PUT Monday, March 2 down in your diary for the Banana Leaf Banquet charity dinner at The Beagle in Chorlton. TOM is planning to be there to taste a course each from three of the area’s most talented independent cooks – all profits going towards RECLAIM and Bombay Teen Challenge.
The chef line-up is Jackie Kearney (owner chef of The Hungry Gecko & 2011 MasterChef finalist), Debbie Halls-Evans (winner of Channel 4's The Taste 2014), and Claire Kelsey (award winning ice cream whizz behind Ginger's Comfort Emporium).
The unique three course dinner they create – at two sittings, 7pm and 3pm, will be accompanied by sponsored beers from Blackjack and Alphabet breweries, close associates of kind hosts Beagle.
Generous local businesses have also stepped forward to offer their help including Frosts the Butchers, Elliotts Veg, Evans of Didsbury and The Barker Baker, aka Fran Barker, who is making some bespoke tempered naans especially for the event.
The menu is:
Cauliflower cheeky chai cup
Chai spiced cup with cauliflower ceviche and herb reduction served with pouring bottle of cauliflower soup
'Banana leaf' thali banquet
Nam jim 'Frosty free range' chicken, butter paneer, makhani dal, Karnatakan vegetables, spiced crispy fishcake and pakora roulette. Served with steamed basmati rice, garlic and ginger tempered naan, cachumba salad, hot mixed pickle, aubergine and tamarind chutney and mint raita.
Ginger's Comfort 'Eccles to India' inspired dessert
A quirky take on an ice-cream sandwich. Gingers Comfort 'Eccles cake' ice-cream served between two buttery ginger sable biscuits, topped with spiced poached pear and sweet port reduction.
Tickets cost £29 a head plus booking fee and can be bought via this link.
The Beagle, 456-458 Wilbraham Road, Chorlton M21 0BQ Manchester, United Kingdom.
Pictured below, Claire, Jackie and Debbie:
