The Indian YMCA: a taste of India in London

  

There’s a place in London where you can you find chicken curry, rice and poppadoms for less than £5 … and it’s not in Brick Lane.

London’s best kept secret, The Indian YMCA, is tucked away at the corner of sleepy Fitzroy Square. With faded Georgian residences once owned by artists and statesmen, the peaceful surroundings feel a hundred miles from the seething West End. In fact, the hostel is a five minutes’ walk from Warren Street tube station and Soho is just a stone’s throw to the south.

From the outside, the building is not particularly prepossessing; fifties architecture was never the best, although this one has in fact gained listed status for the design in contrasting brick and stone. But its history is prestigious. The YMCA has been providing a safe haven for Indian students coming to London to study ever since 1920. It is the only one of its kind outside India and was the first mixed hostel in London. Its existence is a shining example of how international bonds of cultural understanding and friendship can be formed which have withstood the test of time.

The YMCA Indian Student Hostel (to give it its full name), was founded by the first Indian National General Secretary of the National Council of YMCAs in India, Mr K T Paul, who was an advocate of Indo-British understanding. Reflecting the YMCA’s overall mission to aid the spiritual, mental and physical welfare of young people “regardless of caste, colour, sex or race”, the non-profit YMCA ISH became an important cultural centre, initiating scholarship programmes and hosting political debates on Indian affairs. Sir Arthur Yapp, who sanctioned the use of the first premises of the YMCA ISH, described it as a “little bit of India in Britain” in which “England may be welcome and may learn.”

In the years leading up to Indian Independence, the hostel (then located in Gower Street), was visited by luminaries and leading figures including India's famous poet, RabindranathTagore, and Nethaji Subhas Chandra Bose and even Mahatma Gandhi in 1931.

When Tagore visited he spoke to the students, quoting from his moving poem Sunset of the Century written on the last day of the 19th century, an indictment of nationalism that is still relevant today:

Be not ashamed, My brothers, to stand
Before the Proud and powerful with
Your White Robes of Simpleness.
Let your Crown of Humility, Your Freedom,
Build God’s Throne daily upon the ample
Bareness of your poverty
And knowing what is Huge is not Great, and
Pride is not everlasting.

The IYMCA was bombed in the Second World War but with the help of the University of London and a grant from the War Damages Commission, a foundation stone was laid for the new premises in Fitzroy Square in 1953. The new building was described as a “monument to Indian Independence”. In the same year, the Indian YMCA was visited by the first Indian Prime Minister, Pandit Jawharlal Nehru who gave it his blessing. Since then it has hosted many political and royal visitors including HRH Prince Charles and HRH Princess Alexandra.

On the day of my own visit however, the company was less exalted. On entering the foyer, the only form of life seemed to be the two young men behind the reception desk whose heads were barely visible over the counter.  Two rather more visible marble heads mounted on plinths; those of the founder KT Paul and the former General Secretary, Dr SD Malaiperuman, formed a stern welcoming committee from behind their cordoned off shrine. Overall, there was a feeling of calm and wellbeing in the sunlit entrance that was welcoming and homely.

In the adjoining room, lunch time and dinner, served within a strict time scale, offered a very different scenario. The canteen-like restaurant suddenly fills up with people from all walks of life:  Indian students, business people, Fitzrovians, bewildered visitors, and seasoned regulars, eating, chatting, discussing politics, food, literature, or maybe just last night’s TV, mopping up hearty curries with home-made Indian bread under fluorescent lights.

Cooked fresh by local chefs, the daily menu offers the kind of authentic food found on the Indian subcontinent in roadside cafes, universities, coffee houses or public buildings. Warming meat curries are cooked on the bone with tasty fish curries, freshly rolled chappatis, homely daals, bhajis, and fresh fruit lassi drinks. You just queue up and select what you want before bagging a place at formica communal tables. As in restaurants in India, hands are washed before and after eating in the sinks behind screens. Dishes range from £1.50 to £3.50. Lunch is a la carte whilst the evening meal is a set price buffet.

Short term stays are available from £55 a night, or even £30 if you’re willing to share a dormitory. Long term stays can be arranged for Indian students and trainees who are looking for a taste of home in the UK. Visit the website www.indianymca.org to find out more.

