Asma Khan, the Indian-origin food entrepreneur and chef who still remains the only Indian woman to be featured in Netflix’s Chef’s Table, always makes Indians proud by feeding the British true-blue dishes from the subcontinent. Whether it is through her incredible restaurant Darjeeling Express or through curated events in London and beyond, Asma Khan always manages to make an impact. Her recent millet-forward dinner event in London is a case in point.
“Before I left for India, we catered at a very high-profile event hosted by Vikram Doraiswami, the Indian High Commissioner at India House,” Asma Khan revealed in a Facebook post. “The main speaker at the event was the co-founder and non-executive chairman of Infosys- Nandan Nilekani (he asked if he can eat Biryani at our place on his next visit!) I was also delighted to meet Jimmy Wales-the co-founder of Wikipedia that evening. We served canapés during the evening and then Thalis for dinner.”
The canapes she mentions included delectable Tangra Prawns, but the main menu featured a Thali that certainly featured some of the best millet dishes ever seen. The Thali included Kala Chana (black chickpeas cooked with fresh chillies and ginger), Paneer Korma, Methi Chicken, Bengali Aloo Dum, Tamarind Dal, Beetroot Raita, Pulao, Carrot Pickles, Tomato Chutney, Poppadom, Coconut Laddoo, Khoobani Ka Meetha and Masala Chai.
The huge menu spread featured millets in two special dishes, which may be novelties for the British audience, but are certainly staples in India. The Thali included Atta Aur Bajre Ki Roti, where both whole wheat flour and pearl millet flour were used to make soft and puffy flatbreads. The dessert spread included Bajra Ka Kheer, which is basically pear millets cooked in milk with whole spices, sugar and a bit of rice.