Cornishman and his Indian wife add some spice to the Philleigh Way team
Next generation farmhouse cookery school, Philleigh Way has teamed up with Ben Martin and Jasmine Sharma of Mahamasala Spice Company to create a series of new Indian cookery courses, outdoor pop-up feast nights and indoor supper clubs. During the new Indian Cookery’ and Indian Cookery for Vegetarians and Vegans’ courses, the emphasis will be on utilising locally sourced, seasonal ingredients to prepare a variety of traditional Indian dishes from scratch that are packed full of flavour and texture.
For more than a decade now, Indian cuisine and one dish in particular, chicken tikka masala, has topped the polls as Britain’s favourite food. With an increase in the availability of previously specialist’ ingredients such as spices, flours and pulses via supermarkets, specialist shops and artisan food stores, it is now much easier for people to prepare traditional Indian dishes at home from scratch.
Jasmine Sharma, co-founder Mahamasala Spice Company commented: “Many people still assume that Indian cuisine is largely about meat-based curries drenched in rich creamy sauces, or those so loaded with chilli that it’s a challenge to finish them. However, this isn’t at all representative of the true diversity rooted in the deeply regional way of life and multiple religious communities. But there is a common emphasis on balancing flavours and textures, and India’s top cooks always aspire to leave the diner’s taste buds tingling. Our new courses at Philleigh Way aim to teach people a wide range of dishes that they can easily recreate at home with an emphasis on exciting flavours and fresh, seasonal ingredients.”
Jasmine brings with her a wealth of knowledge and skills which she learnt at home in India from an early age as well as later, through her travels around the country learning regional cooking methods and flavours. From Cornwall, Ben is an award-winning cook who has a keen interest in promoting traditional cooking methods using local, seasonal produce and merging it with spices, techniques and flavours from afar. The combined skills and knowledge they bring to Philleigh Way means these new courses should be of great interest to anyone wishing to learn how to cook delicious Indian food from scratch, as well as the history of Indian cuisine and how flavours and spices work together to complement each other.
The courses will cover a wide variety of skills including learning about classic spice combinations, tempering spices, making traditional Indian breads and side dishes and preparing traditional Pulao rice. After completing the courses students will have the confidence to prepare a variety of traditional Indian dishes in their own home.
The first Indian cookery course takes place on Friday 10th February from 10:00am-4:00pm (additional dates available) and costs £150.00pp.
The first Indian Vegetarian Cookery Course takes place on Friday 16th June from 10:00am – 4:00pm and costs £145.00.
Philleigh Way will soon be launching, in conjunction with Ben and Jasmine, a series of outdoor pop-up feast nights and indoor supper clubs. The first Indian Street Food and Wine Pairing supper club event is scheduled for Friday 14th April with the first Indian Tandoori Feast Night scheduled for Friday 7th July. Tickets will be available via the Philleigh Way website soon and will start at £35.00/£40.00 per person.
Philleigh Way resident chef and fifth generation at Court Farm, George Pascoe commented: “Whilst the well-trodden Friday night route to the local Indian restaurant still plays a big part in UK food culture, there’s a rapidly growing appetite for other Indian dining experiences such as the vibrant Indian street food scene, the chargrilled food from the Tandoor, or the more traditional food served at roadside cafes called dabbas’. We’re chuffed to be working with a fellow Cornishman and his talented Indian wife to bring authentic Indian cuisine to Philleigh Way. We love how Indian cookery is steeped in thousands of years of tradition with the aim of bringing together family and friends to share great food, which is what we’re all about.”
Philleigh Way runs a wide range of day cookery and lifestyle courses throughout the year, starting from £50.00. The focus is always on sharing knowledge and skills handed down through the generations and inspiring people to cook creatively with local, seasonal ingredients.