Indian YMCA

41 Fitzroy Square, London, UK W1T 6AQ

The multi-talented tamarind

Known as the ‘Indian date’ tamarind is a versatile fruit used all over the world in everything from chutney to desserts, marinades and stews. In Asian cooking, tamarind is used as a base for savoury dishes or sometimes stirred into drinks and relishes. In other parts of the world, tamarind sweets and candies are popular. It’s even used in British Worcestershire sauce.

The tree is often thought to be indigenous to the Indian continent, however tamarind originates from tropical Africa and was later transported to India. In the 16^th century it was introduced to Mexico and South America where it is used extensively. Today, India is the largest producer of tamarind followed by the US.

  

What does it look like?

The tamarind is a bushy tree which grows up to 59 feet in height. A mature tree is capable of producing up to 386lb (175kg) of fruit per year. The leaves are evergreen, bright green in colour whilst the flowers are red and yellow. The fruit is found in a bean-like hard brown shell known as a pod. Inside the pod are a few inedible large seeds and an edible, sticky, reddish brown flesh. When the pod is young, the pulp is very sour and is often used as a pickling agent. Once ripe however, the fruit is sweeter and less acidic and tastes a bit like a sour date. It can be eaten fresh or is used in desserts as a jam, blended into juices or sweetened drinks, sorbets and ice-creams. In Mexico agua de tamarindo is a very popular drink, made by boiling tamarind pods, removing the pulp and straining the water, and adding sugar.

In Indian food, tamarind can be used to make sauces or curries and as a flavouring for meals and snacks. Tamarind chutney is very popular in north India, made by soaking tamarind pods, squeezing the pulp and mixing with jaggery (cane sugar). Across the Middle East tamarind is often mixed with dry fruits and added to savoury dishes and meat based stews. Combined with chilli in south India and in Thailand it’s used to make the famous Pad Thai noodle dish.

With a unique, strong, sweet and sour taste tamarind is high is tartaric acid, vitamin B and, unusually for a fruit, calcium. It comes in seeded form, or the pulp can be pressed to form a cake or processed to make a paste. If still in the shell, the best way to prepare is to break the shell and remove the sticky pulp by hand.

Beef marinated overnight in a tamarind infused liquid becomes more tenderised and succulent. Medicinally the fruit is used as a poultice applied to the foreheads of fever sufferers. It is thought to cure conjunctivitis and is also used for treating dry eye syndrome. Rich in antioxidants tamarind can protect the body from diseases like cancer and lowers cholesterol. It’s also great for polishing brass and copper mixed with a bit of salt and water.

Tamarind Prawns 

Serves 4 to 5

15 large prawns with shell and tail 

4 oz fresh tamarind

2 tbsp veg oil

2 cloves garlic

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tbsp brown sugar

Pinch of salt

2 tbsp of water

1.     Remove tamarind pulp by breaking pods and removing with hands, removing seeds. Rinse under running water.  

2.     Peel and de-vein the prawns leaving tail on.

3.  Marinate prawns with tamarind pulp and sugar.

4.     Heat oil in wok or deep frying pan. When heated toss in the prawns together with tamarind pulp.

5.     Mix together dark soy sauce, soy sauce, minced garlic and water and pour over prawns.

6.     Fry on medium heat for around 4 minutes stirring until prawns are evenly coated in sauce . When almost ready turn heat on high so that the shells become slightly charred and gravy caramelised.

6.     Transfer to serving plate and serve on a bed of cucumber with rice.

Memsaab in Nottingham - it's the woman's touch!

Amita with Atul Kochhar of Benares

The Observer recently put Memsaab among the top five curry restaurants in the country which is a pretty impressive accolade for fine diner in Nottingham's city centre. I went along to check it out ...

I have many fond memories of the city of Nottingham. Back in the 1980s when I lived and worked there, the burgeoning Indian restaurant scene was more exciting by the day.  At that time, the name on everyone’s lips (with legendary memories for me), was the Mogal E Azam – a venue which seemed, at the time, streets ahead in terms of ambiance, service, and food, where waiters handed out hot towels and the meal ended with the presentation of a casket full of aniseed, fennel and liquorice to sweeten the bill.

Returning to the city after almost 30 years and was glad to see the Mogli (as we used to call it) still going strong and still dishing up the old favourites. However, as the curry industry has developed with ever higher expectations from diners, a host of new restaurants has arrived in Nottingham and now they are putting the wow factor back into Indian dining.

