Rose & Mango Indian restaurant prides itself on bringing the authentic taste of Kerala to St Neots – and the latest addition to its menu is no exception, with fabulous flavours and a culinary heritage to match.
Indian restaurants are one of the UK’s most popular places to eat out, with some Indian dishes becoming household staples at mealtimes too.
But at Rose & Mango, owner and head chef Maneesh Mathew has delved deep into his heritage to bring authentic Keralan dishes to diners.
One such dish is the pan-fried trout, which was added to the menu this winter and is already proving popular.
The roots of this dish start back in the early 20th century, in the Munnar region of Kerala.
Situated about 1,600m above sea level, at the confluence of three mountain streams within the Western Ghats mountain range, Munnar became a hot spot for Scots looking to develop tea plantations. But there was one thing they missed from home – trout!
Initial attempts to import native brown trout eggs from Scotland and establish a population in Munnar were unsuccessful, and it was only once they swapped to rainbow trout that the project took off.
As well as providing a taste of home for the plantation owners, locals embraced this new-found ingredient to create a fantastic fusion with the flavours of the region, which Maneesh now offers to diners in St Neots.
“In order to make this dish a true delight for seafood lovers, it is served with Thalassery seafood rice and a lemon garlic sauce,” said Maneesh. “It’s our way of preparing the trout in Kerala, but it has to be combined perfectly with rice, sauce and trout in equal proportion to be enjoyed.”
Kerala is often described as the “spice capital of India” thanks to it fragrant spice plantations and its location along the ancient spice route, which made it a hub for traders seeking precious spices like black pepper, cardamom and cinnamon.
It’s therefore no surprise that the Rose & Mango menu features many other dishes from the Indian state, including Dhaba-style chicken – a dish that you would find at a roadside stall, with a rich onion masala spread on chicken breast with a fusion of different spices.
The menu changes every six months, so there’s always something new to try at Rose & Mango, which is located at 12 High Street in St Neots.
For more information call 01480 475767 or visit roseandmango.com
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