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Clockwise from top left: Pahli Hill flakey bread, mushroom kulcha, zuccini kofta, sourdough roti
Pahli Hill
India’s regional cuisines provide a cultural melting pot that hits the spot in London’s Fitzrovia. Caroline Baldwin reports
S
itting at the tiny chef’s counter in Pahli Hill in Fitzrovia, London, a very untradi- tional mango lassi in hand, Avi Shashid-
hara pops his cheery face over the pass to talk about the first bite of his new tasting menu – a snack of Scottish crab in a deep-fried dough ball. It’s his take on a Mangalore bun, he says, a
light dough made from banana purée, yogurt and cumin seeds, which is deep-fried and then filled with a spiced crab mixture made from tomato, ginger and coconut. “We used a lot of crab at River Café, often on
toast,” says the head chef, who spent a decade there. “This bread reminded me of my time liv- ing and travelling around India, where it would be eaten with spicy chutneys. It’s a bit playful, but it sets the tone for the rest of the meal.” Accompanying it is a classic Indian drink
– a mango lassi, but not as you know it. It is made from distilling Desi Daru mango vodka, Alphonso mango, yogurt and sugar. Lime is added to split the mixture, which separates as it sits in the fridge for a couple of hours. The resulting crystal-clear liquid is strained off to make a refreshing aperitif, with a curl of
28 | The Caterer | 15 September 2023
“The crab in a deep- fried bun is a bit playful, but it sets
mango fruit leather on top of a giant ice cube. It is worlds away from the fruity, milkshake- like drink originating from Punjab. Shashidhara’s cooking may be playful, but
the tone” Avi Shashidhara
he also describes it as “home-style, comfort- ing and soulful”. The restaurant is named after one of Mumbai’s oldest neighbourhoods, where residents share food with neighbours and the apartment blocks are a melting pot of regional flavours and culinary traditions. Shashidhara opened the 60-cover Pahli Hill,
which is owned by Azure Hospitality, as head chef back in early 2020, and we all know what happened then. It won a Michelin Bib Gour- mand in 2021, and Shashidhara also com- peted in this year’s Great British Menu, where his papadi chat starter made it to the banquet. His idea for an intimate chef’s counter
came off the back of his new-found TV fame. Each of his seven dishes have been shrunk down from the à la carte, although he offers to switch plates according to guests’ preferences. Guests rarely forgo his papadi chat, though. Inspired by Axel Scheffler’s illustrations in The Gruffalo, it continues the playful theme.
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