13 October 2010

Sudha Shankar Saha of Oldbury's Saffron Restaurant rustled-up some mouthwatering Indian creations at the 'Grand Designs Live' exhibition which was held in Birmingham last week. The expo, which showcases inspirational design, self build, interiors and cutting-edge homewares also featured a diverse and impressive line-up of top culinary talents from across the UK who all cooked signature dishes from their restaurant menus. Chef Sudha describes his food as the finer side of Indian cuisine; he tries to break the conventional boundaries, opening our eyes and mouths to multicultural cuisine.

He uses local and seasonal produce, including exquisite sea foods such as King Scallops, Wild Sea Bass, Red Mullet, Loch Fyne Salmon and John Dory. A few of his favourite signature dishes are Barbarie Duck, Highland venison, Pigeon and Scottish Fillet, which is unusual for Indian cuisine. At Grand Designs Live, Sudha made a starter of roast spiced gressingham duck breast on an Asian salad tossed with a coriander and cumin dressing. The main was a pan fried spice-scented wild sea bass, chick peas and baby spinach masala, with a curry leaf flavoured spiced coconut milk reduction and tomato achar.

Grand Designs Live is based on the popular Channel 4 TV series presented by Kevin McCloud, Grand Designs Live brings to life real home improvement projects, cutting-edge design, eco-friendly innovation, and interior design, through a series of live interactive features, across a three day event. Grand Designs Live took place on 8 - 10 October 2010 in Birmingham.

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