The festival celebrates the exciting cuisine of India’s Kerala region, including a dish literally fit for a Queen – as it was cooked for Her Majesty, when she visited Kerala, by our own executive chef Pramod Nair!

This festival of ethnic cuisine has been named after the Kerala marine phenomenon known as Chaakara, which occurs when a large number of fish and prawns throng together during a particular season as a result of mud bank formations and are caught by the local fishermen.

Kerala cuisine has a multitude of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes prepared using fish, poultry and meat.

Chef Pramod said: “The idea is to have a Seafood Festival in the first week of June which will last for month.”

Chef Pramod’s Chaakara menu will mainly comprise fish dishes beginning with a choice of six to eight starters and then 10 main courses along with a selection of vegetarian options.

“This is primarily an ‘a la carte’ menu with some chicken and lamb dishes from our current menu included,” he said.

“But the festival’s focus will be on the seafood, which will feature locally sourced halibut, mackerel, sea bass, monkfish, mussels, clams and a selection of shellfish.”

He added: “The idea is to bring the taste of Kerala’s seafood to the people of Wales.”

Royal connection

In 1997 Queen Elizabeth II toured the Kerala region and this royal occasion provided Chef Pramod with the opportunity to be a part of a culinary team who cooked for the royal visitors.

Recalling the occasion he said: “I was able to cook a dish called grilled Silver Pomfret, a white fish which is filleted, marinated, coated with garlic butter and then grilled. The Queen had that from my kitchen and now I would like to introduce this as a special dish, which will be the menu’s focal point. Currently we are in the process of sourcing it directly from Kerala and when served at the festival will be called ‘Queens Silver Pomfret.’”

In addition to starters and the main courses a selection of typical Kerala desserts will be served.

Steam dumplings stuffed with molasses, coconut and ripe banana or a selection of Mint & Mustard’s creative ice creams.

Kerala comprises three regions – North, Central and South – each with its own distinctive tastes and its own way of preparing dishes.

Explaining these Chef Pramod said: “In the north there is more of a Muslim influence in cooking.

Mouthwatering selection

“Lot of spices like fennel, cinnamon, green peppers plus the influence of Mogul cuisine with couscous and cashew nuts.

“The central region is totally different. Here they use the authentic clay pot for cooking and we will present one of our dishes in a clay pot. Coconut is a basic ingredient used in meat or seafood preparations in this region along with onion, ginger, garlic and curry leaves. Coconut oil is a must.

In the southern region most dishes will remain the same with perhaps a little tamarind extract introduced into a fish curry sometimes cocum, star fruit and gooseberries are used to get the sourness in the fish curry”

The objective of the seafood festival is to present these flavors and find what dishes the Mint & Mustard customers enjoy, then introduce them onto the restaurant’s new menu.

Of this unique culinary event the Chef said: “Our offer is a mouthwatering selection of traditionally cooked Kerala dishes with the emphasis being on flavor, with carefully selected wines served in elegant surroundings, all to the highest standard.”

Steve, along with a guest, will be able to select dishes from our menu of choice for two, with a total value of up to £60.00.

We always value what our customers say about their experience with us.  So to encourage more people to complete our comment card or to tweet or post a review on facebook or Trip Advisor, we run a monthly draw.

This unique three-part competition will run throughout 2012, with the winner being crowned the Wales Spice Guru 2012 during National Curry Week (8 – 14 October 2012).  One lucky winner will win a trip to Kerala in Southern India to meet a collection of top International chefs from the region, as well as featuring in a special Mint & Mustard recipe book.

“This is an excellent opportunity for friends, family and colleagues to showcase their favourite Indian cuisine and culinary inspiration by taking part in this Wales-wide competition,” said Mint and Mustard co-founder Mr Ajit M Kandoran.

Entrants of the competition need to be aged 18 years or over on 31st May; a resident of the UK, living in Wales; and should not have cooked professionally before (for full terms and conditions please see the website).

The judging panel will consist of a team of top International chefs and entrants will be judged on their creativity, flavours and culinary inspiration.   Mr Kandoran continued: “The competition is split into three-parts, with the announcement of the short-list finalists, a semi-final cook-off and an exciting head-to-head culinary battle in the autumn to crown the Wales Spice Guru of 2012!”

For more information and how to enter, visit the competition website at www.spiceguru.co.  Mint & Mustard group continues to grow its reputation as being one of the UKs leading Indian fine dining establishments with top restaurants in Cardiff, Wales and Taunton, Somerset.

Jeremy Browne said,

“It is great to see such an acclaimed restaurant in Taunton. I was honoured to be invited to open the Mint and Mustard on Station Road, Taunton. To see the dedication and enthusiasm its owner Ajit M Kandoran has for the restaurant and its success in Taunton was fantastic. The investment Mr Kandoran (who lives in Taunton and is a surgeon at Musgrove Park Hospital) has put into Mint and Mustard is brilliant. The change to the building itself is incredible and having celebrity Indian Chef Pramod designing and creating the diverse menu of contemporary Indian cuisine will be very popular with customers.

“I am delighted that Mr Kandoran chose Taunton as the new venue for his restaurant. Such new investment for the town is encouraging, especially as retail and restaurants are two of the business outlets that are finding it tougher in the current economic climate. I am sure Mint and Mustard will be a great success and I know I will be returning!”

