(Asian Independent)- Tilda has been at the heart of dinner tables across the UK for over 50 years. This year, to celebrate Diwali and inspire home cooks, Tilda partnered with celebrated chef Monisha Bharadwaj, content creator Sonali Morjaria and flavour enthusiast Radhika Howarth to truly showcase the message that food plays a central role in bringing people together.
At an event hosted on the 14th of October at Bellavita Academy, Tilda presented 3 tasting menus to guests, which were curated by the three leading influencers, each with a touch of innovation, tradition, and Diwali rituals. With Diwali lights, decorations and a wonderful audience comprising of various food aficionados including MasterChef winner Santosh Shah, the venue was buzzing with the festivities.
All the three Diwali menus served on the night, perfectly highlighted the versatility of Tilda’s rice and brought to the fore recipes, which were a spectacle for the eyes and a delight for the taste buds.
Monisha Bharadwaj, chef and an award-winning food author was brought up on an Ayurvedic-inspired diet, where food brought happiness and physical well-being. Monisha served the guests, an entrée of Watermelon Dosa made with Tilda Pure Basmati, followed by a generously flavoured Hyderabadi Vegetable Biryani made with Tilda Grand Extra Long Basmati Sella, and an aromatic Rose and Pistachio Kheer, made with Tilda Jasmine Rice.
Sharing her joy, Monisha said, “I was delighted to partner with Tilda Rice to celebrate Diwali 2022 with food and festivities. I created a 3-course menu using different varieties of Tilda rice and was amazed at how each one brought a unique flavour, fragrance and texture to my recipes. Thank you Tilda for a show stopping event! Happy Diwali!”
Sonali Morjaria was the next to showcase her recipes, a content creator who finds joy in creating delicious recipes that look enticing with a healthy angle. Being a second generation British Indian, she is proud of her Indian roots and through food and festivals, she believes in passing on the cultural baton to the next generation. For the event, Sonali’s menu included Rice and Vegetable Bhajiyas made with Tilda Pure Basmati, followed by a flavoursome Kadai Mattar Paneer served with Tilda Pure Basmati and Chocolate Rice Halwa for dessert, made with Tilda Long Grain Rice.
Sonali shared her excitement by saying, “I was delighted to be a part of the Tilda Diwali celebrations showcasing how versatile and easy it is to use this premium rice brand in three different festive recipe creations. From starter to desert, rice was the perfect hero of every dish”.
The finale of the evening was a menu inspired from world flavours created by flavour enthusiast and content creator Radhika Howarth. Her entrée was Italian inspired Arancini Rice Balls with a masala twist made with Tilda Pure Basmati, while her main course, Baghali Polo had borrowed flavours from the Persian cuisine and was made with slender grains of Tilda Grand Extra Long Basmati Sella. For her dessert Radhika served up a royal treat of Zarda Pulao.
“The Tilda Diwali was an evening and an event to remember! It was festive, joyful, exciting and it was fantastic to see the guests enjoy a fiesta of delicious and delightful rice dishes created by the three chefs”, said Radhika.
Shabnam Sahi, Sunrise RJ and podcaster said “I loved hosting the pre-Diwali soirée for Tilda, toasting culture, tradition and diversity in all its splendour. Our three culinary queens dished up a specially curated menu, proving yet again that food and specifically rice lies at the heart of our traditions. A shared meal prepared with love and quality ingredients brings people together and becomes a cherished memory. Happy Diwali!”
Nikhil Deshpande, Brand Lead at Tilda was present on the occasion and said “It’s been brilliant to celebrate Diwali this year focussing on tradition and delicious food. Rice plays a fundamental role across cultures, so it’s been incredible to showcase this though a special tasting menu that stretched across different regional cuisines of India using our quality grains that truly elevate any dish. Building on our fifty-year heritage, Tilda is committed to celebrating cuisines and cultures with an emphasis on quality and flavour”.
