Chef Prasad from Dhoom restaurant in Dunfermline revisits his extensive Indian cookbook in his new “Desi Eats” menu.

After exploring twelve diverse regions across India in a nine month culinary journey, chef Dhaneshwar Prasad, of multi award-winning Dhoom Indian Streatery & Bar in Dunfermline has unveiled his latest menu.

Named “Chef Prasad’s Desi Eats”, his 13th menu since launching Dhoom in 2018, the menu is an exploration of dishes that Prasad considers are some of the very best he's come across on his many travels.

“As the name suggests, this menu is the “very best of the best,” the result of a full nine months of travel, some 15,200 kilometres covered, which has resulted in twelve different regional menus, from Mumbai to Kolkata, the South of India to Chennai, being showcased. But rather than concentrate on one specific area of India, as we have done in the past, this time I decided to highlight my personal favourites from all over the Indian subcontinent,” said Prasad.

“When I travel the streets of India, I'm looking for something different, something unique and authentic. It's all about bringing colour, flavour and a culinary sensation to our customers. They deserve the very best dishes that will delight them both visually, and in how they taste - it's what Dhoom is known for!”

Live from Wednesday, the 4th of March, the new ten course taster menu features new dishes from some of the most popular regions that Dhoom has previously explored. Kolkata is the inspiration for Veg Bhajia, crispy vegetable pakora, served as an appetiser which when Bite visits Prasad tells us is a really popular dish at weddings. Then it is over to Dheli for Paneer Tikka Makhanwala, Indian cottage cheese served with a velvety Makhani tomato based sauce; it's incredibly moreish and taste.   Mumbai, particularly on its beaches, is where you can enjoy Chowpatty Sev Puri Chaat; Dhoom’s version sees a tangy chaat made with crispy papdi, mint and tamarind sauce.

Other choices reference cities and regions with which Dhoom customers will be less familiar, such as the Rajasthani Classic, Lamb Laal Maans, a lamb curry which is slow cooked with onions, mathania chilli paste, garlic & spices. The largest area in India, Rajasthan is to the north west of the country.

Aloo Corn Chop, tasty potato and sweetcorn cutlets are from the Bengali region, whilst the Konkan Coast, part of India’s Western coastline, provides this menu’s fish curry choice, the Kokum curry, fish cooked in onion and tomato sauce flavoured with the famous sour and acidic kokum fruit of the region.

Discovering a new Dhoom taster menu gives a history lesson too, with Prasad informing diners that the Pesto Lamb Chapli Kebab is a dish first brought to India, specifically Lucknow in the north, by Afghan settlers, refugees and traders.

Prasad has made the dish healthier than its traditional counterpart, which usually sees the chapli fried. His version, of minced lamb mixed with basil, ginger, onion, and green chillies, is steamed, and then grilled.

Dating back to the days of the British Raj, the Robibarer Goat Mangshan Jhol is a very special goat curry, a comforting homestyle Sunday version from the Bengali region. With the goat meat sourced from Glasgow and marinated overnight for ultimate tenderness, it is then slow cooked with potatoes.

Finally, Prasad makes sure he pays tribute to his mother’s cooking, with the Dal Masoor, a dish of brown lentils tempered with onions, tomatoes, cumin and asofoetida, a pungent gum resin from the fennel family.

“There really is no limit to the tasty and delicious dishes that we can adapt here at Dhoom, as the whole of India is a culinary hotpot of flavours,” aid Prasad. “Whenever we launch a new menu, we are always really excited about it, and can't wait to get feedback on it from customers. My team and I present each menu with pride, it’s really important to us that we explain the heritage of every dish.”

Prasad explained that, in launching this latest menu, he had once again reached out to the local community, with representatives from many of the charitable associations and groups that he’s been supporting over the past few years, coming along as his special guests to try out “Desi Eats” before anybody else.

“It’s our pleasure to provide a preview of each new menu to these hard working people from across our community,” said Prasad.  “Their opinions really matter to me, as do the opinions of all our customers, regular and new. We never rest on our laurels.”

Dhoom’s seven course taster lunch costs £19.95, with its ten course taster dinner menu at £32.95.

To give an idea of the distances travelled by Prasad across India, since he started developing street food menus based on different regions, here are some mileage details:

• Delhi to Chennai – ~1,657 kilometers

• Chennai to Kolkata – ~1,215 kilometers

• Kolkata to Mumbai – ~1,040 kilometers

• Mumbai to Chandigarh – ~1,673 kilometers

Dhoom: 19-21 New Row, Dunfermline, KY12 7EA, Phone 01383 223340.