And the cream of the crop is Memsaab. Situated on Maid Marion Way, the main thoroughfare to Nottingham’s bustling city centre, Memsaab is an elegant, upmarket destination which speaks class as soon as you walk up to its imposing glass door. With an array of awards and two AA rosettes, its pre-eminence amongst the plethora of top-notch diners has a great deal to do with its owner, Amita Sawnhey.

Amita runs the restaurant along with her husband, Deepak, and family member Sanjeev Sachdeva. She came to the UK from Calcutta in 2008 from a family with strong associations with the restaurant industry; in fact her father pioneered the introduction of northwest frontier food into southern India. With such a heritage it’s not surprising that she, herself, became a pioneering force in the Indian restaurant business in Britain. She bought Memsaab in 2011 and runs the 200-cover restaurant with a passion her staff members describe as ‘contagious.’

Arriving on a busy Saturday evening, we received a warm welcome from front-of-house manager, Asif, before being shown to a window seat on a raised area looking out over the bustling Maid Marian Way. The interior befits a fine-dining restaurant with clean and crisp tablecloths and the atmosphere is welcoming, but not too formal. Large mirrors make the room seem even more spacious than it is (and that’s pretty big). Quirky and humorous paintings depicting Indian characters and comical maharajahs line the walls. A burgundy and white colour scheme is enhanced by pendant lights and the whole restaurant has a warm, cosy glow. There are also plenty of children and families around, but the overall ambiance is still one of sophistication. With two private rooms at the back, Memsaab does a good trade in parties and weddings but there’s still an exclusive, grown up atmosphere – it’s a great venue to do business, throw a party, have a romantic dinner or maybe do all three!  

Quirky paintings at Memsaab

Amita has a soothing, calm presence – drifting around the restaurant with grace and charm, visiting tables, chatting to guests and making everyone as though they are cared about, cosseted, indulged at every whim. Sanjeev, who is a very genial chap says that every restaurant needs a woman’s touch. It’s certainly apparent at Memsaab, in the cut of the wine glasses, in the china, in the crisp, white linen, in the luxurious bathrooms with their fresh flowers, Moulson and Brown hand gels, even in the computerised toilet seat covers that miraculously replace themselves. Amita’s recipe for success is in making everyone feel at home. She is known for providing a personalised customer service that makes the customer fall in love with Indian food, and her maxim is to always exceed expectations.

Sanjeev admits that they inherited a “good ship” when they took on the restaurant, however, the owners recognise how important it is to keep ahead of the game. At the moment they’re busy taking Memsaab up to the next level and with a clutch of rave reviews from publications such as The Sunday Telegraph, The Guardian, and Hardens Guide, it seems they have succeeded. And not only in the dining sector, also in the corporate community where their regular customers include the likes of Siemens, Boots, Experian and Capital FM.

Amita is an expert in food and wine and champagne pairing so unsurprisingly, the wine list is impressive. She plies us with champagne, which (reluctantly, of course) we have to drink, before we receive our poppadoms – perfectly bubbled and crisp with orange and apricot, spiced onion and apple and mint chutneys.

The menu is just the right size to be interesting yet, reassuringly, every dish is prepared fresh. Amita says they go to extraordinary lengths to source the best ingredients – lamb is bought at a certain age, chicken is a certain size – they may have to pay a bit more but it is worth it to achieve top quality.

Seven chefs work in the kitchen specialising in food from different regions of India, including the Punjab, Lahore, Kerala and Goa. As the menu states, the emphasis is to achieve a foundation of ingredients selected for flavour, freshness and seasonality in order to make uncomplicated, delicious dishes. Each dish is defined by its main ingredient and leading spices compliment that base ingredient.

Our starters included Chicken Reshmi Kebab, charcoal grilled minced chicken; the salmon tikka was moist flavoured with fenugreek leaves and garam masala; Lahore lamb chops were served with the bone conveniently wrapped so we could get to grips with them. Aloo and Paneer Bhaji, lightly fried potato filled with paneer and sweetcorn, seasoned with coriander was crisp and fresh tasting; Jhinga Hara Masala, succulent grilled king prawns were seasoned with carom seeds.  In between courses we were served a melon sorbet with mint garnished with lemon to refresh the palate.