Councillor Justine Baker was also at the launch and commented,

“I was delighted to be invited to the opening of Mint and Mustard. It was great to see the launch being made into such a local event, with even the red carpet being rolled out! The food was extremely good and was lovely to attend such a positive event for Taunton, having such an acclaimed and award winning restaurant in the town is a great asset and I wish it great success.”

The Minister and Mayor were joined by 200 guests, from Somerset businesses, borough and county councils and other local institutions for the grand opening.

Highly acclaimed as one of Wales’ best restaurants, Mint and Mustard has attracted another top international chef, Pramod Nair, to join its team.

With global gourmet experience, Chef Pramod has prepared State dinners for Presidents and Royalty, including Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and HRH Prince Phillip, as well as the Queen of Norway.

Having worked for some of the top international Indian restaurants in India, Norway and Iceland, Chef Pramod is bound to bring something new to the star of the Cardiff restaurant scene.

Executive Chef Pramod, who now lives in Cardiff with his wife and children, said: “I’m really looking forward to adding some ‘extra spice’ to this already established and vibrant restaurant where people have an appreciation for quality and value.”

“We will continue to use only the best, freshest ingredients to create dishes that are a treat for all the senses – full of flavour, light and beautifully presented. “

Born in Kerala, Southern India, Chef Pramod joins the well-established team of chefs who are responsible for picking up the coveted 2012 Michelin Bib Gourmand (one of only three in Wales), which recognises restaurants that provide exceptional quality and value.

Restaurant co-founder Mr Ajit M Kandoran said: “Chef Pramod joins us at a very exciting time with us expanding further across the UK by opening another Mint and Mustard restaurant in Taunton, Somerset.”

Following on from the success with the Cardiff restaurant, Mint and Mustard will be introducing Taunton diners to this unique contemporary Indian dining experience in early February 2012.

“We hope that we prove as popular with diners ‘over the bridge’ as we have here in Cardiff and we’re looking forward to offering diners in both restaurants some fresh and exciting dishes created by our new Executive Chef Pramod as part of our group team.” Added co-founder Mr Ajit M Kandoran.

Mint and Mustard was founded in 2007 in Cardiff and attracted an international team from start-up, including former chef Anand George.

The restaurant group continues to grow its reputation as being one of the UKs leading Indian fine dining establishments and is hoping to attract more, top International ‘guest chefs’ for special events and consumer-led projects throughout 2012.

The Michelin-award winning Mint and Mustard has been a star of the Cardiff restaurant scene since 2007 where it was named as Wales’ Best Indian Restaurant.

Executive Chef Pramod Nair has an interesting history that includes cooking for the Queen, taking part in the “Culinary Olympics”, and even being a star of Indian and Icelandic television!

Now the restaurant is expanding into Somerset, opening its new premises at 10 station Road, Taunton TA1 1NH.

Restaurant co-founder Ajit M Kandoran, a Taunton resident and surgeon at Taunton Musgrove Hospital, said:  “When we decided to expand our restaurant, Taunton was the obvious choice. Like Cardiff, Taunton is an exciting and vibrant place where people have an appreciation for quality and value.”

“We are bringing something new to the dining experience here – contemporary Indian dining that is very different to most people’s expectation of an Indian restaurant.”

“We use only the best, freshest ingredients to create dishes that are a treat for all the senses – full of flavour, light and beautifully presented.”

Taunton diners will be able to experience the dishes that saw ‘ Mint and Mustard’ pick up a coveted 2012 Michelin Bib Gourmand (one of only three in Wales) – which recognises restaurants that provide exceptional quality and value.

“We hope that we prove as popular with diners in Taunton as we have in Cardiff and we’re looking forward to giving the people of Taunton something they might not have experienced before,” added co-founder Mr Ajit M Kandoran.

It’s been a very exciting year for us, with our first listing in the Michelin Guide, as well as awards from The Observer and the Good Food Guide, and we continue to strive to make your visits to us as enjoyable as possible.

We have some exciting new developments to watch out for in the New Year – we’ll announce more after the Christmas break, but we think they’ll make your dining experience at the Mint and Mustard next year even more memorable experience.

In the meantime, we’d like to thank you for your custom in 2011 and we look forward to providing you with the best Indian dining experience in Cardiff again next year.

Just days after picking up a highly prestigious Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand, the Observer award means we’ve now been recognised in arguably the two most important food awards in the UK.

It’s a testament to the great team at the restaurant – and a sign that despite the accolades we’ve picked up in the past, we’re always committed to improving and providing an even better dining experience for our customers.

The award recognises restaurants that offer outstanding quality and value, and we are one of only three restaurants in Wales to be awarded the honour this year.

And it is a double celebration for our head chef Sid – as one of the other two winning restaurants is our next door neighbour Chai Street, for whom Sid created the menu.

Sid took over as head chef last year, and this is the first time either restaurant has featured in the Michelin guide – a testament to his skills and to the fantastic team in the kitchens and restaurant.

Only five Indian restaurants in the whole UK currently hold this award, and Mint and Mustard and Chai Street are the only two outside of London and the South East.