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Edinburgh
restaurateur and hotelier Tommy Miah has hit on an effective and
money-saving way to use a long-established healthy, energy-giving,
drink used throughout his Bangladesh homeland and other countries in
the sub-continent.
Rooh Afza syrup, created in Delhi
in1906 from a variety of natural ingredients, is now made by separate
companies in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, where it is a must-have
standby product for millions. It can also be found in the kitchens of
virtually every Bangladeshi, Indian or Pakistani household in Britain.
It is particularly in demand
during Ramadan, as its energy-giving properties give an immediate
boost when used to break the daily fast.
The Hamdard (Companion in Pain)
Trust -- the sole producer whose profits are devoted to charitable
and community projects - faced Tommy Miah with a challenge to devise
ways of using Rooh Afza other than just as a drink.
His long experience in the
restaurant trade led straight to cookery. The result is a new cook
book of some 250 recipes, covering every stage of a meal from a
pre-dinner drink to a refreshing final cup of tea, all of them using
the syrup as an ingredient.
"It's quite simple,"
Tommy says. "Our ethnic cuisine draws heavily on recipes
involving sugars and spices and Rooh Afza just replaces or
supplements them.
"It simplifies cooking in
many ways - it's easier to blend in a liquid than a spoonful of sugar
or spice -- and it speeds up preparation and makes a subtle
difference to the taste. It's particularly useful in Chicken Tikka
Masala - Britain's top favourite dish, invented by British
Bangladeshis, even outselling fish and chips," he said.
" You don't need to add any colouring!"
Tommy put his ideas to the test
with a full meal for a small group of media friends at his Raj Restaurant.
Every item, ranging from a
welcoming Lassi drink, through kebabs, shashlik, lamb and chicken
curries, to banana fritters and masala tea, used Rooh Afza as an
ingredient. The group was unanimous in proclaiming the results a success.
The new bi-lingual recipe book
will be launched in Dhaka at Tommy Miah's huge International Festival
at the end of November.
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