The name Chutney Mary referred to the kind of Indian woman of the British era who enjoyed the Anglo culture and was very modern and playful. To the Panjabi sisters, this epitomised Chutney Mary’s approach; something very different to other Indian restaurants in London at the time. ‘We were considered quite racy and radical,’ laughs Namita. Camellia, who had been involved from the start, came on board full-time in 2001 when the group opened its first Masala Zone in Soho, followed by a second in Islington and a third, in Earls Court, in 2005. Put the remaining grated coconut, mustard powder, green chilis (without stem), salt and 200 ml of water into a blender and purée. Panjabi starts telling me how spices work, how to chop, and which vegetables work with particular flavours. Once again, I am grateful I ate earlier. As she speaks, you can almost hear cardamon seeds popping in hot oil, smell the ginger and garlic browning, and taste crispy onions and daal. She talks of how important it is to explore the relationships between colour, smell and taste, such as the beautiful purple hue of an aubergine, and the silky texture and burst-in-the-mouth flavour of the spices that can rescue it from blandness.

Indeed, the success of Chutney Mary paved the way for the creation of what is arguably the UK’s most successful Indian restaurant business. The trio launched two further Indian fine dining restaurants - grill restaurant Amaya in Knightsbridge and the more traditional Veeraswamy near Piccadilly Circus - alongside the seven-strong Masala Zone, which started out as a casual dining chain but has in recent years transitioned to more of a mid-market proposition. Ranjit joined the civil service in 1967 but left as a high-powered mandarin in 1984 to pursue an equally successful career as a merchant banker holding senior roles at major banks before starting his own international financial advisory business, Vanguard Capital, in 1993, advising governments and major corporations. The early days of the business During this period Chutney Mary chalked up many firsts. It was the first Indian restaurant in London to serve foie gras and game and fresh seafood and the first to have a serious wine list. The food became even more refined and the prices went up commensurately. Chefs need direction,” explains Camellia. “You can’t cook the same food you’d cook at a Bengali family home in a London restaurant. The presentation needs to change, the amount of oil needs to be reduced and you can’t cook the meat right through.” Camellia paved the way for a raft of superstar chefs such as Atul Kochhar, Vivek Singh, Vineet Bhatia and Aktar Islam. Could acclaimed restaurants such as Tamarind and Cinnamon Club (2001), Benares (2003), or more recently Opheem (2018), Pahli Hill (2020) and Bibi (2021) have opened were it not for Camellia and her questioning, determined ways? Arguably not.

Follow Us!

Best with white rice and accompanied bya green vegetable such as potatoes with spinach or fenugreek.) To make the masala, toast the spices in a dry pan until aromatic. Grind to a powder in a food processor or pestle and mortar, and then mix in the remaining ingredients. We'd research local dishes. It’s important to bear in mind that there were very few restaurants and hotels in India at that point," says Camellia. "We were talking to former palace chefs and going into people's homes." So, is it time to stop, job well done? There’s still stuff to learn, Camellia insists, there are still conventions to rattle. She approves of the Japanese principle of kaizen, the power of continuous, small-step improvements.‘And there’s a phrase in Gujarati – avay sun. It means ‘what next?’ or ‘now what?’. It’s about moving forward. Every time I meet the team and discuss things with them, I end with "avay sun?".’

She has had a life-long passion for food and for exploring different cuisines. Over the last twenty years she has travelled the length and breadth of India and has been involved in the setting up several restaurants in these premier hotels, often featuring little know Indian dishes.Fantastic recipe. It tastes great and feels a lot healthier than my takeaway. Really looking forward to the next version. Star!

