BBC of analysing what makes people tick was beautifully meted out in the journey towards my first book Pimp My Rice. I found myself planning holidays primarily around the food offerings of the destinations. China, Laos, Vietnam, South Korea, Morocco, Italy, Poland, Hungary, the list was endless. I was evangelical about lifting the veil on what Indians would conjure as a dark complicated culinary art. It was 3 spices; any child could pick it up in an hour. This is what I wanted to show. The idea of the restaurant haunted me- I had these desert island dishes that I was pathologically addicted to, so would the British public feel the same?
For Mowgli I chose my favourite 20 Indian dishes irrespective of region. I chose the dishes that I am addicted to. The dishes I must eat twice a week to avoid cold turkey. It turns out we have 20 dishes with only 8 meat dishes. The menu at Mowgli is all about the food Indians eat at home and in their streets. The stuff that goes on the hob once the guests have left-humble, undress, light fayre. The stuff we think our English visitors would hate because it is not comprised of lumps of meat floating in a rich gravy.
What inspired the now legendary Mowgli Chat Bomb? The Yoghurt Chat Bomb is something I worked on based on a very common Indian street snack called Dahi Puri. I tweaked it and renamed it making it accessible and understandable to a wider market. They are very punishing to make with heaps of ingredients crammed into a tiny case. They are each made to order as they disintegrate after 10 minutes- they are the absolute heart of Mowgli that give you an explosion of flavour like no other. Our clients often pinpoint Chat Bombs as a signature Mowgli dish.
You now regularly appear on TV shows such as Lorraine, Sunday Brunch, Secret Chef, My Kitchen Rules, My Spice Kitchen and recently Best In Shop with Tom Kerridge. How are you finding becoming a household name? I am not a household name. I do very little TV but it does matter to me more than anything that Mowgli is a name that does not bring me shame... yet. Every morning I wake up full of joy, that I have a job that I love to do. I can ' t wait to get up and at it. The TV is staggering. That the BBC would let me loose with a camera crew, miked up, to talk about the thing that I love to talk about me, leaves me humbled and grateful every day.
Amongst your many talents, you are also a notable author of three bestselling books, got any more on the horizon? I am working on a Curry Yourself Lean book. This came about because some of our customers went on a Mowgli pre wedding diet and lost a heap of weight. Real Indian home food should be low fat, gluten free, highly vegan but utterly delicious. Give me a year and I will nail it.
You live on the Wirral, what are your favourite things about it? I absolutely love the Wirral- it’ s quirky and bohemian, has a fierce self-identity and pride. I love the coastline and vast green open spaces here. It’ s convenient for me as I work from my Liverpool restaurants whenever I can, but equally I can be riding my horse 20 minutes later in total peace and tranquil. There’ s also an underlying tongue-in-cheek humour that Wirralians have- we don’ t take ourselves too seriously and I think that’ s important in life.
Apart from Indian food, what are your favourite cuisines and where to eat? I’ ve always lived a foodie life. I am totally obsessed with the way nations cook. The anthropology and social genesis of what they created and how they created it. My love of food combined with my forensic love of analysing what makes people tick was beautifully meted out in the journey towards Pimp My Rice. I plan my holidays primarily around the food offerings of the destinations. China, Laos, Vietnam, South Korea, Morocco, Italy, Poland, Hungary, the list is endless.
My ultimate go to whenever I’ m in London is a little sushi restaurant in Soho. I still think we have the best food offering in the world here in Britain. If there’ s a new street food trend or concept somewhere in the world, it’ s also happening right here on our doorstep.
What are the misconceptions about Indian food? One of the most widespread and tedious misconceptions about Indian food is the perceived need to start every dish with garlic and onions. The need for dishes to have a thick homogenised sauce. The need to eat meat with every meal- buy better quality meat from your local butcher, have a meat free Monday, save your pennies, the high street shops, your arteries and the planet. What’ s not to like about all that.
The Mowgli experience is about a fresh take on Indian food. This is a million miles away from the curry house experience. Mowgli dishes follow the Hindu tradition of garlic and onion free dishes for lunch. Our dishes are low fat and gluten free and our light curries free from any artificial ingredients. We have an extensive vegan menu as in the Mowgli kitchen; vegan is where exiting things happen. This is how Indians eat in the privacy of their home kitchens and favourite lunchtime street stalls. Mowgli is a new face of Indian food and at its heart is the brisk freshness of Indian food unplugged.
20 wirrallife. com