The texture of the sauces was luxurious and rich, flavoured with fresh spices. The slow cooked lamb flavoured with cardamom was tender without being overcooked. Kerala Alleppey, steamed monkfish wrapped in a banana leaf was served with a mixed vegetable pariyal, and pan fried sea bass comes with spiced ratatouille. Goan king prawns, venison kebab and Tandoori Ostrich are on the menu along with Soft Shell Crab with spicy squid.

Even the dessert menu presents a mix of modern and traditional Indian sweets including Gajar Ka Halwa, a carrot pudding with pistachio kulfi, homemade and artistically presented. 

Judging from this visit the Observer's top 5 rating could be a more than fair assessment. It must be the woman's touch.

Memsaab 12-14 Maid Marian Way, Nottingham NG1 6HS

0115 957 0009

Turmeric: health giving ingredient of curry

Turmeric, one of the staple ingredients of curry, has been found to have amazing health giving properties.

These stem from turmeric’s magic property of curcumin, an anti-inflammatory, active ingredient that can treat a range of diseases such as Alzheimers, diabetes, allergies and arthritis. Studies have found curcumin to be effective in treating irritable bowel syndrome and, more recently, in preventing bowel cancer.

In India and China, however, the miraculous power of turmeric has been known for over 5,000 years where it has been used first as a dye and then in traditional medicine to treat a variety of complaints including jaundice, haemorrhage, toothache, bruises, and even flatulence (parp!).

Although Arab traders introduced turmeric to Europe in the 13^th century it has only recently become common in the west – mainly because of the growing popularity of curry and Indian restaurants.

With a warm, peppery and bitter flavour, the spice comes from a very beautiful plant, Curcuma longa, a member of the ginger family. This perennial grows wild, mainly in the forests of southern India, and reaches around one metre in height with ribbed leaves, white flowers and cylindrical, aromatic rhizomes.

The spice comes from the rhizomes which are gathered annually, boiled for about 30-45 minutes and then dried in hot ovens. They are then ground into the deep yellow powder commonly used in curries, to give mustard its distinctive colour or used to make chicken soups golden. However, the whole plant is edible – even the flowers can be eaten as an exotic lettuce and the leaves can be used as a flavour imparting wrap.

Historically, turmeric was thought to have spiritual properties because of its yellow-orange colouring which was associated with the sun. Hindu monks were traditionally coloured with a yellow dye made from turmeric. It is also used throughout India in weddings and religious ceremonies. In Bangladesh the Gaye holud (literally,‘yellow on the body’) is a ceremony which takes place one or two days before a wedding. The turmeric paste is applied to the bodies of the couple by (presumably by very good friends) and is said to soften the skin as well as colouring the bride and groom yellow.

The ingredient is especially common in South Asian and Middle Eastern cooking: Iranian fried dishes consist of oil, onions and turmeric followed by other dishes. In Nepal it is widely used in vegetable and meat dishes and in Indonesia flavours the curry base of dishes such as rendang, sate padang. In Maharashtra and Goa, turmeric leaves are used to wrap and cook food, imparting a distinctive taste. The root can also be used fresh, like ginger in pickle. Although turmeric is used mainly to flavour savoury dishes it can also be used to prepare special sweets.

Photos by Peter Renfrew

Happy Holi–days with the Curry Life Taste of Britain Festival in Chennai

The Curry Life Taste of Britain Festival got off to a colourful start in Chennai, India this year as chefs and guests celebrated the Indian festival of Holi together.  

Running from 6^th to 14^th March in the Spice Haat and Focaccia restaurants at the 5-star Hyatt Regency, the festival sees Michelin starred chef Mark Poynton of Alimentum in Cambridge join top curry chefs from the UK to create a spicy smörgasbord of British curry dishes.

The team of chefs is headed by the veteran festival performers, Chef Partha Mittra, consultant chef for Curry Life, and Chef Abul Monsur of Taj Cuisine in Chatham Kent, who combine their expertise with Chef Mohammed Awal Miah of Spice Club in Bridgwater, and Chef Syem Uddin of Bengal Spice in Crook, County Durham. The British team is working alongside the chefs at Hyatt Regency headed by Executive Chef Subrata Debnath (see previous post for one of chef Subrata's recipes).

At the launch attended by the British Deputy High Commissioner, Bharat Joshi, festival organisers, Syed Nahas Pasha, Syed Belal Ahmed, and chefs Mark and Subrata Debneth introduced team to members of the press who were also able to sample some of the signature dishes featured on the menu.

