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