Curry Life Chefs Turn up the Heat in Hyderabad

 Once again Curry Life chefs have been over to India to showcase UK curry and food at the 10-day Taste of Britain Curry Festival. This year the bi-annual event was held in scorching Hyderabad at The Park Hyatt Hotel where the restaurant and ball room were redolent with aromas of British curries and even, at times, good old Lancashire Hot Pot and Sunday Roast.

The team of top chefs from the UK included Partha Mittra, Consultant Chef for Curry Life; Allam Shah Ullah of Cutlers Spice in Sheffield; Abul Monsur of Taj Cuisine in Chatham; Abdus Shahid from Valley Connection in Bury St Edmonds; Altaf Hussain of Yuva Fine Fusion in Royston, and Anwar Hussain of Navaa Fine Fusion, Sudbury. They were joined by Dominic Chapman Michelin star chef who served up a ‘Best of British’ menu while his fellow chefs, naturally, focused on British curry.

The festival even had the support of Prime Minister David Cameron who sent a letter to the festival organisers, saying how delighted he was to see the unique British brand of Asian cuisine being sought in the countries from where it originally came. Home Secretary Theresa May and MPs including Keith Vaz, Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, also came on board to offer their best wishes.

As usual, the event caught the attention of the Indian and British press. At the media lunch, journalists, distinguished guests and Hyderabadi food aficionados had their appetites well and truly whetted by the mouth-watering menu of 80 dishes prepared by the chefs. In addition to the ubiquitous Chicken Tikka Masala, the spread included:  Dhania Salmon Kebabs, Oregano Chicken Tikka, Shatkora Gosht, Sunehri Pulao  and Dal a la Kent with other British influenced fusion dishes such as Lamb Rani Chops, Chicken Roulade and Cocktail Paneer Kebabs. Desserts included Gulab Jamun and Ras Malai, while Dominic’s traditional British fare served up with Michelin flair, also showcased the often overlooked British desserts such as Eton Mess and Bread and Butter pudding.

“The meat dishes stand out, redolent with their just-perfect-consistency-of curry, spicy and creamy gravies,” raved the correspondent from The Times of India Swati Sucharita, although she admitted she found the chicken tikka masala “a tad sweet”, besides being “creamily delectable”. The Dal a la Kent, (speciality of chef Abul Monsur) made with mixed lentils was described as “the stuff soul food is made of, deeply fragrant with the ghee jeera-red chillies tempering and packed with the goodness of mixed lentils”. Spicy vegetable and cheese kebabs were likened to the “quintessential Vegetable Chop that delights from the streets of Kolkata, spiked with some cheese filling.”

But the festival also provided the opportunity for an interchange of ideas. Hyderabad is renowned for its biryani, a classic dish of the Mughal Nizams which often contains goat meat.  It is made either with raw, marinated ingredients sealed and cooked by the slow dum cooking process (Kachi), or with the meat and rice cooked separately and then layered (Pakhi).   Chefs and organisers were keen to try out the dish on its home ground and learn from the Hyatt culinary team. “Last year when we did the festival in Kolkata our chefs picked up a lot of fish and dessert dishes, so there is a lot of incorporating Indian regional cuisines that we will do in terms of takeaways from the festival,” said Syed Belal Ahmed. “No doubt, this year, the chefs will be hoping to get some first hand tips on how to prepare the authentic version of Hyderabad biryani.”

Restaurateur Amin Ali of the award-winning Red Fort in London, who attended the festival described how many years ago, he introduced the dish in his fine dining restaurant: “We had come to Hyderabad as early as the ‘90s and took back with us Hyderabadi chefs from the Nizam’s Club and Taj Krishna, so you could get authentic Hyderabadi Biryasni and Mirchi ka Salan at our restaurant in Soho,” he told reporters.

