Ginger, finely chopped – 1 tsp

    Fennel seed, ground – 1/2 tbsp

    Coriander seed, ground  – 1/2 tbsp
    Jaggery or soft brown sugar – 1 tsp

    Natural yoghurt – ½  cup whisked with ½ tbsp gram flour

    Deggi Mirch chili powder (or any mild chilli powder) – 1 tsp
    Turmeric – ½ tsp

    Saffron strands– 1/2 tsp

    Kewda/Screwpine water – 1 tsp (available at all Indian grocery stores and many supermarkets)

    Single cream – 300ml

    Garam masala – ¼ tsp
    Salt – 1 tsp

    Method

    To make the dumplings, mix and knead all the ingredients in the dumplings section until thoroughly mixed. Divide the mix into 10-12 and shape into balls, making sure to squeeze and pack the mix as you shape them. Chill the dumplings for an hour before deep frying them until golden. Drain on kitchen paper and reserve.

    To make the spice paste, heat the ghee in a pan and add the whole spice in the spice paste section. When they start to crackle, ad the onion and fry until the onion is browned. Add the ginger, turmeric and yoghurt and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the deggi mirch/chilli powder, single cream, sugar, salt, saffron, fennel coriander, and a splash of water. Bring the mix to a gentle simmer and then blend until you get a smooth sauce. Strain the sauce through a sieve and return to the pan. Add the garam masala and kewda water. Before serving, add the fried dumplings to the sauce and gently warm through. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. Finish with a squeeze of lime and freshly chopped coriander.

  • Vetiver… a scented memory

    The monsoon rains in India are a phenomenon everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime just as one would the Northern Lights. Having lived in Britain for the last 20 years, I consider myself an oddity – one who loves the tumultuous weather. As a pluviophile, rain in any form brings joy to my heart, but the intoxication of the monsoon is incomparable. The storm clouds, though dark and moody, are anything but melancholic. The atmosphere is at once uplifting and contemplative, joyous with the electric promise of life. There is nothing else that exists but the wall of rain thrashing the earth, a wrath unleashed upon the ground by Indra.

    The summer leading up to the monsoon, on the other hand, is terrifying and incapacitating. I grew up in the Central Indian city of Bhopal where the mercury would hit 46c. Each room in our house had its own water cooler, but the one in our living room was the one I would spend the afternoon in front of. It was a beast of a machine, 5ft tall and 3 ft wide with a water tank that had a little secret -its internal walls were lined with vetiver.

    Vetiver or Khus as it is known in Hindi, is a tall, tufted grass grown mainly for its fragrant root & shoots. It’s also synonymous with the summer across India, used for its cooling effect in aromatherapy, a flavouring in food and drink and a scent. At first it smells damp, earthy, woody & delicately smoky with a lingering aroma of cut grass and hints of an alluring perfume. It is the scent of waterfalls and wet mud dancing with sunshine and flowers. It’s what happens when a hessian sack full of potatoes romances vanilla, lemon, beetroot and spices. It is what gives you hope in the tortuous heat of an Indian summer (before the advent of air conditioning!), a hope that brings with it the dark clouds of the monsoon season.

    My earliest memory of falling in love with vetiver is as a 4 year old. My mum, a civil servant, was District Magistrate of Sehore (a small municipality in the state of Madhya Pradesh, Central India) where we lived in a gargantuan colonial bungalow, the official residence of the DM. There was a large central courtyard with massive pillars adorning the verandah that ran around it. Every summer the housekeeper was tasked with dusting off the vetiver blinds – massive rollup blinds of woven vetiver grass measuring several meters in height and width. Every afternoon, the blinds would be rolled down and sprayed heavily with water, saturating the vetiver and setting up a crude air conditioning system for the bungalow as the hot summer air would pass through the blinds, cooling down with the water and picking up the scent of vetiver as it then circulated through the halls.

