FOOD & DRINK

Spicy Mango Margarita

This cocktail I created for National Curry Week 2022 would make a perfect accompaniment to any spicy takeaway (or ‘fakeaway’) you indulge in this Festive Season.

Recipe 50ml Tequila Blanco 25ml Cointreau 15ml Lemon Mint & Honey Syrup [Homemade] 3 Fingers of Mango Juice of one Lime Juice of half a Lemon Quarter Teaspoon of Ground Turmeric Pinch of Hot Chilli Powder To make the Lemon, Mint and Honey Syrup: Heat two parts honey to one part water until combined. Add the zest of one lemon and three springs of mint and leave to cool until room temperature. Strain out the mint and lemon zest and store in a sterilised bottle.

To serve: Blend all ingredients together along with three ice cubes (or three quarters of a cup of crushed ice). Add a quarter of a teaspoon each of salt, sugar and hot chilli powder to a plate, stir together, add lime juice to the glass rim and then dip into the spicy mixture. Finally, pour the blended cocktail into the glass, garnish with lime and enjoy! Follow Lewis on Instagram: @sundaycocktailclub

JOINER PARTY 9TH DEC DJ, DINNER & DANCING £69 per person

Christmas at your place in the country

CHRISTMASPARTIES FESTIVELUNCHES&DINNERS CHRISTMASEVENTS FESTIVEAFTERNOONTEA

Now’s the time to celebrate, enjoy our fabulous festive lunch, tuck into a three-course meal and make it a day to remember.

FESTIVE LUNCH

29TH NOV- 24TH DEC

£29

per person And for that perfect party, we are here to host you, come and join us, pop some bubbly, enjoy a three-course meal and dance the night away.

PARTY NIGHTS

29TH NOV- 24TH DEC

£45

per person

For further information.... T. 01234 230 396 | E. Enquiries@chicheleyhall.co.uk www.chicheleyhall.co.uk/christmas

Maaya Indian Kitchen and Bar is an independent restaurant situated in the contemporary Hub area of Central Milton Keynes. Refurbished earlier on this year, Maaya is a super modern and award-winning Indian eatery which still maintains its passion for traditional fare. The surroundings, without a doubt, are magnificent; the walls are covered in artistically handpainted murals with an interior design focus on India’s native bird and each and every table is beautifully laid.

Festive spice

with a modern twist

Maaya’s philosophy is simple: to convey their passion for Indian cuisine and their desire to evolve modern flavours through deep-seated traditions.

On arrival at an incredibly busy Maaya (considering it was a Thursday night of no particular importance in October) we were greeted with a smile by the friendly service staff and shown to our table. As two huge Christmas fans, we were over the moon to see that our booth was festively decorated ready for our dining experience. We wanted to get into the Christmas spirit so decided to order some drinks before indulging. Maaya’s bar is home to some of my favourite cocktails available anywhere in the Hub but, if you’re not a cocktail fan, they also offer an extensive range of hand-picked wines. We went for two premium cocktails priced at £9.95 each: The sweet-withcaramel Bombay Star Martini and, my personal favourite, Apple Pie on the Rocks – a delicious blend of warming cinnamon whisky, vanilla vodka, apple juice and cinnamon.

Now on to the food on offer this Christmas time: for the whole month of December, Maaya will be serving the option of three different set menus, priced at £24.50 (for two courses,) £29.50 (for three courses) One to try - Maaya's Apple Pie on the Rocks and £34.50 (for three courses plus after dinner drinks). Each works on an ‘eat as much as you can’ basis and are ideal for parties of four or more diners – perhaps particularly perfect for groups of friends, families or work colleagues this festive season. Various sharing dishes are served on the table (for guests to help themselves to) and each of the main courses are able to be replenished without any additional cost. Maaya make it abundantly clear they are able to cater for alternative dietary requirements (such as allergies and food preferences) and they also have a plethora of vegetarian and vegan options. I spoke to the waiter about my nut allergy and any possible changes to the Festive Menu; he instantly assured me that the chefs would be made aware and adapt the menu as necessary which set my mind at rest and allowed me to settle straight into our evening.

