Stars and spice

The Michelin star was a huge surprise for Atul Kochhar and his team. As other hopeful chefs became increasingly nervy in the run-up to the announcement of additions and deletions in the red book, it was business as usual at Mayfair's classy Indian restaurant, Tamarind.

"I wasn't expecting a star and I certainly wasn't chasing one," says Kochhar who has headed up the Tamarind kitchen for the past six years, after arriving in the UK from India in 1994 to open the restaurant. "Michelin is a big accolade and over the years I've thought it would be nice for one of the Indian restaurants to get one but I never thought it would be me."

He's obviously happy with the recognition, but finds it hard to understand why he clinched it this year. Tamarind has been feeding a well-heeled crowd stylish modern Indian food applauded by critics and customers alike since its launch, and Kochhar maintains his cooking is the same today as it ever was.

But, dig a little deeper and it becomes clear that the food has evolved considerably. "I used to be inflexible about how dishes should be made. Now I realise that cooking has to grow, it's a living thing and recipes aren't carved in stone, so I've adapted my food to this country's palate."

For instance, a classic rogan josh (spicy lamb curry) has been made milder with the addition of a dollop of avocado raita, while a jalpari chaat (salad of tandoori prawns and scallops in a mint and ginger dressing) is served with rocket leaves.

However, Kochhar rejects any suggestion that he's creating a fusion cuisine, arguing that authenticity is preserved because, in this case, avocados and rocket grow in India - even if neither is widely used in cooking.

He has also broadened his repertoire to become a pan-Indian restaurant. Having stubbornly cooked just north Indian food when the restaurant first opened - murg adraki (ginger-flavoured chicken curry) and rogan josh are classics and still on the menu - his range now includes fried fish dishes from east India, such as the Tamarind special of hare maslae ki machchi (pan-fried salmon with green spices and crispy spinach), or prawn dishes from the south, such as kadhai jhinga (prawns in a light tomato sauce with coriander and fenugreek).

Many of the vegetable dishes are inspired by the food of strictly vegetarian western India. This section includes dal bukhari, a black lentil speciality of the north-west frontier; baigan muttar ka bharta (smoked aubergine pulp with green peas and spices); and pindi chana (chickpeas and paneer tossed in onion and tamarind sauce). "Regional food has its own beauty," says Kochhar, who lived in India for 28 years before making the UK his home, "but cooking just north Indian was restrictive."

In fact, it is the food of east India that Kochhar prefers. Though his family is from Punjab, he was brought up near Calcutta where fish is the mainstay of the local cuisine. It was living and cooking there, and later in southern India where seafood is the essential ingredient, that confirmed his love of marine produce. "I learnt a lot about seafood in Kerala and Madras. I prefer to cook it as naturally as possible, in its own juices with minimum spicing so that flavours are not overpowered," he explains.

Most dishes on the à la carte menu, which is divided into four main sections, are changed three times a year. Among current starters are murg kaleji masala (chicken livers fried in onions, cumin and coriander) and bhalla papri chaat (dumplings of lentil with yogurt, mint and tamarind sauce). Kebabs, all cooked in the tandoor oven, include dhuen ki sheekh (smoked ground lamb with green pepper and coriander) and tandoori aloo (new potatoes grilled with honey, mustard and turmeric marinade). Curries are based around lamb, chicken or seafood, though equal billing is given to vegetarian curries such as saag makai (spinach and baby corn) and subj purdha (vegetables in a spicy tomato sauce sealed with puff pastry). Listed separately are accompaniments such as raita, bread and rice.

Puddings include the egg-free Indian ice-cream, kulfi, (pistachio or mango), and rasmalai (sweet cheese dumplings). Sorbets are a highlight, the range including combinations such as ginger and cardamom, tamarind and mint, or cinnamon and cloves. All desserts are made in-house by two pastry chefs.

While the restaurant operates at capacity every night of the week (120 covers in the 90-seat restaurant is not unusual), lunch is slower at between 20 and 40 covers. Kochhar is working closely with restaurant manager Rajesh Suri to improve performance. Suri, who came to Tamarind in 1998 after several years managing top-flight Indian restaurants (Veeraswamy, Red Fort, Soho Spice, Chor Bizarre), explains: "We've been working hard over the past two years and lunch trade has gone up 20%. It's not just about price, it's about conveying the message that Indian food is lunchtime food."

Suri uses an extensive database to keep in touch with customers, telling them about the lighter grills and salads that are introduced as summer approaches or special promotional lunches linked to charities. The restaurant supports the work of Learning for Life and Umeed, which help underprivileged people in the UK and India, and Tusk, which supports African wildlife. He will also remind customers about the monthly-changing set lunch priced at £14.50 for three courses and £12.50 for two. "I prefer to use old-fashioned sales and marketing techniques, encouraging feedback and keeping in touch with customers. If I recognise a customer in the street, I'll stop and chat."

Neither the restaurant nor its staff are strangers to professional recognition. Suri was voted best front of house manager in the Good Curry Guide‘s 2000 awards, while the restaurant was the Curry Club of Great Britain's restaurant of the year within six months of opening. Even now, with a Michelin star in the bag, Kochhar and Suri insist that nothing will change at Tamarind. Kochhar says: "My criteria is not chasing accolades, it's making sure that 120 people leave the room happy at the end of the evening and that they come back."