    This olfactory bliss would often be coupled with a chilled glass of khus sharbat, a refreshing drink of neon green vetiver syrup, water, ice and lime juice. On special occasions, vats of thandai, a cooling drink of almonds, fennel seeds, watermelon kernels, rose petals, pepper, vetiver, cardamom, saffron, milk and sugar would be prepared. This was always a special treat and my consumption was severely limited as drinking too much often resulted in a sore throat and a cold thanks to its efficient cooling properties.

    The perfumed fragrance of vetiver always made summers bearable, paving the way for the oncoming monsoons and with them, the heady aroma of the parched earth releasing petrichor as the first rains signalled the end of summer. Petrichor or geosmin is the signature smell of the earth after rain – damp, musty, wet, musky and dusty, bringing together baked mud, stone and water, signalling life and fertility after a blistering summer.

    And so it would repeat, year after year, a childhood, adolescence and young adulthood spent basking and soaking in the dizzying aroma of vetiver and petrichor. These are the aromas I would later seek out to incorporate into my passion for flavour and in the fragrances I would wear in a distant land absent from the burning summers and the thundering monsoons of my youth.

  • Kebab Feast Box

  • Supperclubs

    In addition to our private events, we also host regular supper clubs where we test out and perfect each dish and concept in our repertoire.  Our supperclubs are also a great way to get a taster of That Hungry Chef experience.

    We host regular supperclubs at our home in Islington where our guests sit around one table, making new friends and listening to our stories whilst dining. It’s a great way to meet new people, but also to try something completely different. You can come on your own, with a friend/partner or with a bunch of friends. The menu changes each month so there’s always something different to try.

    To book one of our popular supperclubs, please visit 

  • Alice in Wonderland Dinner: March 2017

    “But I don’t want to go among mad people,” Alice remarked.
    “Oh, you can’t help that,” said the Cat: “we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.”
    “How do you know I’m mad?” said Alice.
    “You must be,” said the Cat, “or you wouldn’t have come here.”
    ― Lewis Carroll.

    Come and join us for a trip down the rabbit hole to explore the gastronomical adventures of Alice in Wonderland! There’s going to be lots of surprises, so we can’t really give too much away, but feel free to come as a character (or we’ll just assign you one for the evening!)

    mock2 table1 caterpillar1

    Menu

    Drink Me

    The Jabberwocky

    Eat me

    Mock Turtle Soup

    Advice from the Caterpillar

    Mad Hatter’s Tea Party

    The Queen of Hearts

    To book, please visit grub club

    alice6 cards1 alice4

  • A song for the bleak mid-winter supperclub 18 Feb

    One of Grub Club’s all-time favourite and best-rated experiences and supperclubs. Dine in a Michelin-trained chef’s stunning home and embark on a sensory journey of fine dining and conversation. BYOB

    It’s cold outside, the wind is howling and it’s chill down to your bones. But in here, it’s warm and the heady aromas of Pratap’s travel-inspired cuisine is sure to banish the depression of the bleak wintery landscape outside, whilst Nikhat’s stories are bound to make you laugh and smile in wonderment.

    Come along and join a table full of epicures, make yourself comfortable and have a wander through our home with a glass of wine before being seated to a sumptuous 5 course feast as you make new friends and share thoughts about favourite restaurants, travels and life. There’s even a surprise at the end of the meal!

     


    Menu

    Homemade spiced bread and butter

    Amuse bouche

    Buttermilk roasted celeriac, rye & olive crumble, egg yolk, wild mushroom

    Braised ox cheek, sweet potato & Afghan-spiced beef naan, parsnip cream & charred broccoli

    Baked chestnut cream, toasted quinoa, smoked meringue, blood orange

    Jaggery & sesame caramels

    To book, please visit our bookings partner: grub club

     

  • Perfume: An Edible Scent, Cambridgeshire, Autumn Edition

    From the apothecary to the chef, the secret life of smell transforms into an edible scent for an exquisite dinner inspired by perfume, both ancient and contemporary. This time, it’s in Cambridgeshire!

