"Taj of Kent" v. Raynham Villas

[Peripatetic Phil]

Well, as herself is due home this evening I felt I would avoid creating my usual mess and smells in the kitchen by having a takeway rather than cooking the evening curry for myself.  And having done so, I tried as far as possible to analyse what I was eating, and to mentally compare it with my own recent efforts.  First up was the onion bhaji, but as I haven't yet successfully made any of these, no comparison was possible.  Sufficient to say that they were fine, and improved by dipping them in the raita provided (plus a good sprinkling of salt).  Then it was pilau rice, mushroom bhaji and chicken Madras.  First point of interest were the occasional dark flakes in the pilau rice, which I thought would be fried shallot flakes but which in practice tasted more like mace.  They may have been fried garlic slices, I suppose, so I shall pay even greater attention to them [1] when I finish up the curry tomorrow or the day after.  The mushroom bhaji had no trace of tomato in any form, but the occasional thin strip of green pepper which didn't seem to add a great deal apart from introducing a modicum of variety.  In the Madras, there was no evidence of tomato in the sauce, which was brown rather than any shade of orange or red, but there were small pieces of conventional tomato and a few strips of green pepper, together with one small  piece of lime or lemon.  On balance, the chicken Madras was no better than, and possibly inferior to, my own version, which is a surprise since when I first reviewed the Taj of Kent I commented particularly on the breadth and depth of flavour of the Madras sauce.  Possibly the head chef was off-duty tonight (last night was "Choose any five dishes for ten pounds" night, so he probably deserves the next night off), or alternatively they have more than one chef on duty and takeaways get delegated to the sous chef.  All in all an interesting experiment, and at least I now know I have nothing to be ashamed of in my own chicken Madras.

** Phil.

[1] Foiled : herself helped herself to the pillau rice when she arrived home, thereby preventing any further analysis of the mysterious dark flakes 

[Panpot]

Hi Phil, Can you tell us where the Raj actually is? Cheers PP

[Peripatetic Phil]

Hi Phil, Can you tell us where the Raj actually is? Cheers PP

"Taj of Kent" is at 2 Coronation Villas, Church Green, Marden, Kent TN12 9HS
** Phil.

[parker21]

hi phil think you are right about the mace in the rice it will have been fried with any other whole spices before the rice was put in the pot then the water is added to boil the rice.
and isn't the TAJ the world record holder of the largest onion bhaji? or at least they were a few years ago! have you asked to get in their kitchen and see your food cooked?
regards
gary

[Peripatetic Phil]

isn't the TAJ the world record holder of the largest onion bhaji? or at least they were a few years ago!

Not as far as I know, and a Google search for '"largest onion bhaji" taj' doesn't throw up any hits, so it seems unlikely.

have you asked to get in their kitchen and see your food cooked?

No, I fear the effect would be like my first-ever visit to the Outer Hebrides.  Before I went there, they were a magical place that existed primarily in my imagination; once I had been there, all of the magic just disappeared, which I found very very sad.  I would be afraid the same would happen if ever I saw inside the kitchen of my favourite BIR !

** Phil.