JUNE 2009
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND –
INDIAN ZING ANNOUNCES A PROGRAMME OF FIESTAS
Following the success and popularity of previous year’s special fiesta’s at Indian Zing in Hammersmith, chef patron Manoj Vasaikar is pleased to announce the 2009 schedule, which features the return of some events as well as the introduction of some a new one, Shikhari-ka fiesta . The dates are: Biryani fiesta - August 3rd – 13th, Summer Coolers – August 17th – 29th Goan fiesta - September 6th – 17th Shikhari-Ka fiesta - September 29th – October 8th Maharastrian fiesta - Nov 2nd to Nov 14th
For more information and reservations visit www.indianzing.co.uk or
call 020 8748 5959. 236 King Street, London W6
The Biryani fiesta(3rd – 13th August)
This fiesta will celebrate the rice dishes popular throught the Middle East and Asia, highlighting a host of regional and specialist Indian biryanis which are rarely seen on UK menus. These include the Tahiri Biryani, a dish which was originally made for the cashiers and financiers of the Nawabs, who were Mahajan Hindus, and comprises a mixed vegetable biryani made with exotic mushrooms and tropical seasonal vegetables served with raita and papadum; the Sofiyani Biryani, a sophisticated seasonal fish biryani from the house of Nizams (Hyderabadi), made with a rich paste of sesame and melon seeds and dry coconut delicately infused with saffron and spices and served with bagara baigan and roasted papadum; and the Calicut beef biryani, brought by Arab traders to Calicut via the Arabian Sea (Southern India) and then infused by the Muslim community with Indian spices and curry leaves and served with vegetable pickle and papadam.
Back for the Third year, the Summer Coolers event will showcase the variety of thirst-quenching drinks which are popular refreshments in India during the heat of the summer and are available everywhere from street vendors to the finest restaurants. These include Kokum Crush (Indian plum crush, cumin, sweetened with demerara sugar); and Shikani (freshly squeezed tropical lime and black salt served in soda or plain water, sweet or salted). Chef Patron, Manoj Vasaikar, has also added ‘zing’ to some of the recipes with the addition of his own innovations such as Sandalwood Lassi (yoghurt churned with real sandalwood essence)
For the third time, Indian Zing will be hosting a Goan food fiesta, with Chef Luis D’mello as guest chef. An old friend of Chef Manoj known as the grand old man of goan cuisine and affectionately addressed as Cha Cha in london and india by well known chefs. He pioneered the goan cuisine for last 4 decades while cooking in the kitchens of Tajs The crown hotels and londons chuntey mary. Together they promise an uplifting taste of traditional and modern goan dishes. Goan cuisine is famous for its rich variety, having been influenced by the diversity of inhabitants including Christians, Hindus, Brahimins (Hindus and Christians), Kashmiri Muslim and Portuguese. The result is an exquisite cuisine, rich in culinary styles, with each boasting a distinct flavour. Rice is eaten by all, but the gravies offer a variance. Dishes will include jhaula wadi, small shrimps and sun-dried fish pounded with fresh herbs and spices and mixed with root vegetable and potatoes coated with semolina and seared in a hot pan; Goan fish Ambottik, seasonal fish poached in stone ground spices and herbs with kokum and Goan red chilli; chicken caffreal, a traditional Goan-Portuguese grill marinated in fresh green herbs and palm vinegar; and bebinca, multi-layered traditional Goan gateaux made up of virgin extract of coconut milk and flour, with a dash of Cointreau and orange zest.
Shikhari-Ka fiesta – game and spice fiesta (19th September – 8th October)
A launch of a new fiesta at Indian Zing, this fiesta celebrates game. Hunting game was fashionable in India, particularly with the royal families, who enjoyed eating the meats flavoured with spices and foreign liqueurs, and tribes, who hunted for survival and maintained the robust flavours of the meat with the addition of spices and crushed herbs cooked over hot charcoal and wild wood. It was the Turks who introduced the tandoor, refined by Mughlai influences, which gave a fineness and richness to game cooking. Dishes will include sukka wild boar and idli, seared wild boar with onion, pepper, curry leaves, roasted spices and finished with palm vinegar and served with idli (steamed rice cake); and pheasant bauli handi, slow cooked pheasant (on the bone) in Indian broth with root vegetables and hand pounded spices and herbs.
This is the fourth year that the restaurant will be showcasing a sumptuous array of dishes from the region, which are wholesome, healthy, uncomplicated and tasty. Maharashtra is one of the largest states in Indian, located on the West coast, and dominated by the capital, Mumbai (Bombay) – it is also where Manoj originates from. Dishes include Kothimbir wadi, braised coriander and green vegetable patty served with tangy tamarind relish and fresh green herb relish; and fish and aubergine kalwan, a seasonal fish broth with aubergine and Indian spices.
All fiesta menus will be served alongside the restaurant’s à la carte which blends contemporary and traditional Indian cuisine. Indian Zing is known for the quality of its dishes, served in a contemporary dining room with white walls, Indian artefacts and bright photographs. The restaurant also has a covered garden for 16 diners at the back.
Indian Zing is open seven days a week for lunch 12 noon – 3pm (1pm – 4pm on Sunday) and dinner 6pm – 11pm (10pm on Sunday). The closest tube is Ravenscourt Park. For more information and reservations visit www.indianzing.co.uk or call 020 8748 5959.
