It’s very good having friends who are fellow foodies, because it means you often get to try cuisines you have never tried before. When Connie asked if I’d like to go along to the very first Bengali Supper Club run by Shahnaz who heads up the Tiger Kitchen, it was instantly a yes from me!
My knowledge of food from around India is pretty poor to be honest, I know which curries I love and yes I love Dishoom, but my knowledge of all the different types of dishes and flavours is limited. I’m not aware of trying Bengali dishes before and so I couldn’t wait to try these new flavours.
About Tiger Kitchen
The ever so lovely Shahnaz, Founder and Head Chef, is of Bangladeshi heritage. She was raised in Yorkshire, but has proudly called herself an East Ender as of the last six years. She has always loved to cook and you can really see her passion for food as she talks us through the menu. She launched Tiger Kitchen in April 2016.
Shahnaz also runs cookery classes which provide an introduction to key spices and ingredients used in Bangladeshi cookery, before going on to prepare a full menu. Go take a look!
The venue for the evening was The London Cooking Project in Battersea. But don’t worry if that’s a bit out of your way because the next supper clubs will be held just off Brick Lane!
The Food
Let’s get down to the good stuff!
The evening titled ‘Taste of Bengal’ started with Maach Bora (spiced tuna cakes) and Dal Bora (lentil fritters). These little bites were served alongside a lovely fresh red onion and tomato salad and yoghurt with fresh mint. The tuna cakes were good and perfectly spiced but I really loved the lentil fritters. They were beautifully crisp on the outside and I would have happily eaten a whole plate of these!
Two of my favourite Indian dishes are Saag Aloo and Lamb Saag so I was very happy to see that wilted spinach and chickpeas were going to be served with our main of Murgh Bhuna (roasted chicken). This was also served with cumin pulao rice. Now, this wasn’t just roasted chicken, it was aromatic and full of flavour. The warming spices made the dish so moreish. The tender chicken was a definite winner.
This may look like simple cooking but all the spices and flavours were so well balanced and left you wanting just one more mouthful. Comfort food at its finest. If only I could cook like this at home!
To finish we had Mishti Aam which is a mango cake served with pistachio cream and mango coulis. This cake was oh so light and so moist! A subtle mango flavour came through making it a lovely end to the meal. We were also treated to a cup of assam tea infused with cardamon and cinnamon. I’m a lover of chai tea so I loved this and quickly helped myself to a second cup!
Overall
You can really see how happy cooking makes Shahnaz – her love for food and providing for others is clear. Yes, things ran a little behind schedule, but there are always teething problems. The food shone through and I know the supper clubs will just get better and better. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Tiger Kitchen.
It was a night of great food and company – I had some great dining buddies for the evening – Connie, Aaron, Chiara and Jason.
The next supper club is taking place on 31st August so get your tickets quick.
Have you tried Bengali cuisine before? What’s the best supper club you’ve been to?
*I was a guest of Tiger Kitchen but views remain my own.
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The dal bora sound scrumptious – discovering new dishes is the best!
It really was delicious!
Spiced tuna cakes sounds delish!
All the food was so tasty!
Those lentil fritters sound addictively good! I went to my first supper club a couple of weeks ago, but it was an Italian affair. I’m so keen to go for an Indian one soon 🙂 xx
They were! I would love to learn how to make them! I haven’t been on many either, need to go to more as always fun xx
Sounds like a fun evening and the lentil fritters must have been very tasty!
It was a fab evening!