The Lighter Way To Enjoy Indian Cuisine

Kasturi restaurant (57 Aldgate High Street, London) has built a reputation for excellent, healthy Indian cuisine in the City of London. This year the eatery has launched a summer menu of Indian dishes perfectly suited to the warmer months.

A selection of delectable dishes, the summer menu offers light dishes for meat eaters, seafood lovers and vegetarians alike. Beginning this month and being served until the 31st October, Kasturi hopes to quell the myths that Indian food is only suited to winter dining in the UK.

Kasturi specialises in Pakhtoon cuisine, from the north-west frontier of undivided India, and diners can experience flavours that are rarely found in British Indian restaurants.

The summer menu includes delicious dishes such as Tawa Subzi (A melange of vegetables – baby corn, cherry tomatoes, peppers and button mushrooms tossed in a delectable ajwain tawa sauce) to start and Kabuli Chicken (Char grilled chicken wings with sweet and hot tomato sauce), both £4.95.

Main courses include Massalawali Machli (Fillet of Telepia fish cooked with spring onions in a tomato and yoghurt sauce, served with rice, puri and mango pickle), £10.95 and Farmers Vegetarian Thali (Mashed potatoes, aubergine puree, lentils and chutneys are prepared according to Indian farmers’ recipe. Served individually with puri and boiled rice), £9.95.

Following its success last year, Kasturi is also offering their ‘Cook Your Own Meal’ service until the end of October. Entertaining groups of two to ten people on Mondays and Tuesdays ‘Cook Your Own Meal’ gives the opportunity to choose any dish from the a la carte menu before visiting the kitchen to watch it prepared. .

Head Chef Rajendra Balmiki and his assistant Himmat Singh will explain the ingredients of each dish with everyone in the group and demonstrate how it is created. As the dishes are marinated and cooked under intense heat, it only takes around 5-7 minutes per person and the excellent heating system in the eatery means the group can then sit down to enjoy their delicious meal together.

‘Cook Your Own Meal’ is a great idea for an unusual date, after-work outings and parties. Groups can have plenty to talk about when they think back to their meal at Kasturi and people can return again and again to try out different dishes including those on the summer menu. Adding a new dimension to going out for a meal, this extra service is free so it costs no more than the dishes ordered.

Kasturi is offering diners not just great tasting Indian food for the summer but a little of Chef Balmiki’s expertise of Pakhtoon cuisine to take home with them.

Kasturi, 57 Aldgate High Street, London, EC3N 1AL

Kasturi-restaurant.co.uk