A Bombay Feast at Christmas

One of our absolute favourite Indian dishes is Raan, a whole leg of lamb, slow-cooked until the meat is so tender it’s falling off the bone. Much-celebrated and more than a little lavish, and therefore quite fitting for Christmas. And in a slightly inspired (read crazy) move we decided to try it with turkey instead – and the results were absolutely phenomenal. Our chef Naved Nasir could actually be a genius. Perhaps a superhero, like in that new Sharukh Khan movie. That’s going a bit far, but you get the idea…

Unlike a traditional roast, we marinate the meat and cook it slowly over a whole day to keep maximum moisture and flavour. We cover the turkey leg with a dry rub of salt and chilli followed by ginger and garlic paste, then allow it to rest and absorb the flavours. The marinated meat is braised over several hours in a rich stock spiced with star anise, black cardamom and bay leaves, before being grilled over charcoal. Finally, it is tossed with butter, lime and black pepper.

Rich, moist and packed with flavour, Flaming Turkey Raan is the antidote to every disappointing Christmas dinner you’ve ever had…

And let’s not forget the accompaniments – the turkey comes with a fiery-sweet chutney made with cranberries and red chillies. And zingy Bombay Potatoes and Masala Winter Greens round off an altogether pretty spectacular dish.

And no matter how full you feel, it will be impossible to resist finishing off your feast with a glass of Naughty Chai.

So this Christmas say no to dull-as-dishwater dinners, and come and try a Bombay Christmas feast in London.