Given the scare of the new Covid variants, Christmas is going to be a cautious time for people in the hospitality business. The founder of Taj's Bombay Brasserie and Café Spice Namaste, Cyrus Todiwala OBE exclusively spoke to Asian Voice about the harvest season for the hospitality industry and the challenges that come with it this Christmas.
Speaking to us, Cyrus said, “We have just opened will naturally go into more protective mode and implement govt. guidelines. however, we do have a few very good bookings and as such thus far nothing has changed. if need be and the message from the centre demands more scattered seating then we shall have to adhere to that do what we do best for our guests.”
“The hospitality industry has been one of the hardest and most severely hit. somehow it seems to attract the very first blows thrown at anyone it also seems that it has to shoulder some unnecessary blame. the time and again proving that food outlets seem to make little difference in the sentiments that follow and the rulings that come out. I wish our industry was better analysed. we desperately government to understand it better and put a lot more muscle behind it. it is after all a nearly £150 billion industry and I suppose valuable to the economy. yes, sadly it must be forced to play the victim and the cause. what the government along with the industry need to do is to launch a massive positive campaign to lift the image of our industry and accept as a real player in the growth and welfare of the UK’s economy.”
Christmas menu for Asians
But what is it like designing a Christmas menu for Asians, especially when it's primarily a western festival, how do you think Asians have adapted to the food choices? Cyrus said, “Many Asians living and working amongst those that celebrate Christmas do get into the swing of the festivities too. actually by and large lots of Asians actually do celebrate Christmas ad enjoy the season. Creating and designing menus is the key and this involves keeping a good balance Christmas has always been the season every hospitality business looks forward to and that simply means that you work to please different palates. However, in the past twenty-six years of Café Spice Namasté, we have catered for hundreds of parties with a varied offering from the expected to the unexpected.”
Role of Indian species in festive food
Describing the role that Indian spices play in global festival food, the restauranteur said, “Indian spices are now global and no longer confined to just Indian cuisine. The Portuguese, followed by the British, the dutch and the french took spices from one part of the world to another and spread their growth, which resulted in several countries across the world adapting to the world of flavours thrown up by spices. so to say today that cardamom for example is Indian and mostly Indians use it, could not be further away from the truth. cardamom is now grown in several countries of which Guatemala is one of the biggest producers. likewise, others and their use are now widespread. Also, the growth in the knowledge and understanding of the many health benefits of spices is now also slowly spreading. yes, it will take time to spread them across the European continent but that demand is growing already slowly but surely. so at celebrations these days and Britain is the best example where people are known to cook traditional food with a twist of spicing. so for example a Goan style peri-peri roasted turkey is very well received, tandoor grilled sausages served on mashed Keralan potato bhajee, smoked salmon done on crushed spices and not on oak chips, the dreaded brussels sprouts cooked south Indian style with freshly grated coconut, mustard seeds and curry leaves is a favourite with our customers. they simply cannot believe that brussels sprouts can taste so good and cooked for just two minutes at that.”
The challenges of arranging spices
When asked what most Asians in the UK prefer to eat out of his lineup of dishes, and how challenging it is to arrange spices and authentically cook dishes while there's staff and resource shortage, Todiwala said, “We have a lot of Asian customers and very mixed too. The most popular dishes on our menu have for years stood the test of time from the typical Parsee lamb dhansak to our Goan prawn curry & the pork vindaloo, the chaats are of course popular but we have now slightly changed the menu to suit more of what we Asians like namely sharing and this is working extremely well one has to adjust with the times. one of Asian cuisines greatest hurdles is cost and pricing. the British public at large always associates Asian cuisines as having to be cheap and very affordable. this puts pressure on places like ours that source a lot of organic produce, lots of expensive products which have now only become worse but the show must go on and you start to tweak the menu but not compromise on quality. staff shortages are rampant and it is like another epidemic, so one must adapt and adjust menus suited to the skills they have in-house, fortunately, I am still very hands-on as the owner of the business and give the team full support.”
This year’s Christmas menu
“Not sure about dates and information but for the menu this year we have some new items, like goose Goli kebabs in garlic and chilli, lamb biryani croquettes, Goan style turkey chilli fry, feijoada com Arroz (Goan style (hot chorizo and kidney beans cooked in typical Goan style blended with rice and steamed), masala fried langoustines, spice smoked chalk stream trout & crab mayonnaise. country captain of lamb are some of the examples,” Cyrus told the newsweekly.
What does it take to establish and keep nurturing Indian cuisines at restaurants in the UK? What kind of acceptance does one get from non-Asian customers? Todiwala says this has to be the drive. “One must keep nurturing and developing Indian cuisine. I had said years ago that regional cuisines will emerge eventually in Britain and that is happening now widening the offering. we have to evolve and keep evolving and keep developing. the vastness of Indian cuisine simply cannot be exhausted. one need not change the cuisine thinking that this is what my customers would like today the British public is extremely discerning and if they find a dish interesting they will lap it up. there is adequate acceptance from the wisened customers to allow one to take the initiative and explore the many nuances of the sub-continent and its many regions to bring forth foods that are yet untouched and unknown and I think Britain awaits,” he further added.
Todiwala’s favourite Indian spice
Revealing the answer to what his favourite Indian spice is, Cyrus Todiwala said, “If you look at the word spice in its purity my favourite is green cardamom. jeera or cumin is the condiment I like most. Cardamom because of its ability to lift a dish that is suited to it, is as acceptable in hot dishes as it is in puddings and desserts. cardamom has a sensuous quality that is both lush and inoffensive that allowing you to infuse it better in many uses. Like any spice, it cannot be used liberally but must be controlled and used in a way whereby its flavours are extracted and its oils make the difference in the flavours. for creating dishes of rice etc it is used in the beginning to infuse its flavour. whilst making a sauce it is mostly preferred to be added a bit later so as to allow it to infuse in a milder sauce. in sweets, it is very adaptable for use at the onset or at the last minute of flavouring. in biscuits and cakes, it goes into the making process itself and is allowed to slowly release its oils and flavour the product.”