Syed Belal Ahmed, explained some of the differences between curries adapted to British tastes and home grown Indian dishes: “The curries enjoyed in India are no longer quite the same as the ones in Britain,” he said. “Improvisation has taken place and British herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano are common and the dishes are spiced down. So the chicken tikka masala which you would be served in London may be creamy and smooth. Dishes also use less oil and healthier than their Indian counterparts.”

It wasn’t all work for the chefs however – towards the end of the visit they were able to take a well earned break to see some of the sights of Hyderabad including the Ramoji Film Studio before they headed back home with plenty of food for thought.

The main sponsor of the event was Cobra Beer whose CEO Lord Karan Bilimoria also hails from Hyderabad. Other sponsors included Ellwoods, Jaguar, Curries Online, Annecto UK, Chivas, Goldstar Chefs, Pasco and Pegasus Textiles.  

The festival was inaugurated by Deputy British High Commissioner to Hyderabad, Mr Andrew McAllister.

Dominic Chapman - Michelin-starred Chef Shines in India

India is home to many magnificent restaurants and chefs but the subcontinent has no equivalent to the sought after Michelin Star.  Curry Life took the Michelin starred chef, Dominic Chapman, to cook his brand of quintessentially British food in Kolkata. Here’s what he made of his experience and (just as important)… what the Indians made of him.

Dominic Chapman, Michelin-crowned chef of the Royal Oak, Paley Street summed up the Taste of Britain Curry Festival in one word: “Amazing!”

“It’s been one of the most incredible weeks I’ve had for a long time,” he told us with boyish enthusiasm over a beer in the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kolkata.  Dominic had just completed a jam-packed four-day stint at the festival and, in his own words the experience had been “full on”.  As a seasoned traveller he admitted that this first trip to India had been an eye opener. “I feel that I’ve been cheating a bit. “There is no denying it – India is a one hell of a country. If I was out there on my own with my back pack on, without the luxury of being able to afford to stay at the Hyatt I would find it hardcore.  As it is I’ve been able to be involved with the festival here with the opportunity to go out there and sample what’s going on out there. Yes, it’s crazy but you just kind of harness that and go with it. I’ve had an absolute ball.”

 Dominic with festival organiser Nahas Pasha

Dominic is the head chef at The Royal Oak Paley Street in Berkshire and Holyport’s Belgian Arms, but he’s also no stranger to adventure. He spent some years exploring Australia before coming back to the UK and working as chef de partie at Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck, later moving on to take on the role of head chef at The Hinds Head in Bray. In 2007 he moved to The Royal Oak Paley Street, co-owned by TV personality Michael Parkinson, now one of only 13 Michelin star pubs in the UK. It’s perhaps not surprising that Dominic has achieved such incredible culinary success; his family has owned and run the Castle Hotel in Taunton for over 60 years. The passion for cooking is in his blood.

After a chance meeting with Lord Karan Bilimoria, founder of Cobra Beer, Dominic was invited to accompany the Curry Life team to India for the Taste of Britain Curry festival.

Although India is not covered by the Michelin food guide, there is considerable interest in the concept, not least in the idea that a British chef can produce good food. Dominic’s arrival was greeted with a barrage of local and international press and customers who were keen to sample his British classics of Lamb Roast and Fish and Chips. They went down very well! Even allowing for the customary politeness of the Indian people, there were compliments all round, especially for the Lemon Tart which was a sensational success. In fact it was so popular that Chef Vikram Ganpule, Executive Chef at the Hyatt, decided to keep it on the menu.

Dominic with chefs Jamal Uddin and Partha Mittra

Dominic has a huge respect for British curry chefs. “They have an intimate knowledge of spices that leaves me feeling somewhat of a novice,” he said. “The Curry Life chefs and the team of chefs in the kitchens here are very passionate about cooking and they really want to learn. It’s the same if you are a chef in the UK, in India or any other part of the world - you love cooking, you want to learn about cooking and ultimately, to cook great food.”

