Cooking with Monisha - Cookery School

Many of my readers and most of my cookery school clients ask me for recommendations- good places to eat, new products to try and about food events related to Indian cooking.

I will be suggesting some interesting experiences here. Do feel free to email me on
monishabharadwaj@hotmail.com to let me know your thoughts!

INDIAN ZING
www.indianzing.co.uk
236, King Street, Hammersmith W6 0RF
0208 748 5959

One of my absolute favourite restaurants is Indian Zing in Hammersmith, west London. It is close to the Cooking With Monisha Kitchen so you can call it my local Indian. But it's really much more than that, and its great appeal is that it has not just the usual Lamb Roghanjosh and Dhansak on the menu but also some fabulous and unusual dishes from my home state of Maharashtra in India.

Maharashtrian food is seldom seen in the UK. It is known for its delicate spicing, fabulous seafood dishes and flavours such as tamarind, coconut, curry leaves and peanuts.

Start with the Vegetable Bhanavla, a super and tastier version of the ubiquitous onion bhajia or the Prawn and Aubergine Kharphatla which is flavoured with caramelised onions, tomato and pickling masala.

The Karwari Fish Curry offered at Indian Zing is quite the real thing- it is flavoured with a spice called Tirphal, a small, dark seed resembling a peppercorn, that gives it a unique sharp, woody fragrance. Also try the Chicken Miravna, a spicy, herby curry created by the early settlers of Mumbai, the Pathare Prabhus who are known for their love of food and eating. Another favourite is the Ghatti Lamb with black pepper, a robust dish from the mountain regions of Maharashtra.

The service at Indian Zing is also top class and the staff seem to take that ancient Sanskrit saying very seriously- 'Atithi Devo Bhava'- a guest is equal to God.

Massala Indian Dining
19 Anyards Rd, Cobham
Surrey
KT11 2LW
01932 865005‎

www.massalacobham.com

I am always on the lookout for restaurants that dare to be different but don’t go over the top in doing so. Authenticity and flavour are paramount but when chefs are happy to push the boundaries a little, the eating experience becomes even more enjoyable.

Massala, a softly lit, calming restaurant in Cobham, Surrey has got it just right. The menu is full of regional dishes that are well explained and invite you on a food journey through India. The starters include favourite streetfood specials such as Aloo Tikki, little potato cakes stuffed with nuts and dates, or grills like the perfectly spiced jumbo prawns.

Along with Chicken Tikka Masala for the hesitant diner, there is a selection of Awadhi food for the gourmet. Awadh is the old name for Lucknow in Northern India, a city famed for its royal cuisine that was created for its Nawabs, the most famous one being Wajid Ali Shah, a great gourmet himself. Awadhi food is largely slow cooked in ‘dum’ or steam giving it a melt in the mouth texture.

The chefs at Massala also tempt you with an exquisite Parsi dish, Patrani Macchi which is whole, steamed sea bass stuffed with a coriander and coconut chutney. From the south there is Monkfish Malabar and Lemon Rice, from Goa a Lamb Xacuti and from Rajasthan, the fiery lamb curry Laal Maas. For dessert, try the gajar halwa- a carrot and nut pudding with just enough sugar and spice.

All of this is cooked to perfection- more home style than your usual curry house- so it is not greasy, spicy or salty. Nice style with a lot of substance.