Nahas Pasha, Mark Poynton, Bharat Joshi, Subrata Debneth, Belal Ahmed

Afterwards, the chefs were able to let off a bit of steam at the colourful festival of Holi - a Hindu celebration when it's customary to smear your friends with colours.   

Now, all chefs are looking forward to showcasing popular dishes from the UK including Chicken Tikka Masala and (aptly, for the city of Chennai which was formerly known as Madras), Madras curry.

Chef Mark looks set to change the commonly held perceptions of bland British food by serving up some Alimentum delights. His signature dishes, inspired by traditional British and European foods, include cod rolled in onion ash with onion salad; roast sea bass with cauliflower textures and Pedro Ximenez sauce, and roast breast of duck, charred and pureed broccoli peanut and lime with crispy black rice.

In between courses the chefs are looking forward to sampling some of the local culture and cuisine. Chennai is home to beautiful beaches, temples and historical sites. From the gastronomic point of view, Tamil Nadu is known for its spicy vegetarian dishes, sizzling street food and lunchtime buffets or canteens featuring fiery sambars and Keralan-influenced foods.  

Young Holi revellers in Chennai

View from Hyatt Regency Chennai

The chefs plan the menu

The team celebrates Holi

Recipes from Subrata Debnath, 

Executive Chef Hyatt Regency Chennai

Spice Haat Buffet at Hyatt Regency Chennai

Chef Subrata Debnath, the Executive Chef at Hyatt Regency Chennai, leads a team of around 100 chefs to create amazing culinary experiences across the hotel’s eight restaurants. 

A graduate from the Institute of Hotel Management, chef Subrata hails from the steel city of Jamshedpur. With 22 years' experience in the kitchen, he has been with Hyatt for over a decade working at their hotels in Kolkata, Singapore, Bangkok and Kathmandu. 

As a seasoned gourmand and connoisseur of flavours, Chef Subrata has an adept sense of food styling and presentation. He tries to give both a local and authentic regional taste to each of the specialist restaurants at the Hyatt which include Italian, Chinese and Asian street food.  A self confessed foodie with a passion for perfection, he believes in crafting his dishes with love, passion and an artistic touch.

Here, is Chef Subrata's recipe for Appams and Chicken Stew (Appams are a kind of pancake made with fermented rice batter and coconut milk, served with a range of sides such as vegetable stew, chicken stew, kerala egg curry or chutney):

Recipe for Chicken Stew

Ingredients

• 250gm boneless chicken cubes
• 0.30ml coconut oil
• 0.10gm bay leaves
• 0.10gm cardamom
• 0.10gm cloves
• 20 gm sliced onions
• 2 Slot green chillies
• 0.10gm ginger juliennes
• 0.10gm curry leaves
• 500ml thick coconut milk
• 0.10gm Fennel seeds
• Salt to taste
• 0.10gm shallots

Method:

Heat oil in a deep pan. Add onion, ginger, green chilli and curry leaves. Saute till onion becomes soft (keep in mind that onions should not brown in this recipe). When the onion becomes soft, add chicken pieces, salt and mix well. Add medium thick coconut milk and cover and cook. Stir when chicken is half done. Continue cooking until chicken is fully done.

Recipe for Appam

Ingredients:

• 1kg raw rice
• 0.5kg boiled rice
• 250gm Urdall
• A few Fenugreek seeds
• 20ml coconut milk
• 10gm sugar
• 10gm cooking soda

Method:

Soak raw rice, par boiled rice, fenugreek seeds and urad dal for 10 to 12 hours (I soaked it from 6am to 6pm, then ground it and fermented it overnight).

After 10 hours grind mixture to a fine paste. Add salt, mix well with hands. (I ground it with warm water). The batter should be of thinner consistency than dosa batter. Store it in an airtight container, leave it for another 10 hours or overnight to ferment. In the morning the appam batter will have risen nicely.

Before making appams, add coconut milk, appam soda and mix well. Keep it aside for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes the appam batter can be used to make soft appams.

Traditionally appams are made in an iron skillet called appa chatti. If you do not have and appa chatti or appam pan, you can make it in any other non stick pan with a lid.

First coat the appam pan with oil  using a cloth (add a drop of oil into the pan and wipe it all over with a cloth).