Does he see many differences to Indian dishes produced in the UK? “The heat of curry in the UK is quite harsh – over there it’s a case of ‘wow that has really blown my head off, have another drink of lager’,” he says. “Over here it’s chilli hot and it warms your mouth but it’s fresh, you can really taste those spices and flavours. But I still enjoy eating curries in the UK because when you’re not sitting in a 5-star hotel, out there, if you don’t know where to go, it can be pretty, pretty rough.”

When Dominic was not having a ball the festival threw up some stiff challenges. Perhaps the hardest of these was producing a 7-course, completely vegan meal for a high powered business man in Kolkata who had heard about his expertise and wanted to test his skills out for himself. Dominic rose to the occasion with customary aplomb. “I challenge any chef to come to India and do the same and not find it difficult. And of course, you want to reach a certain standard; you want your ingredients to be the best. One thing about India is that you have to get your food from the market fresh in the morning, and then cooked for lunch; food does not keep. In the UK, everything is perfect – we get perfect leeks, immaculate aubergines. In this country if you’re not careful spring onions look like chives, cauliflowers may have seen better days and herbs are wilting before they’ve even got to a fridge.

“And there are a few problems with supply. I’ve ordered everything from here; you expect things to arrive in two hours but they’re more likely to arrive in two days. It took four hours for my quail egg to be delivered because of traffic but at the end of the day that’s OK - you have to embrace it and it’s fantastic. The team here has been brilliant and so supportive. And I’ve learned things to take away with me – I’ve been especially impressed by the standard of the breads which are freshly baked here in the Hyatt.”

Talking of the street life he said: “Coming from the UK it makes you realise that we have easy – you really think these guys are so resilient; there is poverty everywhere and yet they’re so smiley. And they all work hard and just get on with their own lives.”

One of Dominic’s main aims on the trip was to go out and embrace the life, country and culture of India, in particular to sample the street food for which Kolkata is justly famous. To that end he was taken on a whirlwind tour of the city by local journalists in search of the origins of British curry. At Collin Street at the home of Rubin and Pamela Ribeiro he was cooked a typical Anglo-Indian meal; “They were a lovely, lovely family,” he enthused. “They made me a mutton curry, yellow rice and red pepper curry. It was brilliant food – the lady took great care in preparing and cooking it and it was delicious.”

Sampling Kolkata’s famous street food, he wasn’t quite as enthusiastic. “It looked good – it was great street food and it looked a million dollars but to be honest with you I was a bit conscientious about tasting it rather than eating it because of hygiene issues.” Nevertheless he pronounced the Phuchka “flavoursome” whilst he described the spicy chickpea stew or gnugni with coriander, onion and tomato as “one hell of a snack”. At Gariahat he ticked off another item on his wishlist - a visit to the famous fish market. “It was like a farmer’s market,” he said. “The produce was fresh and there was such variety. The tent-like structure was typically Calcutta as were the broad flat blades with which they cut the flesh but the people, the chaos and the noise was just like any fresh food market the world over with its own local characters.” From thence he was whisked off to sample the delights of mishti at a 159-year-old sweet shop, all nicely rounded off with a mandatory Darjeeling tea and Rum Ball.

It’s evident that Kolkata made a massive impression on the chef but what did the people of Kolkata make of Dominic? It seems that in the brief time he was there the genuinely enthusiastic and friendly chef left his own indelible mark on the city.

The following day we, ourselves took a sightseeing trip round Kolkata and were amused to discover that the tour guide had already incorporated the legend of Dominic Chapman into his patter.  “Did you know that only a few days ago we had a visit from a very famous British Michelin star chef who came especially to sample the food and culture of Kolkata?” he asked proudly. ‘Yes, we did know’ we replied – and we can vouch for the fact that he was more than impressed.

Follow the link to see a film of the Taste of Britain Curry Festival on youtube.

Dessert Recipe by Michelin Chef Dominic Chapman

Lemon Tart

The Pastry

720g Butter

300g Icing Sugar

2g Salt

8 Egg Yolks

100ml Water

1kg Plain Flour

Method: 

Cream butter and sugar together, add salt and egg yolks slowly. Add water and finally flour. 

