Flavours of India returns to The Greenway Hotel and Spa

An Indian takeover is returning to a Cheltenham hotel for the first time this year, with the event set to become a regular fixture due to its popularity.

Flavours of India will return to The Greenway Hotel and Spa following the success of two events held at the venue last year.

The six-course tasting menu is the brainchild of head chef Abhijit Dasalkar and draws inspiration from his heritage and memories of food growing up in India.

The pop-up events showcase the unique flavours of Indian cuisine through lesser-known traditional recipes and classic dishes re-imagined in a fine-dining twist.

Abhijit, aged 41, said: “The Flavours of India takeovers have been a real success story and we’re thrilled it will now become a regular fixture at The Greenway Hotel.

“Often, Indian cuisine is viewed as being a curry and a naan but the depth of dishes is so much more than that and we really wanted to challenge that perception and demonstrate the incredible flavour profile to a wider audience.”

The menu takes diners on somewhat of a history lesson of India, kicking off with the famous Hyderabadi Haleem – an Arabic meat dish dating back to the 10th century which evolved as a part of Indian cuisine between the 16^th and 18^th centuries during the Mughal dynasty.

Other dishes include the iconic Goan dishes of pork Vindaloo – which was inspired by the Portuguese delicacy Carne de Vinha D’alhos during Portuguese rule – and Bebinca, which is a dessert created by a 17th-century Goan nun and includes seven layers to represent the seven hills of Lisbon and the old City of Goa.

Abhijit added: “These dishes have a rich history but are not widely known in the UK for whatever reason, such as Haleem – which is a very authentic meat, lentils and wheat dish and not one you’ll see in many restaurants.

“We have included other dishes such as a Tandoori chicken terrine and pork Vindaloo which might appear more common, but are based very much on traditional authentic recipes, cooked with modern techniques to bring them into a fine-dining format.

“It’s very exciting to bring these unique flavours to the Cheltenham food scene.”

Abhijit started training to become a chef in 1999 in India but – keen to expand his knowledge – he packed his bags and moved to London to complete a diploma in French Culinary Arts from Le Cordon Bleu in 2004.

Classically trained, he then built his way up the ranks at the award-winning Eden Hotel Collection to take on the head chef role at The Greenway Hotel and Spa in 2020, developing a kitchen team which includes staff from Sri Lanka and India.

His Indian takeover is held on Friday, February 23, at The Greenway Hotel and Spa, on Shurdington Road, with arrival from 6.30pm for a 7pm start. Diners are advised to book due to demand.

For details and to book, visit The Greenway Hotel & Spa website or call 01242 862 352.