EXCLUSIVE: ‘I just want people to try my East Indian food’ Don’t miss Tikka and Tadka’s Bengali ‘Grisher Bhuribhoj’ feast at Worton Kitchen Garden!

When Roshni Ray gave up her job in the NHS to open her own Bangladeshi kitchen Tikka and Tadka in Wantage she had no idea how quickly it would take off.

Now curry boxes sell out every week, while catering for events, weddings and festivals, which Roshni is now preparing for Tikka and Tadka‘s very first pop-up supper club in Worton vegetable garden in Cassington on 1 Juneand the tickets are selling quickly.

The six courses’Grisher Bhuribhoj‘ menu aims to introduce a new wave of people to authentic Bengali food: “The kind of food you would eat in Eastern India at home or in the restaurants there,” says Roshni. “So I included a lot of family recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation.”

Grisher Bhuribhoj means ‘welcome to summer’, so Roshni’s menu has many cooling dishes for you to enjoy Worton vegetable garden‘s greenhouse restaurant or outside in their organic gardens.

So you can expect it DOI FUCHKA – a popular vegetarian snack from Kolkata – fried balls filled with potato, coriander chutney, tamarind chutney, yogurt and sprinkled with spices, MACHER CHOP – crispy fish croquettes served with homemade tamarind chutney, SINGHARA CHAAT – a Bengali version of the vegetarian Indian street food Samosa Chaat, NARKEL DIYE CHOLAR DAL – Chana Dal cooked with coconut and ginger, tempered with Bengali Garam Masala and served with steamed basmati rice, GONDOHARAJ CHICKEN – chicken curry infused with Gondhoraj lime, kaffir lime leaves and minimal spices, served with steamed basmati rice and PANTUA CHEESE CAKE – a unique fusion of Bengali pantua with western cheesecake. There are also vegetarian but not vegan alternatives.

So how did it Tikka and Tadka come about? “When Roshni moved here 15 years ago to build a career in stem cell and regenerative medicine, Roshni quickly realized that food was her passion, even though she loved her job. And shortly after founding Tikka and Tadka, he left to run the company full-time.

“I couldn’t find authentic Bengali food here in Oxfordshire. It’s mainly westernized Bengali and Pakistani restaurants or South Indian eateries here, not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I wanted people to understand what Bengali food tastes like and realize that that was my calling

“Because I love cooking. It’s how I show love – through my food. It’s my passion and people seem to love the food I make for them! Cooking makes me happy and shows that you care about me.”

A big step then? “My husband is so supportive. When we started Tikka and Tadka, I would cook and he would do the deliveries, so it was a big team effort. But I am so proud of my heritage and the cuisine that it has all been worth it and we are so proud of where Tikka and Tadka are today.”

So what characterizes Bengali food? “Bengalis love fish and sweets, but our curries do not contain sugar, so you won’t find chicken tikka masala or baltis on my menus,” Roshni laughs. “Bengali dishes also have less heavy spices than many Indian foods, relying more on chili, coriander and turmeric for flavor. But it’s not super spicy either, but the ingredients are always seasonal and allowed to shine.

“So I go to local farmers to buy all my vegetables, even though some ingredients are so specific, like the limes in the Gondoharaj chickenthat we have to get them from India, via London.

Roshni now wants to expand from her home kitchen to a larger building and is looking for a larger team. She has big plans Tikka and Tadka.

But in the meantime, she’s gearing up for Tikka and Tadka’s first ever supper club at Worton Kitchen Garden: ‘I’m so excited. I’m so looking forward to people trying my Bengali dishes because it’s what I grew up eating. Sharing food is a great way for people to meet, chat and even fall in love. “

The GRISHER BHURIBHOJ Bengali Indian Feast at Worton Kitchen Garden in Cassington takes place on June 1 and costs £60 per person for six courses and numbers are limited. Book here: https://wortonkitchengarden.com/event/worton-supper-club-grisher-bhuribhoj-a-bengali-feast-to-welcome-the-summer/

Tikka and Tadka are located in Wantage. To contact them (don’t forget their weekly curry boxes which they deliver around Oxfordshire on Saturdays, menus go up on Wednesdays) go to https://www.tikkaandtadka.com