SAMEER TANEJA

BENARES RESTAURANT & BAR LONDON

Originally from Delhi, India, Sameer Taneja first developed an interest in food, and received his degree in culinary arts from Mangalore, on India’s South-West coast. Prior to moving to the UK in 2003, he worked at The Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur. Having worked with luminaries such as; Pascal Proyart of One-O-One Restaurant, Michel and Alain Roux of three Michelinstarred Waterside Inn, Joel Antunes of Brasserie Joel and Pierre Koffmann of Koffmann’s, He has also cooked at many prestigious events including; St. Moritz Gourmet Food Festival alongside Claude Bosi, Angela Hartnett and Nathan Outlaw; and the official birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, whilst representing Benares Madrid. Following this, Sameer joined Benares London as Head Chef from 2012 until 2015, before launching his own restaurant venture, the much lauded Talli Joe in Covent Garden, which offered Indian tapas and innovative cocktails. Following its closure, Sameer returned to Benares as Executive Chef in the summer of 2019. As the Executive Chef at Benares, London’s trail blazing Michelin-starred Indian restaurant in Mayfair. Using his classical training in French and Indian cuisine and 20 years’ experience working alongside some of the world’s best chefs, Sameer’s culinary style pairs high quality British ingredients with authentic Indian spices and techniques. Under his leadership, Benares recently regained its Star in the 2021 Michelin Guide to Great Britain and Ireland.

Benares Signature Black Lentil This legendary lentil preparation has made its presence globally. It is perfect with naan bread

INGREDIENTS

150g whole urud dal / 50g dried red kidney beans / 1 green chili, chopped / 2cm piece of fresh ginger, chopped / 1 tbsp sunflower oil / 1 tsp cumin seeds / 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped / 1 large onion, finely chopped / 1 tbsp ground coriander / 1 tsp red chili powder 1 tsp ground fenugreek / 1 tsp garam masala 150ml passata / 1 tbsp tomato purée / 1 tbsp lemon juice / 45g butter / 100ml single cream sea salt for seasoning

Method

A day ahead, soak the dal and kidney beans together overnight in enough cold water to cover by 2.5cm. The next day, drain and rinse the dal and kidney beans, then put them in a saucepan with double their depth of fresh salted water. Bring to a boil and boil hard for 10 minutes, skim the surface, add the green chili, ginger and simmer over a low heat for 50 minutes, or until the dal and beans are both very tender. Set aside to cool in the liquid and they will continue to absorb liquid as they cool. Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the cumin seeds and sauté over a medium heat until they crackle. Add the garlic and sauté until light brown in colour. Add the onions and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes until light brown. Add the coriander, chilli powder, fenugreek and garam masala, and sauté for a further minute, then add the passata and tomato purée. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer, stirring frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes until blended. Stir in the cooked dal and kidney beans with any remaining liquid and bring to the boil, then simmer, uncovered, for a further 12 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened. Set aside until required. At this point the dal can be left to cool and chilled for up to 2 days. Just before serving, reheat if necessary, and stir in the lemon juice, butter and cream with salt to taste.

DAL MAKHANI

by SAMEER TANEJA