Heat the appam pan, then reduce the heat to low. Now, add a ladle of batter in the centre of the pan (pan should not be too hot).

Holding both the handles of the pan, rotate the pan in such a way that the batter spreads all around in a circle. The remaining batter will come to the centre (that is why the appam is thick in the centre and lacy on the outside). After that close the pan with the lid. The flame should be kept low. Once the appam is cookd and the edges start turning brown, remove the appam from the pan (the appam will come off easily if you lift it with your hands).

Roochi: a recipe for success

Forest Row is bustling on a summery(ish) Saturday evening. With a slight stretch of imagination you could be in Italy; people greeting each other out on the streets, promenading past the town’s restaurants and historic pubs of which there are more than a fair share. 

All venues look well patronised but none more so than Roochi, a smart Indian restaurant overlooking the street.  We joined the steady stream of customers to be welcomed by friendly waiter Ali who gives us a grandstand seat from where we can survey the restaurant’s comings and goings.  

The atmosphere is relaxed and jovial; the majority of customers are obviously regulars who know and like the staff; many are greeted by first name. No wonder, as the 31-year-old owner, Mohammed Haque Jay, is an outgoing and charming chap who has built up strong relationships with his diners. But it hasn’t been an easy route into the hearts and stomachs of the good people of Forest Row.  Jay originally hails from the north and he tells us it’s taken him at least five years to be accepted as a local.

So how did a Bradford born-and-bred lad end up in a posh town in East Sussex?

According to Jay, his parents sent him off down south to ‘find himself’ after he went through a bit of a wild patch as a young lad. “They basically said go away and do whatever you want to do,” he says with a cheeky smile. Fortunately, although Jay didn’t come from a catering background (his father worked as a mechanic), he had a cousin in the restaurant trade and decided this was where he wanted to seek his fortune. Working in a restaurant in nearby Hawley he started out at the back of house, but with his sparkling personality, wit and ready repartee, it wasn’t long before he moved to take front stage. The experience taught him a lot about the restaurant profession. “Basically I thought to myself, if this business is successful, run in this way, I’m sure I could do a lot better.”

Fourteen years later Jay has much more successful eateries in Reigate, Lingfield, Hawley and, of course, Forest Row. It seems like quite an achievement for a young man but beneath Jay’s happy go lucky exterior there lies a shrewd business mind and the northern ‘nouse’ to seize and make the most of an opportunity. His success is well (and hard) earned.

“The main thing to start with is the place, location and how you set up the business,”Jay says. “After that it’s building up a reputation. We’ve got to a stage where we know everyone and everyone knows us, but we have to live up to the high standards we have set - here, people don’t give you a second chance.  If the food was very good but the service poor, people would never forgive you.”

Skilfully tending to his customers, in between chatting to us, Jay tells us how he is a firm believer in the concept of “first in, last out”. Working up to 15 to 16 hours a day, he travels to the wholesalers every night to pick up his next day supply of food and vegetables. Other produce is sourced even locally. Fish comes from the excellent fishmongers a few doors down whilst the farm shops nearby provide a trusty and traceable source of meat.  Jay believes that to get the best out of his products, he needs to be in control of them and his hands-on approach extends to the kitchen. “Our food and the preparation all comes from me,” he admits. “I teach staff to do things in a certain way but more skilled tasks, like the spice blending and marinating always comes from me so that the quality, style and consistency of food is always the same.”

Out of all Jay’s restaurants, Roochi is Jay's “baby”. Inside the venue is like an Aladdin’s cave and deceivingly spacious.  Cunningly divided into private and group dining areas with interesting views onto the street, a curved corridor leads around the central bar area which also serves as a stylish reception. Deep burgundy carpets, chocolate and mahogany walls contrast with the pristine white tablecloths. Tropical fish swim happily in tanks with the dual purpose of providing a living room divider and eye catching display.

For starters we have succulent duck kebab and calamari, glistening yellow peppers, crisp lightly dressed salad and freshly-made, zingy chutneys. Our main course choice is easy – seafood is a great speciality in the restaurant (Jay hopes to open a fish restaurant one day), and we have no hesitation in ordering the Seafood Moilee – a bouillabaisse of Kerala prawns, king prawns, mussels mixed in coconut milk to create a silky broth flavoured with turmeric and curry leaves, and gigantic Goan King Prawns with shell, cooked in spring onions, green chillies and strongly flavoured spices. When the dishes arrive our taste buds are instantly rewarded with fresh and salty overtones of sea (fortunately not sand), which is blissfully enhanced, not drowned, by the creamy sauce.

