Student Lucia Fabianova makes onion bhajis with Raz
Catering students received expert tuition in authentic Indian cuisine from the owner of Nottingham’s Curry Lounge restaurant in the College’s food demonstration theatre in April.
Arfan Razak (known as Raz) shared specialist knowledge of Indian food and gave an insight into the restaurant business. He also discussed the restaurant’s appearance on the Channel 4 Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares profile in 2007.
Raz commented: “I wanted to present the students with the reality of the restaurant industry. The Curry Lounge is testament to the fact that a venue can be turned into a multi-award-winning eatery with a lot of hard work and dedication. This is certainly something that anyone entering the business needs to be prepared for.”
Raz cooked a variety of dishes from the Curry Lounge’s menu, including Karahi Chicken and Balchao King Prawn, to help highlight the differences between traditional Indian cuisine and westernised variations.
Faye Boucher, ncn Curriculum Leader for Apprenticeship and Train to Gain in Catering and Hospitality, added: “The students really benefited from spending time with Raz and learning how authentic Indian food differs from many of the curries served in the UK. We have a variety of guest chefs showcasing their skills as part of the course, but it was a real advantage to have a demonstration focusing on just one cuisine.”
Posted on 6th May 2010