Kolkata Chinese Supperclub 🌶️ 6th June 🍚 smokeandlime 🔥 Summer Soirée
A quick summer aachar, where and how to buy mangoes during the season
Chinatown in my home city 🏮
Did you know Kolkata has the largest and only Chinatown in India?
Chinese food in my city dates way back and has become part of our palette as much as Mughlai or Bangali food. The marriage of the salty soy with sweet tomato and fiery chillies can make any of us drool. Walking around in Kolkata you will see as much hakka chow and chilli chicken as you will see chaat. Bengalis are passionate and mad about food anyway but this beautiful cross culture of Chinese in Kolkata makes us even more mad!
This cuisine is neither Chinese nor Indian and definitely not really Bengali. Kolkata Chinese for me means hanging out late with friends, fanning our tongues over the countless chillies we have eaten along with any dish, dousing the food in chilli vinegar even though it is already spicy and ordering way more than we need to. There have been times in Kolkata where I have been walking around and suddenly had the mad urge to eat some chilli chicken. Fortunately, it is often close by or if not I can get onto an uber and go to Hatari to get my fix. In London, the situation is not as fortunate and therefore this menu was born.
If you are more curious about this cuisine, please read: https://www.whetstonemagazine.com/journal/sauces-spices-and-immigration-the-genesis-of-kolkatas-chinese-cuisine
This menu features…
everyone’s favourite chilli chicken with the addition of sichuan peppercorns. My inspiration from my neighbourhood Bijoli Grill and my og Hatari married off to the best Sichuanese chilli chicken I ate for years in Kaki, by Kings Cross. I know that once you have eaten this, I can assure you that your life will be different. Also featuring some maggi bhel - crispy noodles done up like a chaat. I first had this in Forum Mall in Kolkata. I no longer think that would be my favourite version but that memory of crunching down on crispy maggi noods topped with sev, tamarind and coriander made me so damn happy. Then there is some som tum with an extremely Tangra inspired dressing using garlic chives and nimboos. That dressing is often served with dumplings but I wanted to toss it through some bitter leaves, dried fish and plenty of citrus. Of course there will be some pickled green chilli vinegar to put on all the dishes. I love when guests customise their food on the table. In and mostly all across Asia food is personalised and chefs love when you are confident enough to make the garnishes on the food taste the best for your palette. AND of course there is lots of rice and lots of lime!
We shall finish off with a jelly, coconutty and chai butterscotch doused semifreddo which will make your tastebuds dance. Since I have discovered coconut jelly in desserts in Bangkok, I love adding it to a creamy ice cream or drenching it with condensed milk. Something about cold jelly, sweet milk and creamy whipped cream. It is magical.
I love the marriage of texture and strong flavours so expect plenty of lime, lemon, herbs and of course fresh chillies and peppercorn.
•spring onion puff, prawn aachar
•maggi bhel puri
•chilli chicken, sichuan oil, tomato
•soy braised sweet cabbage
•schezwan aubergine, tofu keema
•anchovy som tum
•steamed rice, green chilli vinegar
•coconut jelly semifreddo, chai butterscotch
Even if you maybe cannot make it to 6th June at South London Louie, please could you share this event with any friends or family! It would truly mean the world!
A quick summer aachar that you can make with leftover herb stems
You know when you have already used most of the herbs and the nice big leafy green bits and you have the stems and bunches left. This is something you can make that will be the perfect as a side for most of your upcoming meals!
Add any herb stems, wilted herbs (do not throw anything) into a large bowl with cold water. Rinse well to make sure there is no grit leftover. No pat dry on some tissue. Now add all of the above into a blender of your choice - make sure the stems are slightly broken up to avoid it catching on the blade.
Into the blender add in around 8 green chillies, 2 large cloves of garlic, 2 cloves, 2 tsp fennel seeds and 2 tsp cumin seeds. Another thing you can add into this is ends or cores of fruit (eg: apple cores, pear cores, ends of cucumber or carrots). Top off with the juice of 4 large limes and 1 tsp salt. Blend! I like it rather coarse so I get some chunky bits when we eat but feel free to make it smooth!
In a saucepan heat up 1 cup of mustard oil til gently bubbling - not smoking! Now add the contents of the blender into this and switch off the heat immediately. Stir through and store in a sanitised jar. Keep next to the most well sun exposed plant in your home for best results. Let it mature for at least 3 days before eating. Lasts up to 2-3 months - if you don’t finish it in a week like we do!
WHERE & HOW TO BUY MANGOES THIS SEASON
My top area in London has to be Bethnal Green if you are anywhere on the central line or on the bus route 35. Kacha Bazar is the best place for quality mangoes that are consistent. The shop uncles are even kind enough to tell you if a box is not the best and they won’t let you buy it. Tooting is pretty good but definitely a bit more expensive - but if you are local, then of course it saves the travel money! Southall also has a great supply but can be a little more out of the way. But you can always eat some chole bhature at Moti Mahal if you make it out there. Make sure you also have some of their masala chai - it is the one place I would travel to in London for the chai itself.
When picking a box you must pick up the mango. Smell it and just be gentle with it. Obviously don’t ruin it for others! I like when mangoes are slightly on the tougher side so I can eat them over a couple of days. I also would reccomend buying mangoes that have a deeper fragrance. Less floral and more almost umami.
I hope you eat some mangoes over the sink/chopping board and let it get messy this season! I currently have about 30 mangoes in my fridge and am definitely going to get through those by the end of this week -.- My mango season mantra is basically that if I’m not bankrupt and a little larger by the end of summer then am I even doing it right?!
Even if you maybe cannot make it to 6th June at South London Louie, please could you share this event with any friends or family! It would truly mean the world!
