The literal translation of Maharaja is Maha -meaning “Great” and Raja meaning “King”, they were the rulers of the greatest states in India, powerful enough to be considered ‘Great’ monarchs. They had a love of sport, especially Polo – the sport of Kings.
Maharajas were also keen to impress their visiting guests (Meheman) with their sporting prowess and even more so with their culinary offerings. With teams of chefs and the widest selection of ingredients available. Once the game is over the feasting begins.
The Chefs and butlers to the Maharajas are highly regarded, as they are the ones responsible to ensure every guest has the best possible experience. Recipes are prepared using only the freshest ingredients, and passed on from generation to generation with families of chefs (Rasaoiya) still serving same Royal families to this day, proving knowledge and skills are as important as the ingredients.
Thankfully we didn’t have to play polo to earn our feast at The Calcutta Club, the name deriving from the worlds oldest Polo club in Calcutta, fortunately though they do want their customers to be treated to same feasting experience as the maharajas. The Owners have over 20 years experience in cooking for and entertaining guests in their restaurants, which includes their neighbour Memsaab which they sold in 2008,
We step into the warm restaurant from a cold January night on Maid Marion Way in Nottingham. The attentive staff offer to take our robes, sorry coats whilst we warm up with a drink from the wide range of wines, beers and spirits on offer as we wait for our table.
Chana Puri
We are led through the elegant 76 seater restaurant which has the colonial feel typical of a 1920’s club room, having olive green walls and white features. We are seated to the rear of the restaurant on grand long carved seating with plenty of space around us, an area which some restaurants fail on, on the cram them in – get as much cash as you can basis. No such problem for us visiting Meheman. Next we are handed menus which boast recipes inspired from across many of India’s rich regional cuisines, alongside timeless classics including Tikka Masala, Madras and Korma and future favourites as well as Chefs specialities which vary according to season.
Chicken Tikka Hara-Masala
The first course or “First chukka’, sticking with the polo them, is a selection of starters to tantalise your palate. We choose the Chicken Tikka Hara-Masala (£6.50) Fillet of chicken breast infused in a marination of fresh mint, spinach and basil. The chicken seems to be char-grilled and the soft meat oozes tantalisingly with the infusion. We also try the Chani Puri (£4.95) flavoursome Chickpeas pan-roasted set on a puri-bread, finished with finely diced red onions, fresh coriander and tamarind chutney.
Chilli Garlic Chicken
For the second course/ “Second chukka” we choose the Chilli garlic Chicken (£11.95) Breast of chicken fillet in a rich aromatic Kashmiri sun-dried chilli and roasted garlic sauce which is full of flavour and goes well with the order of steamed Basmati Rice (£2.95) we pair it with. We also try the tasty Tandori combination (£18.95) A selection of Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Tikka, Mango Prawns and Anghari Boti. Served with salad, rice and side sauce
Tandori combination
Unfortunately we didn’t have room for any Royal sweet treats such as Gulab Jamin or Kulfi but we did love being able to choose a petit four from the tiered platter presented to us. The restaurant also offers a wide selection of teas and coffees to finish your meal.
If you fancy dining the Maharaja way then we definitely recommend a visit.
For more information viist: calcutta-club.co.uk or call 0115 9414441
