If you still haven’t decided what to do tomorrow night on New Years Eve, don’t worry we still have availability! You can even book online and look at the menu right here – just a couple of clicks away!

Tags: New Years Eve 
Author: Alison

Now Christmas is over, it’s on to the next event, New Year’s Eve. Luckily we’re very close to Big Ben so rather than fighting your way to South Bank and standing in the cold for 3 hours while you wait for midnight, why not come and join us first? Head Chef Hari Nagaraj has a specially designed set menu that has plenty of choices and you can stay at your table over midnight or pop out to watch the fireworks and run back to the warmth of the bar. We have a DJ playing till late as well as a jazz band and a magician so plenty to keep you entertained into 2010. Check out the menu by clicking on Cuisine and Menus above and its under the Special Menu page.

Tags: Big Ben, DJ, Hari Nagaraj, jazz, magician, New Years Eve 
Author: Alison

Firstly, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! Just a quick note about our opening hours from now until the New Year. We are closed today (26th), 27th and 28th December then we will be open for dinner only on 29th, 30th and 31st December. We will close again for New Years Day 1st January, we are open for dinner on the 2nd January and then it’s business as usual from the 4th January.

Tags: New Years Day, New Years Eve, Opening Hours 
Author: Alison

For a Christmas drinks party canapes are perfect. This is quite a long recipe but these kebabs are so cute when cut into 4cm bites and will definitely wow your guests – far better than cheese on a stick! You can make your own bread for these wraps but alternatively (as in this blog) you can use tortilla wraps, and let’s face it who has time to make bread – we’ll leave that till January.

Lamb Kebab Wraps
Serves 6

For the seekh kebabs:
500g lamb mince
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
2 green chillies
8 sprigs of fresh coriander, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tbsps of grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp salt

1 red onion sliced
juice of 1/2 lemon
mango chutney
4 tortilla wraps
butter for brushing
2 eggs, lightly beaten
oil for brushing

For the seekh kebabs, mix all the ingredients together and divide into 4 portions. Shape each one round a skewer, squeezing the meat gently with wet hands so it adheres to the skewer. Place under a medium-hot grill for 8 minutes, turning regularly, until the kebabs are dark brown all over. Mix the red onion and lemon juice and set aside.

Heat a large, heavy-based frying pan or a flat griddle over a high heat and place one of the breads in it . Cook for 2 minutes on each side until just starting to colour. Brush the top with a little oil, turn the bread over and cook for 1 minute, then brush with oil again and turn again. As the bread starts to colour underneath, reduce the heat, flip the bread over and pour a quarter of the beated egg on to it. Let the egg congeal for a minute or so, then turn the bread over again to cook the side with the egg on it. Remove from the pan and set aside. Repeat with the remaining breads.

Once the breads are all cooked, lay them out egg-side upwards, spread them with butter and top with the red onoin mixture. Remove the lamb kebabs from the skewers, place a kebab in the centre of each bread and drizzle with mango chutney. Roll up the bread so the kebab is completely covered. Secure with toothpicks to prevent the bread opening, trim off the ends and cut into small chunks. Voila! The perfect canape. And to make them even more dazzling, garnish with a couple of pomegranate seeds. Yummy!

Tags: canapes, lamb, party, pomegranate, seekh kebab, The Cinnamon Club Cook Books, tortilla wraps 
Author: Alison

You’ve followed the recipe, warmed the plates, the table is set and the glasses polished – what about the wine? Matching wine with spice has always been an art and certainly quite a complex affair - even for wine buffs. For so many years in Britain, drinking wine with Indian food was, quite simply, an alien concept. Beers and lagers have long been known as a great match to curry but in the past 10 years wine and spice matching a come along leaps and bounds. One of the original objectives when opening The Cinnamon Club back in 2001 was to explore this wonderful world of pairing grape with spice and, along with our food, this objective has developed and evolved over the years into a great appreciation for flavours for both the front and back of house.  

To explain wine and spice matching would require thousands of words, so as a taster, what better way to start than with a match to Vivek Singh’s Old Delhi-style Chicken Curry, the original Chicken Tikka Masala. Laurent Chaniac recommends Alsace Gewurztraminer and comments; ‘The rich sauce will complement an equally rich Gewurztraminer from Alsace, while the smoky flavours and the fenugreek will enhance the wine’s fruit’. Delicious.

Tags: alsace, chicken tikka masala, dinner party, gewurztraminer, lager, wine 
Author: Alison

Can you believe how fast this year has flown by? If you are struggling to think of a gift for that person who has everything, why not buy them a voucher for The Cinnamon Club. We can write a special message to your loved one and the voucher is valid for one year, so there is no rush to spend it. Order online now by visiting our Shop page!

Tags: Christmas, gifts, presents, Vouchers 
Author: Alison

You may have seen ‘paneer’ appear on our menus on a regular basis but what is it? Paneer is the Indian version of set cottage cheese, made by separating  the whey from the milk by the addition of lemon juice to curdle it. When the whey is separated the solids are collected in a muslin cloth and tied and pressed under a heavy weight for a few hours until the solids set. It is widely available in supermarkets.
On its own, paneer can be quite bland but it is widely used in Indian cooking a vegetarian dish and when carefully spiced can be a fabulous alternative to meat

Tags: cheese, chilli, ingredients, paneer, vegetarian 
Author: Alison

This recipe is wonderful for a laid-back Saturday brunch with friends and never fails to impress. Taken from Executive Chef Vivek Singh’s The Cinnamon Club Cookbook, this classic Raj dish is derived from the popular kichri – rice and lentils cooked with ginger and onions. The British adapted the dish by adding eggs and smoked fish. It then made its way back to Britain as a breakfast dish, championed by, amongst others, Queen Victoria.  

Kedgeree with Smoked Haddock

Serves 4

200g smoked haddock
a little milk
1 tbsp vegetable oil
25g butter
1 onion, chopped
4cm of fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tsp of ground turmeric
2 tbsps hot fish stock or water
175g cooked basmati rice
1 tsp salt
whites from 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 tbsp of chopped frsh coriander

For the poached eggs
1 litre of water
2 tbsps white vinegar
4 eggs

Put half the smoked haddock in a pan, add enough milk to cover and bring slowly to the boil. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Heat the oil and butter in a pan, add the onion and saute until golden brown. Add the ginger and turmeric and cook for 1 minute, then add the fish stock or water. Toss in the boiled rice, then fold in the salt and chopped egg whites. Flake the cooked haddock, removing any skin and bones, and add it to the pan with the coriander. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
Cut the remaining smoked haddock into 4 portions and heat it under a grill (or in a frying pan with very little oil) for 2-3 minutes.
Meanwhile, for the poached eggs, pour the water into a shallow pan, add the vinegar and salt and bring to a gentle simmer. Carefully break in the eggs and poach until the whites coagulate and a thin film is formed over the yolk. You must take care that the water does not boil or the eggs will be ruined. Lift the eggs out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
To serve, put the rice in a bowl, the haddock on top and the poached eggs on top of that.

Tags: kedgeree, poached eggs, Raj, smoked haddock, Vivek Singh 
Author: Alison

For a spicy yuletide with a difference, come and join us this year on the 25th for a very special lunch. It can be exhausting just thinking of the preparations for a homemade affair – basting the turkey, peeling all those carrots and not to mention the brussel sprouts! Why not take all the hassle out of your celebrations with the hottest Christmas in town at The Cinnamon Club and become the ultimate hostess with the mostest…with no washing up in sight. You can even book online – it’s just two clicks away.

Tags: Christmas 
Author: Alison