Spicing it up

Going out for an Indian meal to me has always meant bowls full of pilau rice, piled high with chicken korma and masala all topped off with onion bhajis and a garlic naan bread. Sad, I know.

Just one meeting with top Indian chef Vineet Bhatia was enough to make me see there was a great deal more to Indian cuisine.

Thanks to mum

Bhatia was born in 1967 into an educated, middle-class family in Mumbai, India. His first passion in life was aeroplanes followed by his mother's first love, cooking.

Now, Bhatia has restaurants across the globe and is famous for serving fine Indian meals.

And best of all, he owes it all to his mother. He said: "Many of my influences in the creation of my recipes come from my mother. She had a fantastic imagination when it came to cooking, and I have yet to taste food quite like hers."

Bhatia has spent the past 12 months assessing and tweaking the menu at Indego — the fine dining Indian restaurant at the Grosvenor House Hotel, West Marina Beach.

And the tweaking was definitely worth it.

Bursts with flavour

I have to be honest, I never imagined you could (or should) ever incorporate lobster or fresh smoked salmon into an Indian dish.

I may not be well-educated when it comes to Indian food but, as far as I'm concerned Bhatia has hit the right spot.

The food at Indego simply bursts with flavour in all the right ways. It is wonderfully presented and stays light.

On Gordon Ramsay

After deciding against a career in the skies, Bhatia turned his attention to food. He successfully applied to study at a catering college in Mumbai and did so from 1985 to 1988.

Following the advice of his parents, both professionals themselves, he also gained an economics degree in 1989.

He said: "I have put my heart and soul into the food I prepare. I work with my family and friends in the business to create what I believe to be unique dishes."

"I teamed up with friend and celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay for a few business ventures and have learnt a lot along the way."

TV series

"Gordon is great guy and we have had many laughs. He is as passionate about food as I am — a trait which has made him a success today."

"He has always been more of a showman than me. However, I am doing my first television series in the UK soon."

The Oberoi hotel group was among the first to spot his talent and determination, and recruited him as a trainee in 1988. He remained there for three years covering all aspects of Indian cuisine.

Star chef

Bhatia now owns and runs Rasoi (kitchen) in Sloane Square, London.

He said: "Rasoi aspires to be a family-run restaurant offering an experience in dining with all the warmth, personal touch and care."

His years of hard work finally paid off when in January 2006 Rasoi was awarded a coveted Michelin star.

He said: "The wonderful thing about growing up in Mumbai was the eclectic influence all around you. It is a melting pot of culinary delights from all over the many different regions of India."

Worldwide success

Vineet Bhatia's modern progressive attitude to Indian cuisine has put him in great demand throughout the world, and it was not long before he attracted the attention of British Airways. Since April 2003, First and Business Class passengers on British Airways have dined on Bhatia's classic and original dishes.

His most exotic restaurant is located on the sun-drenched island of Mauritius and is called Safran. It was voted the Best Resort Food in the World by Tatler Awards in 2004.

In 2001, Bhatia consulted for the opening of Mushq at the Manor – India's first boutique hotel in Delhi.

Since 2002, Bhatia has been a consultant for Tantra, a highly successful restaurant on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.

The menu

Starter: Home-smoked fresh salmon marinated with grainy mustard, chilli paste, honey, ginger, garlic, fresh coriander, dill and yoghurt, pot-roasted (tandoor) on the skewer and sizzled with lemon juice. Served with cucumber and dill raita (yoghurt whipped with salt and roasted cumin powder).

Main: Tandoori lobster with chilli mash lobster morsels marinated with yoghurt, red chilli paste, ginger garlic paste, lemon juice, garam masala, carom seeds, coriander powder, cooked in tandoor and served atop green chilli and potato mash.

Dessert: Indego dessert platter. Assortment of subtle Indian delicacies including: Gulab jamun (caramelised milk dumpling in coconut and white chocolate basundi, milk reduction). Crispy, philo-cased, dark and white chocolate samosa. Saffron poached milk dumpling with pistachio candy floss.