Let rest for 1 hour before use.

The Filling

36 Eggs

1500g Sugar

800ml Lemon Juice

4 Lemon Zest

1 litre Cream

Method: 

Mix sugar with eggs, add rest of ingredients.

The Tarts

Blind bake tarts’ bases at 150°C for 30 minutes. Make sure pastry is cooked. Fill tarts with filling and cook at 100°C for 45 minutes.

Taste of Britain Curry Festival takes British curry and Michelin star chef to Kolkata

Ever since Curry Life’s Taste of Britain Curry Festival launched at the 5-star Hyatt Regency Hotel, Kolkata on 23^rd August 2013 it seems diners can’t get enough of curries with a quintessentially British taste. 

The Taste of Britain Curry festival has previously had considerable success in Kolkata – in 2010 at Hotel Hindustan International, customers arrived in their droves for a taste of British curry cuisine. Nevertheless, it is something of a challenge for chefs to impress Bengali diners who are passionate about food and are used to cooking things in a certain way.

Over the course of the ten-day festival our five top curry chefs selected from across the UK are showcasing over 70 signature dishes with a flavour of Great Britain. The dream team of chefs includes Allam Shah Ullah of Sheffield Cutler’s Spice; Jamal Ahmed of the Shozna restaurant in Rochester; Tofozzul Miah from Bayleaf, Barnet in North London and Salim Ahmed Siddique from Raj Bari, Yarm in Stockton on Tees.  At the helm is Chef Partha Mittra, legendary chef at the Snooty Mehmaan restaurant in Faringdon, Oxfordshire.

This year, the festival sees an even more radical approach. Our team also includes Michelin star chef Dominic Chapman of The Royal Oak Paley Street in Berkshire who is championing the cause of traditional British foods. This could be described as a bit of a challenge. Consider this - after more than 200 years of rule by the British Raj, two of the relatively few Anglo culinary traditions adopted by the Indians were fish rissoles and salted beef tongue. From India on the other hand, the British gained their favourite food ever – curry!

Dominic, who recently gave a Masterclass about obtaining a Michelin star at Curry Life’s Chefs seminar, has the singular accolade of once being headhunted by celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal. After working with the great man for several years, Dominic went on to achieve even greater success at The Royal Oak Paley Street a 17th- century pub in Maidenhead, co-owned by Nick Parkinson, son of the well-loved TV personality Michael Parkinson.

This is Dominic’s first trip to India and he sees it as a great opportunity to learn more about Indian food and cooking; working alongside some of the best curry chefs in the business. He's also looking forward to getting out and about in Kolkata to find out more about the street foods and markets in the city.

At the press launch attended by the UK Deputy High Commissioner in Eastern India, Sanjay Wadvani, curious members of the media not only had the chance to test Anglo Indian fusion cuisine such as Chicken Tikka Masala and Lamb Pasanda, they were also served (if it’s not an oxymoron) British Scotch eggs and Lemon Tart.  Let me point out that this was no ordinary Scotch egg – it was a true Michelin star of an egg (quail in fact), slightly runny and surrounded by melt in the mouth minced lamb and crisp breadcrumbs.

Other Anglo Indian signature dishes cooked by the chefs included Shepherd’s Manpasand Pie, Lamb Chops with plum and coriander sauce and Bengal Lancers Shrimp Curry.

Having satisfied the appetites of members of the media, the festival launched on Friday 23^rd August in Hyatt’s prestigious Waterside Restaurant, attended by General Manager Britta Leick-Milde. Chief Guest Stephen Brice, Deputy Head of Mission & Consul Business Development (aka James Bond), cut the ribbon and the festival was underway.  Diners at the Hyatt have been suitably impressed ever since. We’ll let you know how the festival pans out (if you’ll excuse the pun), with recipes and photos.

The Taste of Britain Festival is taking place at The Hyatt Regency Hotel, JA-1, Sector III, Salt Lake City, Kolkata, WB 700098, India

Phone:+91 33 2335 1234