Panchuli

A prerequisite for being brummie is a healthy love of curry. Indian cookery books are often impenetrable, and however many jars or spices I try, producing the authentic tasting home cooked curry remains an elusive goal. Enter the Delhi/​Panchuli restaurant in Solihull and its Indian cookery course.
The course is usually run at the popular Delhi restaurant in Solihull, however our course was held at its sister restaurant Panchuli on Solihull High Street. We were greeted on the doorstep by proprietor Maz, a cheerful cross between Yoda and Vin Diesel, who gave us a brief introduction to his business and the wider context of British Indian cookery. Maz’s chat was always knowledgeable and danced effortlessly from personal remembrances to wider cultural observations or explanations of food history. It is obvious that this is a man who cares about his food, his business, high standards and authenticity. Maz quickly assessed our cooking experience level and agreed the dishes we were going to cook, as a result the course felt very personalised and unrehearsed.
At this point it is worth noting the cleanliness of the restaurant and also the intriguing layout and decoration. More important is the sheer joy of the experience of the professional kitchen. Learning a little of what happens behind the scenes when you order in an Indian, or other, restaurant is a little like peeking behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz, but without the disappointment of finding a Kansas conman on the other side. From the Land of the Giants size spice jars and the raging heat of the industrial hobs, to the mystery of the Tandor in the corner of the kitchen, the experience is both magical and joyful. I found myself laughing constantly and mouthing «this is so good» to my girlfriend every time Maz’s back was turned.
From basic tips about pans and the best way to chop an onion to detailed explanations about the best way to cook, and when to add, spices this is a purposeful but always relaxed session. The experience is a real version of the friendly artifice of the tv cookery show. The biggest cliché of the TV chef is «if only there was such a thing as smellivision…» Well today on ‘Curry With Maz’, smellivision was all too real, and it was intoxicating. Maz instructed us to build lovely tasting basic stews, and then curries before letting us in on the secrets of transforming them into the household names like Jalfrezi, Rogan Josh or Balti. Using widely available ingredients and minimal use of oil this is accessible, authentic and dare I say… healthy. Whatever you produce, Maz’s careful instruction opens the door to the possibilities of a much wider repertoire of Indian food, always with the encouragement to try and adapt outside the rules to suit personal tastes. The course is about guidance not instruction, liberation into the Indian cookery mind set, not the restriction of immoveable dos and don’ts. This is very much the ethos of ‘giving a man a fishing rod’.
With the right amount of help from Indian Cuisine’s answer to Mr Miyagi we produced a Chicken Tikka starter, Raita, A Lamb Korai, Chicken and Mushroom Balti and two rices. Tasting and trying along the way had no effect on our appetites. The end product was a beautiful meal, all the more satisfying for the knowledge that we had cooked it. After posing for photographs around the kitchen Maz joined us for the meal and continued to give us tips, test our knowledge and share more family stories and words of wisdom from his deceased, and obviously much missed, father. This was an intimate, profound and personal experience, it was a privilege to be allowed into Maz’s world and I am certain that a return visit to the restaurant and a second go at the course are on the cards.
I cannot recommend this enough, it is less a course and more a food experience, a red letter day for those who prefer spicy kicks to a lap around Brands Hatch. In a world of cut throat profit margins, and increasingly impersonal experiences (unexpected item in the bagging area) this is a chance to meet someone who genuinely cares about his business, his industry and more importantly his clientele. Forget about Ben, Uncle Maz is the new guiding light in Asian cuisine.