    Inspired by Mandy Aftel’s book, Fragrant: The Secret Life of Scent, we’ve incorporated the fleeting and surreal world of perfume into a fabulous dinner, using organic and pure natural essential oils, absolutes and essences. Ever wondered what tobacco, cedar wood, patchouli or oud might taste like since they smell so divine? Come along and find out.

    We’re visiting Cambridgeshire – a secret location on a farm in the beautiful countryside near Ely where we’re taking over a lovely barn for the evening and turning traditional perfumes into an edible scent.

  • Celebration of Autumn Supperclub

    We’re back after a mini break over the summer and having sold out all our events this year, we’re raring to get cooking and bring you some robust flavours, inspired by Pratap’s training in some of London’s best restaurants, travelling around the world and his Indian heritage. This time we celebrate some great autumnal flavours and even have a few stories to tell.

    We’re also proud to support local and British producers, be it milk, herbs, meat or fish and even have a bounty from our garden to share with you! Plus there’s a little goodie bag at the end of the meal to help you spice up your meals at home!

    We’re one of Grub Club’s best rated and favourite supperclubs (voted by all you lovely people – thank you!), so come along on your own or with friends and join the party!

    Menu

    Homemade bread & butter

    Amuse bouche

    Jerusalem artichoke, black pea chaat, coriander & buttermilk pudding, chick pea confetti

    Slow cooked venison, blackberry & thyme stew, onion variations, savoy cabbage

    Pistachio parfait, sea buckthorn & cardamom curd, burnt meringue, spiced plums

    Petit fours

    To book, please visit GRUB_CLUB

  • Great British-Indian Summer dinner

    Second date added due to popular demand (the first one sold out in 36 hours!) Is the British summer a myth? Will it ever get hot? Is there life on Mars? Fine dining in the chef’s home, there certainly is!

    Questions we all ask, but never seem to get the right answer to? Well, I have to agree with you there. I recently overheard someone saying that the British Summer is their favourite day of the year and well, whilst it may be true for the most part, I think there’s still plenty of fun to be had.

    We’re throwing open our patio doors, with our garden in full bloom for our Great British – Indian summer dinner. One can only hope that there will be some warmth and heat to really bring out the best in these dishes, but there certainly will be walks in the garden, merriment and long chats with the stranger across the table.

    Using the best of the British summer ingredients, we’ve given them all a little twist to add not just an Indian touch, but a touch from around the world, courtesy our travels.

    Menu

    Homemade bread with tobacco leaf scented butter

    Chilled tomato & green mango soup, basil shoots

    South Indian pulled pork, pea muffin, raw & preserved summer vegetables, chipotle & carrot cream

    Patchouli steamed sea bass, potato pancakes, coriander & ginger creme fraiche, fennel & kohlrabi marmalade

    Summer berry ‘chaat’

    Pakistani chausa mango tartlet

     

    To book, please visit GRUB_CLUB

  • Secret Garden Summer Barbecue

    Back for the summer! A secret garden barbecue in a Michelin-trained chef’s own home – and there’s a cocktail on arrival – and BYOB!

    After our resounding success last year, we return for a very special secret garden barbecue.

    There’s a wood burning grill, a tandoor, a hammock, great music and plenty of food to spend an afternoon lazing in the sun with old friends and meeting new ones!

    Of course, if the weather is typically British and it rains, the party just moves indoors.

    Menu

    Welcome cocktail – Pimms!

    From the wood burner

    St. Louis style pork ribs

    From the tandoor

    Lime leaf and coriander chicken

    On the table

    Sweet potato chaat: Yoghurt, tamarind, coriander, onion, chick peas, gram confetti, peanuts, mint

    Corn muffin & roti

    Southern smokey beans with bourbon

    Summer vegetable salad

    That Hungry Chef’s Mojo Risin’ Chilli Relishes

    Dessert

    Summer berry, elderflower and ginger trifle

    To make a booking, please visit GRUB_CLUB