India and Pakistan will celebrate 70 years of Independence this August, and to commemorate the occasion Executive Chef Sameer Taneja will team up with MasterChef 2017 winner Saliha Mahmood Ahmed to cook up a sharing feast inspired by the gastronomically renowned Grand Trunk Road on Sunday 17th September.
For centuries, Grand Trunk Road has linked the eastern and western regions of the Indian subcontinent, running from Bengal, across north India, into Peshawar in Pakistan and up to Afghanistan. One of the oldest and largest routes in history, it runs through a range of cultures and is revered as a culinary melting pot of flavours and spices – one that is experienced by travellers, traders and migrants alike wishing to sample each region’s unique quick stop food hut dishes.
Celebrating their respective heritage, Sameer and Saliha have devised a sharing menu encompassing over ten key dishes that helm from Pakistan to India, with many stops in between. Each dish has been created to celebrate the flavours of Grand Trunk Road – with many authentic regional techniques used, as well as some fun twists devised by the pair. Small plates such as the Chappli kebab which originates from Peshawar in the northwest of Pakistan and is traditionally made with mutton, will instead be served with venison and topped with egg and a pickle salad for the occasion, whilst the old favourite Indian Delhi butter chicken will come in the form of a crispy samosa and served with a rich spiced gravy.
There will be two sittings available on Sunday 17th September, 1pm and 6:30pm. Tickets include two traditional welcome shot drinks and a generous selection of celebratory sharing dishes.
“This food journey on the Grand Trunk highway means a great deal to me. India and Pakistan share a deeply intimate food culture that has historically evolved together. This meal celebrates the culinary heritage which binds these two nations together and celebrates all we have achieved in gastronomy as a collective region, irrespective of geographically defined borders.” Saliha Mahmood-Ahmed