Jay describes the food at Roochi as “authentic with a modern twist.” Besides the fish option, other choices range from a Duck Narangi – spicy duck breast pan fried and simmered in Madeira sauce cooked with juicy oranges and mushrooms, or tender lamb shank, braised and marinated in a blend of spices. These are sophisticated dishes but the ‘traditional’ Kormas, Madras and Vindaloo are also on the menu, incredibly well priced at just %.25 for a simple chicken or lamb curry. The costliest dish on the menu is the King Prawn Shashlik and even that is a modest £11.95.

The wine list is one of the most interesting I’ve seen in any Indian restaurant with vintages and Grand Crus from France, Australia, South Africa, Argentina and India. Jay tells us his supplier carefully monitors and changes the list regularly to accommodate the best sellers.

Owning the place has given Jay the freedom to “do his own thing” and this extends to his policy towards staff. With five front-of-house employees and a further five in the kitchen, Roochi has a close knit team. To ensure perfect service he holds staff meetings every week where he interacts, pinpoints mistakes and gets feedback from colleagues. Recruitment is not a problem he says; he works with the local Job Centre or gets staff online. Employees are trained up and according to where they fit in best are sometimes asked to move around as Jay also provides some accommodation. Motivation is encouraged: “We pick up talented people and maybe give them the opportunity to be chef; then they have an investment in the place and want to maintain the quality,” Jay says.

Roochi is a restaurant that’s on the way up and it’s all down to Jay. The exceptional cuisine goes without saying but our overall impression is of a very professionally run business that has achieved an ideal balance of happy staff and happy customers. Jay has moved on a long way from his Bradford days and will, no doubt, go much further. His parents are now rightly proud of their son’s success. “In fact my dad still can’t believe it,” he says with a smile.

Roochi, 9 Hartfield Road, Forest Row  RH18 5DN Tel: 01342 825 251

Heavenly fare at Bengal Paradise

 On the A1000 somewhere between Potters Bar and Hatfield, earth bound diners can find a taste of heaven. Bengal Paradise Indian restaurant is situated in the midst of sublime Herefordshire countryside with panoramic views over a pastoral idyll complete with grazing cattle, woods and greenery. The venue lives up to its name. With a cool, whitewashed exterior, the frontage looks almost tropical with exotic palm trees, lush plants and water features. Even the striking stainless steel sculpture: a bending coconut palm complete with coconut, suggests forbidden fruit from the Garden of Eden.

Arriving on a quiet Sunday lunchtime, the atmosphere is so peaceful we instantly feel the outside world and all its pressures slip away.  We take a seat in the comfortable waiting area at the bar as members of staff go quietly about their business preparing for the evening onset of customers. Our sense of relaxation only increases as co-partner Shahin Ansar Ali arrives and tells us to chill out, take our time and … enjoy. Shahin should seriously consider another career as a hypnotherapist; by the end of our three hour gastronomic session, his calming influence leaves us so relaxed we’re almost sliding off our luxurious leather chairs like two blobs of mellifluous jelly.

But perhaps Shahin should hold off the second career as he is doing just fine in his current role of master chef extraordinaire. He and his business partner Shiraz Miah (Raj) took over the premises of former Italian restaurant, Villa Rosa, just eight years ago and business has, if you’ll pardon the pun, gone skywards. 

The 100-seat plus restaurant caters for a mature and affluent clientele. With customers numbering several directors of Arsenal football team and a sprinkling of stockbrokers, Hatfield could be described as a catchment area for the well heeled and famous and the interior of the restaurant reflects this. Light, bright and airy, witty touches lift the décor from blandness – pastel colours contrast with large, chocolate, shell-shaped booths, beige, tan and rust coloured seats. Sixties style bucket seats and cheeky pop art orange seating is counter balanced by classy and elegant table settings. A conservatory area with a circular table under the octagonal skylight is especially popular with customers who vie for a seat by the windows, overlooking the acres of surrounding land owned by the Royal Veterinary College.

