NORTHEAST INDIA GETS A GOURMET ADDRESS IN UK

He has cooked for Prince Charles, and been a regular on British TV. But for London’s Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar, 49, the most exciting challenge remains experimenting with local produce and giving it an Indian twist. Born in Jamshedpur, Kochhar became the first Indian to be awarded a Michelin star when his debut restaurant Tamarind received one in 2001. He went on to open Benares at Mayfair in London, which also bagged a Michelin star, in 2007.

Then came the tweet storm last year, which began when he referred to “Hindus who have been terrorised by Islam over 2,000 years”. The tweet was followed by an apology, but the damage was done. He was dismissed from the restaurant Rang Mahal at the JW Marriott Marquis in Dubai and from Benares. He quit Twitter and isn’t back on it yet.

But he has returned to Mayfair, with Kanishka, set up with restaurateur Tina English as an ode to the lesser-known north-east-indian cuisines. On the menu are dishes like Kachela Maas or venison tartare, and Sagolir Manxo or country goat curry. He’s brought back some of his signature recipes too – the Chicken Tikka Pie and the scallops (although the latter is now Naga-inspired, spiced with smoked chilli and served with a parsnip achar). Excerpts from an interview… All my life, I have always been inclusive, and embraced all cultures. I’m the last person to talk about anybody or any religion, and especially a great religion like Islam. I have put my hands up and apologised a number of times and regret every day that it happened. All I can do now is hope that people can see that and move on. The food of the Seven Sister states hasn’t been given the recognition it deserves, particularly in the UK. I’ve explored various regional Indian cuisines at my previous restaurants, and for Kanishka, I wanted to challenge myself by exploring something very different to what Londoners are

familiar with.

Because the states are remote and mountainous, techniques such as salting, smok-