We were eating off ‘Festive Menu B,’ priced at £29.50 – although we did have a few alterations made due to my allergy. First up were the appetisers – poppadoms and a trio of relishes – which went down an absolute treat as we polished off our warming cocktails and pulled our Christmas crackers. What better way to start a meal than donning a gold crown, sharing a few jokes and guessing charades! Next up were the selection of sharing starters, all served with a pouring jug of sweet mint yoghurt and salad: Achaari Chicken Tikka – bite-sized and incredibly tasty morsels of tandoorroasted chicken marinated in piquant spices; Gilafi Seekh – a succulent and spiced skewer of minced lamb, chopped onion and bell peppers grilled (to perfection!) in the tandoor; Paneer Tikka – crispy grilled cubes of Indian cottage cheese topped with sweet

Go prepared for a feast when you dine at Maaya

slices of bell pepper and finally, Britain’s beloved snack; Onion Bhajee – a crispy onion mesh fritter in gram-flour batter.

At this point we were already feeling pretty content with the volume of food we’d eaten but it just kept coming! The mains, served sharing style (accompanied by saffron pilau and garlic naans,) were all incredibly flavoursome. On the table, we had: Chicken Tikka Masala (which was Harriet’s favourite, but a little sweet for me) – chicken tikka pieces simmered to perfection in a tomato and cream-based, brown onion gravy; my favourite, Garlic Chilli Chicken; chicken chunks cooked with a slightly sweetened chilli sauce, black pepper, and an abundance of garlic; Kosha Mangsho – slow-cooked lamb with caramelised onions and tempered spices in mustard oil and two vegetarian dishes; Saag Aloo – cubed new potatoes with spinach, fresh fenugreek and spring onions and, finally; Chana Masala – a North Indian dish of roasted chickpeas and coriander.

We were both offered desserts – either Gulab Jamun (fried doughballs soaked in sugar syrup) or their Cheesecake of the Day – but we were physically unable to eat another thing! In fact, we ended up taking home a fairly sizeable doggy bag which made for an incredible Friday morning breakfast.

My advice? Head to Maaya for their festive feast with a BIG appetite – and pace yourself! Lesson learnt!

Book at: maayamiltonkeynes.com or call: 01908 242665

> If you would like your restaurant reviewed get in touch mkpulse@pulsegroupmedia.co.uk Follow Emma on Instagram: @emmaroseeats

Our recipes come from MK Pulse food writer, Sofia Gallo, an acclaimed local chef, food writer and teacher at Milton Keynes Cookery School. She has recently won the ICG Cooking Competition and was a contestant on BBC’s Masterchef.

Follow Sofia: Instagram: @in_cucinacon_sofia FB: incucinaconsofia www.lamiacucina.co.uk

A take on a classic spanakopita

Makes: One 15cm round pie

INGREDIENTS

3 tbsp of olive oil 7 sheets filo pastry 50g unsalted butter melted 1 shallot, chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed 250g butternut squash cut into 1cm cubes 100g woodland mushrooms sliced – or preferred mushrooms 250g baby spinach Chilli flakes – to taste 100g blue cheese – or preferred other cheese 2 tbsp of breadcrumbs

METHOD

1. Pre-heat your oven at 180°C / Gas Mark 4. In a large pan, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil and add the shallot to soften, followed by the crushed garlic, still with the peel. This will allow for the garlic not to be too strong in flavour. Add the squash, season to taste and let cook until soft. Add the chilli flakes if using and flavour for about 1 minute or two. Place the mix in a bowl and set aside. Remove the garlic.

2. In the same pan, add another tbsp of olive oil and cook your mushrooms. Quickly stir-fry these and place them in the same bowl with the butternut squash.

3. Blanch your spinach lightly and squeeze the excess water through a sieve and muslin. TIP: use freshly boiled kettle water and pour over the spinach.

4. To assemble the bake: Line a 15cm tin with parchment paper and start layering the filo pastry sheets alternating butter in between the layers. Make sure you leave one sheet aside for the top and let the pastry overhang.

5. Completed the layers, sprinkle 2 tbsp of breadcrumbs at the bottom and start layering the filling starting with the butternut and mushrooms mix, spinach and half of the cheese crumbled. Repeat a second time. The quantities are enough for two layers.