Shahin who lives in Stratford, has been working in the restaurant trade since 1987. None of his close family was in the restaurant business, although he did have two cousins in the trade. After working in East London, Wembley and then Kent Shah’s entrepreneurial spirit took over. “I knew I had to open a restaurant,” he said. “It was something that automatically came into my mind because I knew I could do anything I wanted in my own kitchen and, once I had gained the experience, I was confident enough to make my own mark.” Hertfordshire was a very good area for Indian restaurants with several iconic establishments in the area breeding a higher standard of cuisine than elsewhere. Shah had already run two businesses when, out of the blue, he received a call from former colleague Raj, who suggested taking on the former Villa Rosa. “This was a big gamble,” says Shah. “After his call, I left my other business to open the restaurant. Many people said it was a ghost town and that we could only survive six months but now we’ve been here for eight years.”

It was true that in the early days, the restaurant posed a bit of a challenge. In the middle of nowhere, it was run down outside, although the on-site parking was a definite plus. However, the new venture had a considerable asset in the form of Raj, a popular local with a reputation for good cuisine that preceded him.  With Shahin’s unique culinary talent and some well placed marketing, things began to take off.

“The way we did food was different,” explained Shah. “We make our own spice blends; we use good quality produce and mix our own spices and herbs which creates our distinctive flavour. We get supplies locally and support the local farmers.”  The restaurant even has its own vegetable patch with fresh herbs and oregano and tomatoes are grown. 

Now, with a star studded clientele ranging from David and Victoria Beckham (Victoria’s family lives nearby) to SimonCowell, Simon Pegg and the entire ensemble of JLS, the considerate approach of staff and customers at Bengal Paradise has turned it into something of a refuge for celebrities.

Disappointingly, Beckham is in Paris at the moment so we can’t look forward to him making a sudden appearance. But, never mind - Shahin repairs to the kitchen to personally imagine, concoct and create our meal from what he calls his “brain menu” as opposed to the one printed out in front of us. Already familiar with Shah’s cooking from the Taste of Britain Festival in Slovenia, we know that he is one of the best chefs we have had the pleasure to meet, but we can’t wait to see what he has to offer.

True to form, our starters arrive with Michelin style presentation: Shahin’s special pickles of Mango, coriander and Tamarind are fresh and delicious. We have Monk fish on a pea puree with yoghurt lamb on the bone and steamed king prawn with a coriander and homemade yoghurt and garlic sauce, also a spiced potato cutlet and artily placed vegetable spring roll. Shahin believes that first impressions are important and the number one rule is that a dish has to look good. He certainly has an artistic flair but that comes second only to the quality of the food. 

Our main courses of Bengal Supreme piece of chicken stuffed with minced lamb, garlic, ginger and royal cumin on a bed of chick peas, plus Salmon Makhoni, marinated in yoghurt, served with melted cheese and cream and a special concoction of pilau rice.  Nan breads are delicately sized, light and fluffy, rather than the usual size 10 sandal shaped pancakes of bread which are usually left finished. A full range of freshly cooked, homemade desserts is available and the pistachio kulfi icecream was one of the best in Curry Life history.

If we hadn’t partaken of the food from Shahin’s “brain menu” the table menu for diners at Bengal Paradise offers an exciting mix of old favourites and specialities. Duck Shashlik with green and red peppers, tomatoes & onions barbequed in the tandoor sounded tempting as did the Shorisha mix of assorted seafood cooked with mustard seed, fresh garlic and ginger or the fresh Tandoori trout. With a well established Five Star status for food and hygiene, and a wall full of press recommendations, the quality cuisine speaks for itself.

Live entertainment takes place around once a month with Bollywood nights or Jazz music. Shah tells us that he doesn’t usually charge customers for the music as the event itself pulls in extra customers. One thing Shahin likes to do is communicate customers and if he’s not in the kitchen, you’ll find him mingling with guests, listening to their feedback.  “If diners haven’t seen me for a while, they’ll sometimes start texting me to ask where I am,” he laughs.  In fact they’ve even been known to drag him on to the dance floor.

For us, the thought of energetic manoeuvres is vaguely disturbing. Because in the midst of green and pleasant land and after such a meal, we’re feeling distinctly mellow – in fact you could even say we’ve been transported to Paradise.

Bengal Paradise, 3 Great North Road, Brookmans Park, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 6LB  Tel: 01707 651444

Shahin Ali (3rd left) with (from left to right) Mo Gherras and Dominic Chapman of Royal Oak Paley Street and Atul Kochhar of Benares