When Roshni Ray gave up her job in the NHS to open her own Bengali kitchen Tikka and Tadka in Wantage she had no idea how quickly it would take off.
Now running sell out weekly curry boxes, while catering for events, weddings and festivals, Roshni is now preparing for Tikka and Tadka‘s first ever pop up supper club at Worton Kitchen Garden in Cassington on June 1, and tickets are already selling fast.
The six course ‘Grisher Bhuribhoj’ menu aims to introduce a new wave of people to authentic Bengali food: “The kind of food you would eat in East India at home or in the restaurants there,” Roshni says. “So I have included lots of family recipes passed down the generations.”
“I have included lots of family recipes passed down the generations.”
Grisher Bhuribhoj means ‘welcome to summer’ so Roshni’s menu includes lots of cooling dishes which can be eaten in Worton Kitchen Garden‘s greenhouse restaurant or outside in their organic gardens.
So you can expect DOI FUCHKA – a popular vegetarian snack from Kolkata – fried small balls filled with potato, coriander chutney, tamarind chutney, yogurt and sprinkled with spices, MACHER CHOP – crispy fish croquettes served with homemade tamarind chutney, SINGHARA CHAAT – a Bengali version of the vegetarian Indian street food Samosa Chaat, NARKEL DIYE CHOLAR DAL – Chana Dal cooked with coconut and ginger, tempered with Bengali Garam Masala and served with steamed basmati rice, GONDOHARAJ CHICKEN – chicken curry infused with Gondhoraj lime, kaffir lime leaves and minimal spices, served with steamed basmati rice and PANTUA CHEESECAKE – a unique fusion of Bengali pantua with western cheesecake. There are also vegetarian but not vegan alternatives.
So how did Tikka and Tadka come about? Moving here 15 years ago to take up a career in stem cell and regenerative medicine, Roshni soon realised that although she loved her job, food was her passion. And soon after setting up Tikka and Tadka, left to run the business full time.
“I couldn’t find any authentic Bengali food here in Oxfordshire. They are mainly Westernised Bangladeshi and Pakistani restaurants or South Indian eateries here, not that there is anything wrong with that, but I wanted people to understand how Bengali food tastes and realised that was my calling.
“Because I love to cook. It’s how I show love – through my food. It’s my passion and people seem to love the food I make them! Cooking makes me happy and shows that you care.”
‘I love to cook. It’s my passion and Cooking makes me happy and shows that you care’
A big step then? “My husband is so supportive. When we started Tikka and Tadka, I’d do the cooking and he’d do the deliveries, so it’s been a big team effort. But I am so proud of my heritage and its cuisine that it’s all been worth it and we are so proud of where Tikka and Tadka is now.”
So what characterises Bengali food? “Bengalis love fish and sweets, but our curries have no sugar in them so you won’t find any chicken tikka masala or baltis on my menus,” Roshni laughs. “Bengali dishes also have less heavy spices than a lot of Indian food, relying more on chilli, coriander and turmeric for their flavour. But it’s not super spicy either, instead the ingredients are always seasonal and allowed to shine.
I’m looking forward to people trying my Bengali food, because it’s what I grew up eating and sharing food is a wonderful way for people to meet, chat and even fall in love’
“So I go to local farmers makers to buy all my vegetables, although some ingredients are so specific, such as the limes in the gondoharaj chicken, that we have to get them from India, via London.
Now looking to expand from her home kitchen into a bigger premises and searching for a bigger team, Roshni has big plans for Tikka and Tadka.
But in the meantime she’s gearing up for Tikka and Tadka’s first ever supper club at Worton Kitchen Garden: “I’m so excited. I am so looking forward to people trying my Bengali food, because it’s what I grew up eating and sharing food is a wonderful way for people to meet, chat and even fall in love. “
The GRISHER BHURIBHOJ Bengali Indian feast at Worton Kitchen Garden in Cassington is on June 1, priced £60 per person for six courses and numbers are limited. Book here: https://wortonkitchengarden.com/event/worton-supper-club-grisher-bhuribhoj-a-bengali-feast-to-welcome-the-summer/
Tikka and Tadka is based in Wantage. To contact them (don’t forget their weekly curry boxes which they deliver around Oxfordshire on Saturdays, menus go up on Wednesdays) go to https://www.tikkaandtadka.com
