Cheltenham hotel launches fine dining Indian takeover series

Following the success of two events held last year, The Greenway Hotel in Shurdington is launching a series of Flavours of India kitchen takeovers, with the first one of the year on Friday 23 February 2024.

The event features a six-course tasting menu showcasing the unique flavours of Indian cuisine through lesser-known traditional recipes and classic dishes re-imagined with a fine dining twist — and is becoming a regular fixture in 2024 due to its popularity.

The menu is the brainchild of Greenway head chef, Abhijit Dasalkar, drawing inspiration from his heritage and memories of food growing up in India.

Abhijit said: 'The Flavours of India takeovers have been a real success story and we’re thrilled it will now become a regular fixture at The Greenway Hotel.

'Often, Indian cuisine is viewed as being a curry and a naan but the depth of dishes is so much more than that and we really wanted to challenge that perception and demonstrate the incredible flavour profile to a wider audience.'

Described as somewhat of a history lesson on India, February's menu includes the traditional Hyderabadi haleem — an Arabic meat dish dating back to the 10th century, which evolved as a part of Indian cuisine between the 16th and 18th centuries during the Mughal dynasty.

Other dishes include the iconic Goan dishes of pork vindaloo — which was inspired by the Portuguese delicacy carne de vinha d’alhos during Portuguese rule — and bebinca, which is a dessert created by a 17th-century Goan nun and includes seven layers to represent the seven hills of Lisbon and the old City of Goa.

Abhijit added: 'These dishes have a rich history but are not widely known in the UK for whatever reason, such as haleem — which is a very authentic meat, lentils and wheat dish and not one you’ll see in many restaurants.

'We have included other dishes such as a tandoori chicken terrine and pork vindaloo which might appear more common, but are based very much on traditional authentic recipes, cooked with modern techniques to bring them into a fine dining format.

'It’s very exciting to bring these unique flavours to the Cheltenham food scene.'

Diners are advised to book in advance as these events are likely to sell out.