Tandoori June/July | Page 39

ingredients Remember, keep the cooking light, keep but are also very universal and perfect to the dishes less spicy and less sauce-based quench that thirst during the heat. The and in turn introduce some salads, have coolers range in flavour from kokum crush more stir-fried, steamed and braised items, (kokum crush with jeera sweetened with but more than anything, give more promiDemerara sugar) to sandalwood lassi nence to your tandoori and grilled items. (yoghurt churned with real sandalwood We all know that that our shops and suessence) and even watermelon with tulsi permarkets are filled with all kind of ingreseed (watermelon with a tinge of black salt dients from across the globe the year round, and lime).” but that just isn’t the same as you would EXCITING ProDuCE get in the UK with its locally grown proRenowned chef Cyrus Todiwala of Café duce that comes in abundance and packed Spice Namasté states: “Seasonal specials with flavour during our sunshine months. have been a part of my restaurant from Just take a peek at some of the wonderful the very beginning that we opened. It fare you can get your hands on: spring brings a change, offers new challamb, asparagus, new potatoes, lenges and brings a fresh feel radish, peas, mange tout, marto the menu each time. With row, beetroot, pumpkin – the onset of summer, you and those irresistible and get exciting vegetables, succulent tomatoes! Remember, keep fruits and other produce When it comes to fish the cooking light, keep from all across the UK. – white fish being prefthe dishes less spicy and More varied seafood erable in the summer less sauce based and in can be added on to the – and shellfish, there’s turn introduce some salads, menu too and people’s mackerel, salmon, moods are definitely plaice, John Dory, sarhave more stir fried, better. Longer days are dine, lobster, crab, scalsteamed and braised great too.” lop and more. Fruit is in items As for Todiwala’s perits element come summer, sonal summer favourites, with peaches, raspberries, he notes: “I love seafood and strawberries, cherries, plums, there are some fabulous ingredients figs, and of course, some lovely for soups in the market. Fresh herbs and mangoes from India and Pakistan. So sprouts. Spices have a more varied use there’s no excuse to not make use of all that and not as widely utilised as the winter is naturally for the taking and enhancing months. But I still favour using cassia, your menu with it. star anise and loads of mint and coriander “As a chef or restaurateur, you have a when it comes to herbs.” duty of care towards your clientele,” says Though for various reasons not every chef-patron Manoj Vasaikar of Indian Zing, establishment can alter their à la carte Indian Zest and Indian Zilla. “So rather menu on a seasonal basis – although do than giving them the same dishes all the make an effort to add specials – cheftime, give them something that they can patron Yogesh Datta of The Painted Heron enjoy and is appropriate for the time of and Bangalore Express makes a point of the year. Instead, give them lightly cooked having a seasonal menu, and has just initems as opposed to overpowering and rotroduced a spring tasting menu. “I use as bust bhuna dishes and heavy kormas with much of the seasonal ingredients as I can,” lots of masala in the warm months.” says Datta. “With asparagus, I will make The other thing Vasaikar stresses is the a south Indian stew. Broad beans, which importance of drinks. go well with lamb, I’ll also use as part of a “Every year,” he notes, “I have my three bean curry, which has red beans and Summer Coolers season, whereby I will black eye beans. I always have some kind have a range of refreshing Indian-style of a dry potato side dish on my menu and > drinks that have a uniquely Indian touch “ I Crab / Lamb / Morel / Rocket Sardine / Spring onion Watercress / Asparagus / Chicory / Elderflower / Gooseberry / Radish / Broad beans / French beans / Mackerel / Mangetout / Nectarine / Peas / Mint / John Dory / Lobster / Plaice / Salmon / Raspberry / Strawberry / Tomato / Apricot >> June / July 2013 T A N D O O R I Tandoori JUNE JULY PART 2.indd 39 39 31/07/2013 23:23