Is Camellia Panjabi a rebel? She’s comfortable with rattling conventions, loves what she calls ‘cross-fertilisation’ in food, thrives on change. ‘If you don’t do anything new, life would be too boring. You can’t just go on opening new restaurants, you [must] have fun within your [existing ones].’ She likes what she calls ‘titillation’ – in the purest sense of the word, of course. ‘People come to us because they know we are passionate and good [at what we do] and experimental. They come with anticipation.’ Although both are delicious, I think that without frying the masala you lose some of its aromatic qualities – after all, to take just one of the ingredients, garlic is far more flavourful fried than poached. I do love the tadka in Menezes' dish though: curry leaves, ginger and mustard seeds, fried in hot oil until sizzling and aromatic, then stirred into the finished dish: it really lifts the flavours. The more spice the better, as far as I'm concerned. Other ingredients If using fresh prawns, wash and remove the veins. ( ¿Qué? It’s not a vein, it’s the intestinal tract.) A feast for the senses, this mini format of 50 Great Curries of India by Camellia Panjabi is the world’s best-selling curry book. It explains how to add taste, aroma and colour to create that perfect curry. Dishes are collected from all over India – from the classic Goa Lamb Vindaloo to the more exotic Gujarat Mango and Yogurt Curry and all are accompanied by tantalising photography to inspire and excite. Other features of the book include: The philosophy of Indian food, What exactly is a curry? Using spices, herbs and chillies, and Planning an Indian meal and suggested menus. This revised edition comes with more recipes than ever and full colour photography throughout.Usually based in India, the bestselling cookery writer is seeing out the Coronavirus crisis at the central London home of fellow co-owners Namita Panjabi, her sister, and Ranjit Mathrani, her brother-in-law. Mathrani believes his sister-in-law’s version of events is an oversimplification, and that he and Abraham - who would go on to found highly successful national French restaurant chain Chez Gérard - had discussed the possibility of going into the restaurant business long before his and Namita’s nuptials. The 2005 Tatler Restaurant Awards recognised the trio's ground-breaking work by selecting them for the Restaurateur of the Year award, the first time it has gone to purveyors of non-European cuisine. Additionally, Amaya won both the London restaurant and new restaurant of the year awards in the 2005 Tio Pepe ITV London Restaurant Awards. As card-carrying members of the Indian elite, the pair travelled the subcontinent with their parents visiting maharajas in their palaces and experiencing regional specialities at their best. While neither of the Panjabi sisters have ever cooked in a professional kitchen, both understand precisely how specific dishes should taste. On top of that, Camellia has a detailed understanding of Indian technique: her debut cookbook 50 Great Curries of India has sold in excess of one million copies.

Meanwhile, make the tadka. Heat the oil in a frying pan on a high heat, then add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Cook for 30 seconds, until they begin to pop, then stir into the curry. Serve with rice and coriander to garnish. Spotify wrapped 2023: Arijit Singh becomes most-streamed artist, King’s “Maan Meri Jaan” emerges is most-streamed song in India Add half the tamarind water (I still haven’t figured out what you’re supposed to do with the other half), the jaggery, curry and coriander leaves and about 1½ teaspoons of salt. Thanks for the comment and compliments. To be honest, I’m not sure that Camellia Panjabi’s recipes are like what you might get in a British Indian restaurant, although the pathia was tasty. She tends to go in for more ‘authentic’ Indian cooking. But, I’ve just bought ‘The Curry Secret’ book, so look out for another version soon!Born in Mumbai, Camellia read Economics at Cambridge and went on to become the Marketing Director of Taj Hotels, India's most prestigious hotel group. With a lifelong passion for food, Camellia helped create several restaurants for these premier hotels, featuring little-known regional dishes. And the results? It was fab – not the same as you’d get in an indian restaurant; much more authentic I suspect (although I tweaked the recipe a bit and used a can of tomatoes instead of fresh ones + water, which is partly responsible). Add the puréed coconut mixture and the coconut milk. Taste for seasoning and adjust the salt and sugar if necessary. Cook for 5 minutes or until preferred texture of pineapple is reached, Garnish with coriander leaves to serve. Prior to Bombay Brasserie Indian restaurants did not exist, only curry houses,” she recalls. “The only middle-end restaurant was Gaylord in Mayfair. There were also a couple of good Pakistani restaurants in Knightsbridge.” Put the pineapple into a bowl. Mix the marinade ingredients and a little water in a small bowl and sprinkle over all the pineapple. Mix well. Leave to marinate for at least 15 minutes.