Summer food fiestas at Indian Zing
Indian Zing, known for serving some of the most creative Indian food in London, is continuing its annual tradition of hosting special food festivals at the restaurant, highlighting unusual or special aspects of the Sub-Continent’s cuisine.
Chef patron Manoj Vasaikar is pleased to announce the 2010 fiesta programme, when special menus will be available alongside the à la carte in the evenings, will include:
Summer Cooler Fiesta- 3rd to 13th June
Biryani Fiesta – 13th to 22nd July
Maharastrian Fiesta – 17th to 26th August
Game Fiesta – 5th to 14th October
The restaurant is located at 236 King Street, London W6. For more information and reservations visit indianzing.co.uk.
Summer Cooler Fiesta- (3rd to 13th June)
Back by popular demand, 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).
Biryani Fiesta (13th to 22nd June)
This fiesta will celebrate the rice dishes popular throughout 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 mixed vegetable biryani made with exotic mushrooms and tropical seasonal vegetables served with raita and papadum; the sofiyani biryani, a 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 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. They come served in a banana leaf, traditional packaging for biryanis which are being taken away, to eat whilst travelling.
Maharashtrian Fiesta (17th to 26th August)
Maharashtra is one of the largest states in Indian, located on the West coast, and dominated by the capital, Mumbai (Bombay) – it’s also the region Manoj originates from. Dishes on the special menu will 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.
Shikhari-Ka Fiesta (game) Fiesta (5th to 14th October)
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 finesse 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 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.
The restaurant offers a bright, contemporary setting for its food, and there’s a covered terrace at the back of the restaurant, where diners can enjoy any of Manoj’s menus al fresco, weather permitting.
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 indianzing.co.uk.
