50 Great Curries of India

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The name Chutney Mary referred to the kind of Indian woman of the British era who enjoyed the Anglo culture and was very modern and playful. To the Panjabi sisters, this epitomised Chutney Mary’s approach; something very different to other Indian restaurants in London at the time. ‘We were considered quite racy and radical,’ laughs Namita.

Alongside these were ‘unabashedly Indian’ dishes ‘presented unconventionally by Chutney Mary’. These included a mixture of then familiar dishes such as roghan josh and less obvious dishes such as lamb narangi, a dish of boneless lamb served in orange-flavoured curry sauce.

Mathrani believes his sister-in-law’s version of events is an oversimplification, and that he and Abraham - who would go on to found highly successful national French restaurant chain Chez Gérard - had discussed the possibility of going into the restaurant business long before his and Namita’s nuptials.

Spotify wrapped 2023: Arijit Singh becomes most-streamed artist, King’s “Maan Meri Jaan” emerges is most-streamed song in India Namita Panjabi, her husband Ranjit Mathrani and her sister Camellia are the masterminds behind the award-winning Masala World restaurant group that specialises in authentic, regional Indian cuisine prepared by specialist chefs. Mathrani serves as chief executive and the Panjabis as group directors.Heat the oil in a shallow pan. When smoking hot, add the pinch of mustard seeds and when they pop, add the curry leaves and stir. They will release their fragrance into the oil. After a minute or so, add the red chilis and stir. After a few seconds (and before red chilis turn very dark) add the pineapple. Stir for 10 minutes. So, is it time to stop, job well done? There’s still stuff to learn, Camellia insists, there are still conventions to rattle. She approves of the Japanese principle of kaizen, the power of continuous, small-step improvements.‘And there’s a phrase in Gujarati – avay sun. It means ‘what next?’ or ‘now what?’. It’s about moving forward. Every time I meet the team and discuss things with them, I end with "avay sun?".’ The sisters are sanguine about why they work together so well as sisters, as Namita sees it, ‘We have very different strengths which dovetail well. Besides being a brilliant cook, Camellia [author of 50 Great Curries of India] is very good at taking a helicopter view, being intuitive and looking ahead, predicting trends. Whereas I am much better at setting style and thinking about the detail and presentation of dishes and the interior. We talk food all the time. Of course, we argue and disagree, yet we laugh a lot too. I couldn’t imagine working any other way.’ For those who are forsaking pleasures of the flesh, I have a really delicious Indian dish where fruit is the star. Chef Camellia Panjabi’s pineapple curry, with coconut, is subtly spiced and refreshing. (Having said that, I also tried my own version with slices of pork.)