An Indian journey at Tamarind

Michelin-starred Indian restaurant Tamarind of Mayfair is to launch a series of regional menus to take its guests on a gastronomic adventure through the provinces of India.

There will be a new menu representing an area, city or style of cooking launching on the first of each month from June until the end of the year. The set menu will be priced at £65 per head, with the option to select wine pairing additionally.

The menu will be the taste of Punjab, available from 1st June. Punjabi cuisine has a rich tradition of Tandoor cooking; it is also heavily influenced by the centuries-old agricultural and farming lifestyle of the region.

Tamarind will be offering diners traditional Punjabi dishes such as Lamb Shami Kabab, Makai Saag, and Macchi Tikki.

Menus from Rajasthan, Kashmir and Delhi will be offered in July, August and September respectively. These will include local specialities such as Laal Mass (from Rajasthan), Khatte Baingan (traditionally served at Kashmir feasts and ceremonies) and Butter Chicken (originally created in the 1950s at Moti Mahal Restaurant, a Delhi institution.)

For November, Tamarind will venture north to offer an Awadhi menu; the Northern Indian cuisine is traditionally influenced by the middle-east, and is the cuisine which sister restaurant Zaika of Kensington specialises in. A typical Awadhi recipe is Nihari, a beef or lamb with bone marrow stew traditionally cooked for six to eight hours.

Hyderabad is the focus of the penultimate menu, with local specialities such as Biryani and Maghaz Masala.

The journey of flavour reaches its final destination with a menu from Mumbai, India’s bustling metropolis famed for its street food culture. This menu will feature Bhel puri, the most commonly sold chaat (snack) on the streets of Mumbai.

Peter Joseph, head chef of Tamarind, said: “Every bhel walla (snack shop) will have its own matchless blend and a considerable 7pm fan following. While the ingredients - puffed rice, papadi (small crisp deep fried flour puris), sev, onions, potatoes, raw mango and sweet and sour chutney -remain the same, it is the proportions in which they are thrown together on the street side that makes the difference.”

Tamarind of Mayfair has devised the Indian Journey series to reflect and embrace the vast wealth of flavours, ingredients and techniques employed in cuisines across the nation. These monthly specials aim to please loyal customers with added variety, whilst also attracting new diners through the interest in the diversity of Indian cuisine growing amongst the London food scene.