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NAMASTE

Welcome to Kohil’s We trust that you will a truly unique and distinctive dining experience whilst indulging yourself with the true taste of fine Indian cuisine.

THE FLAVOUR OF INDIA

From the seemingly infinite diversity of culinary creations existing throughout the Indian subcontinent we have chosen to present some of the more characteristic, yet legendary dishes. The common term “Curry” is an English adaptation of a Tamil word “Kari” meaning in effective a “seasoned sauce” and traditionally applied to identify Indian cuisine as a whole. Incredibly varied, Indian cuisine is a combination of many nationalities and cultures. The most elaborate dishes came from the north and were inherited from the invading Persian Moguls. Pulaos and Biryanis are rich and lavish due to the ingredients used in the abundance of meat, ghee, nuts and saffron. The north Indian Kormas with their savoury souces, kebabs and tandoori dishes, complemented by home made wheat breads such as Chappatis, Parathas and Naan are world renowned. Hot, spiced tea is the favourite drink in the cold north Indian winter.
In southern India, where for the most part, people are vegetarians, rice is the staple food and is served throughout the meal. The dishes are also hotter than the northern dishes with chillies being a popular ingredient, as well as large amount of coconut oil and coconut milk. Southern Indian prefer steamed food rather than the barbequed tandoori food so popular in the north and the favourite beverage is freshly roosted, ground coffee with sugar and milk. The Nilgiri Hills in the south are famous for producing one of the world’s finest coffees.

SPICES OF LIFE

Around 5000 years ago, the Himalayan Sages convinced the use of spices and herbs as a natural means to balance the metabolism of the body. Some spices were “heat producing” others were “cooling.” The knowledge became part of Ayurveda the Hindu “Science of Medicine” eventually surfacing as taste giving ingredients in Indian cooking and it is the variety, the combinations and the Myriad uses of spices that distinguishes Indian cooking from any other cuisine in the world. The origin of the popular aphorism. “The Spice of Life” can perhaps be traced to those ancient times.

TANDOOR A TIMELESS TRADITION

Indian villagers still use the traditional mud stoves and clay ovens, fed with carol or firewood, giving the food a special smoked flavor. One such oven is the “Tandoor”. Shaped like a barrel with live coals at the bottom, the cylinder becomes evenly heated. The food, prepared first in a special marinade, is spiked on long metal rods and inserted into the oven of roasting. The Tandoor was introduced into India from the Arab world prior to the 13th century.