Michelin starred chef Atul Kochhar will collaborate with three female Indian chefs to create a four course dinner for a one off event at his restaurant Benares, Mayfair. The evening will take place on 25th March where Manju Malhi, Romy Gill and Monisha Bharadwaj will each produce a dish reflecting their signature cooking style with the dessert being prepared by Kochhar himself. The dinner will be priced at £120 per person with proceeds going to Be! Fund – India’s first not-for-profit risk capital fund that invests in young people living in poverty to start sustainable businesses, to help their communities.
Renowned cookbook author and TV personality Manju Malhi draws upon her time spent in both London and India in her cooking, and will create a signature Anglo-Indian dish for the event: aloo tikki, onion pakora and chilli paneer. Romy Gill’s passion for a balanced diet has inspired her love of Indian food. She specialises in styles of cooking from different regions of the country which will be reflected in her dish: chicken with fresh pomegranate, desiccated coconut, white poppy seeds, Nigella seeds and her own spice blend. Monisha Bharadwaj is an award winning author and food writer. Her books have been shortlisted for awards such as the Cordon Bleu World Food Media Awards, the Andre Simon Award and the Jacob’s Creek World Food Media Awards. For Indian Divas, she has created a Goan fish curry with coconut and tamarind. The menu will be completed with Kochhar’s signature dessert of rose and raspberry bhapa doi and pistachio burfi.
“I am delighted to be working with such inspiring chefs for this one off event and I am especially proud to be supporting Be! Fund. The charity is a cause that is very important to me as it gives a helping hand to young Indian people living in poverty. We hope to raise as much money as possible, whilst also creating some exceptional cooking that guests will go away and remember,” says Atul Kochhar.
Having opened in May 2003, Benares celebrated its tenth anniversary last year. Kochhar opened the restaurant following his success at Tamarind, where he was the first Indian chef to win a coveted Michelin Star in 2001. Kochhar was awarded the accolade for a second time, when Benares earned its star in 2007 and has retained it ever since.
