I was initially hesitant to enrol in this course, partly due to the price and partly because I felt my 50 years of cooking curry experience meant I couldn’t learn any new skills. However, when I received a last-minute discount, I changed my mind and was glad I did.
Kanthi Thamma is a local legend having established the Curry Leaf restaurant on Ship St in 2014. As a graduate of the Chilli Pickle he already had experience of working in one of the best Indian restaurants in the area, and his venture offered a delightfully informal but delicious South Indian dining experience.
The BH food initiative is an ambitious project with a massive ambition: teach the community to cook! Their facility is perfectly well equipped to accommodate at least 12 students sharing 6 hobs as well as a dining area; it can be hired for even larger parties, in this case https://bhfood.org.uk/events/south-indian-with-chef-kanthi-apr25/
It’s hard to pinpoint what I learned but as you can see the results have a mouth watering appearance. I suppose it was simply being forced to follow the exact techniques of the master and using some ingredients that I have neglected that allowed the transformation of humble ingredients into a restaurant quality meal?
I must admit I have recently found myself staring at packets of red lentils feeling a lack of inspiration about how to maximise their potential , but now thanks to Kanthi Thamma instructions I have discovered this cheap and healthy ingredient is the key to the most delicious daal recipe.
Menu
- Butternut and sweet potato pulusu
- Palak dhal
- Green bean thoran
- Jeera rice
Conclusion
Positives
- Prosecco on arrival
- Helpful assistants
- No washing up
- Dining with fellow chefs
- Learning new techniques
Negatives
- No choice about carbs
- Rationing of cheap ingredients
- Oil provided of mysterious provenance
Next step: visit https://www.palmito.co.uk to taste Kanthi’s latest venture!