Atul Kochhar was the first chef to win a Michelin star for Indian cuisine. And his dishes pack a very special punch. Catherine Whyte talks to the Twickenham taste king and samples his latest fare
Indian food has come a long way since 1810, when London’s first Indian restaurant opened its doors.
Indeed, the visionary owner of the doomed Hindoostanee Coffee House – it sadly closed after a year due to lack of business – would no doubt feel totally vindicated, were he to stroll down any UK high street today. For here are Indian restaurants as diverse and exciting as the motherland itself; from authentic devotees of the traditional to those that push the boundaries of contemporary cuisine.
And right in the vanguard of this ongoing revolution is Twickenham-based chef Atul Kochhar.
Having worked the hotel kitchen at The Oberoi, New Delhi, Atul brought his talents and creativity to London in 1994 at the age of 25. Since then, he has been widely credited with changing public perceptions of Indian food.
While working at Mayfair’s Tamarind in 2001, he became the first Indian chef to acquire a Michelin star, repeating the trick six years later at his own Mayfair establishment, Benares. He is also a familiar face on British TV with appearances on Great British Menu, Saturday Kitchen and MasterChef.
“When I was at Tamarind all those years ago, even my good friends would call it a ‘curry house’ and I would get quite cross inside,” he recalls. “No, I’d think, it’s a restaurant in its own right.”
Plain sailing it wasn’t. Even in the capital, people were resistant to change.
“About 10 years ago, my friend opened a restaurant in a very prestigious London hotel. It specialised in Keralan cuisine, in which dosas are served, not naan. But customers – even here in the thronging metropolis – would get up and leave when they found out he didn’t serve naan.
“He used to call me in tears of frustration. Eventually he relented and installed a tandoor oven, though I’m pleased to say it’s gone now. People have developed a far deeper understanding of Indian food.”
Doubters take note: in London, Indian restaurants have the highest number of Michelin stars (six) after French (13) – double the number currently boasted by establishments serving Italian cuisine.
Meanwhile, out at Marlow in Berkshire, Atul has just opened a new restaurant, Sindhu. Located in the picturesque Compleat Angler Hotel and serving contemporary Indian cuisine, it’s the latest addition to a stable of Kochhar eateries that includes not just Benares, but restaurants in Dublin, Dubai, Kent and Mauritius, and on five P&O cruise ships.
“I’ve always loved Marlow,” he says. “I know the hotel well and love the location, so when they approached me, I couldn’t refuse. I considered moving out there with my family, but we are very settled in Twickenham.”
We indulge ourselves for a while, exchanging recommendations on local eateries. Atul cites fish restaurant Loch Fyne, the White Swan in Richmond (his son loves the fish and chips) and Petersham Nurseries as regular haunts, while the two of us are united in bemoaning the loss of Sagar, the South Indian vegetarian restaurant in Twickenham, which sadly closed some time ago.
Given his genial nature, it is no surprise that Atul has been warmly welcomed in Marlow since opening Sindhu late last year. Fellow chef Tom Kerridge – whose acclaimed pub The Hand and Flowers is a 15-minute walk away – has been wonderfully supportive, as have Benares devotees who live nearby.
”They say I’m spoiling them, as they can dine in Benares during the week and then at Sindhu at weekends,” chuckles Atul.
Right now, I feel pretty spoilt myself. I’m conducting the interview from a gorgeous suite at the Compleat Angler – part of the Macdonald group – having dined at Sindhu the previous night. Outside the Thames thunders gloriously over the weir.
“I’m jealous!” says Atul, from within the confines of his office at Benares. “That kitchen has the best view!”
And how do the restaurants compare in terms of the cuisine itself?
“At Benares the food is inspired by dishes from all over India, whereas the flavour profiles, techniques and spice blends of the dishes at Sindhu are taken from India’s western coast: Goa, Bangalore, Karnataka and Kerala.”
There is an impressive taster menu (£48 per person, £78 with pairing wines) which – with a stay at the hotel – would make a lovely culinary treat for special occasions. However, my dining partner and I chose from the à la carte menu, which is deliberately compact and includes a few of Atul’s signature dishes from Benares. One of these is the starter Paneer aur Simla Mirch – paneer with pickling spices and soya-stuffed baby bell pepper. It was one of the best dishes I’ve tasted in ages.
Some of the main dishes may surprise the novice Kochhar diner. You’ll find the likes of Gressingham duck breast with three bean stew and coriander cress, and saddle of venison with cardamon and mace, turnip and roast jus.
“Before moving to the UK I’d read many game recipes,” explains Atul, whose food-obsessed father was a major influence. “But I hadn’t been able to try them. Ingredients such as wild boar or venison are impossible to source in India, as we lost so many species before hunting was banned in the 1940s. So now I really enjoy taking those techniques and principles and applying them to seasonal British ingredients.”
The result? Mature, sophisticated dishes. Indian cuisine in the UK continues to blossom and grow. Now it’s up to us to keep pace.
For more about Sindhu and the iconic Macdonald Compleat Angler Hotel, click here. Restaurant pre-booking advised
Follow @atulkochhar on Twitter
