Monsoon

I have been used to frequenting curry houses with mirror balls and heavy, ornate furnishings that can be quite overpowering. So, walking into Monsoon, I was pleasantly surprised to see the decor was a break from the norm. Contemporary meets north Africa is the basis of the style, focusing more on light and airy rather than overdone and garish.

The food follows the same pattern. Everything is freshly cooked and prepared to order, and the tastes were absolutely exquisite for someone used to having her tongue blown off by curries tasting of nothing but fire. At Monsoon, however, some dishes may be spicy, even hot, but they are still full of flavour and you can really relish the tastes.

We started with lamb seekh kebab, paalak piyazi (spinach and onion bhaji), and murgh khas seekh (minced chicken flavoured with cheese, ginger and green chilli). Each was really tasty, but we particularly enjoyed the lamb, which was absolutely dripping with a full flavour, and the coriander really set it off. Coriander is one of my favourite herbs, but not when it is overdone. There has to be enough to taste, but not so much it drowns the lamb, and here the combination was perfect.

For the main course we had rogan josh (lamb), aloo baigan (spiced baby aubergines cooked with potatoes), and a keema methi (prawn and salmon roasted in a clay oven and served on a sizzling tray).

All the dishes were absolutely delightful, even the aubergine, which would normally have been too hot for me, was absolutely bursting with flavour.

Monsoon's owners, Razala and Mohsin Shaheen, are food artists who play with the traditional to create a new style. They are influenced by Italian, Chinese and north African cuisine, which has affected the way they prepare their dishes and the ingredients they use.

Have you ever heard of a chicken korma in which white wine is an ingredient? The wine is flamed off with the meat and onions, which sounds wonderful. We didn't try that, but now that I think about it, just about the only thing that could improve a korma is a touch of white wine.

Razala, who does most of the cooking, said: "Mohsin is wonderful in the kitchen and he has taught me a lot. I really enjoy playing around with food and mixing other cultures' techniques.

"A traditional Indian meal can take hours to cook, but we use the Chinese influence and do a lot of stir-fry, using a variety of methods.

"All our food is very fresh, and I don't even use tomato puree. Everything is the freshest possible.

"We are also very health conscious and use as little oil in our cooking as possible. Whereas other curry houses use a lot of sauce, we are trying to do something different and our recipes and dishes show that."

This couple have turned the concept of curry upside down and produced something very different. After my experience at Monsoon, I no longer think that all curry tastes the same. - AW

Monsoon, 19 Verulam Road, St Albans

Telephone: 01727 854126

Reproduced from Limited Edition magazine, exclusive guides to living in Hertfordshire, Middlesex and the London Borough of Barnet (01923 216295)

December 19, 2001 14:30