Singh for your supper with Leith’s celebrity chef Tony - Liam Rudden

It's always good to see a fellow Leither do well.

Acclaimed chef Tony Singh

Whether it was watching Tom Farmer ensure you couldn't get better than a Kwik-Fit fitter, admiring the works of pop art pioneer Eduardo Paolozzi or following the career of the Fort’s Noof Ousellam from TV to West End stage, Leithers tend to take great pride in each others achievements. Must be a working class thing, that shared understanding of success in the face of adversity.

So it was a no brainer when Leith's most celebrated chef, Tony Singh, asked if I'd like to experience his ‘Singh 4 Your Supper at Home’. Not a lover of overly hot dishes, however, my acceptance was trepidatious. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll make you an aromatic version...’ he promised.

Which is exactly what his son Balraj (a top cocktail mixologist) delivered a couple of days later.

Singh 4 Your Supper At Home

Liberating some 20 food-filled containers from the delivery boxes proved a mouthwatering adventure in itself. Sing 4 Your Supper serves two and includes Fur-Fur, Pickled Spiced Onions, Kerala King Prawn, Murgh Chana, Moong Dal, Jeera Chawal, Pratha and Gaulb Jamin.

The spiced Fur-Fur, crunchy, colourful deep fried puffs (think Quavers sans cheese), proved perfect for dipping in the tubs of Mango Chilli, Taramind and Mint Coriander dips as the other dishes reheated.

With so much to prepare, timing is everything. Thankfully, a cooking guide with both microwave and traditional oven instructions keeps things simple. In a ‘real’ oven, all the dishes take between 20 to 25 minutes at 170c to heat through, with the exception of the prawns, easily the biggest I have ever seen (and juicy too), which only need 20 minutes. Of course, if you have a temperamental cooker as I do, you may have to adjust timings accordingly to ensure everything is piping hot.

With each dish dispensed into serving bowls, a banquet awaited.

The massive prawns were first to warrant attention, 10 in total served in a rich creamy coconut sauce with a nicely nuanced hint of heat. Tantalisingly balanced spices popped off the taste buds as the home-made Pratha, which had puffed up in the oven to become a wonderfully flaky bread, was ideal for mopping up the sauce.

The Murgh Chana, a subtly spiced mix of chicken and chick peas cooked with yoghurt, onions and a host of other flavours surprised me as I’ve never been a fan of chick peas - until now.

On the side we had Jeera Chewal, fluffy, light steamed rice cooked with ghee, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and cumin seeds, and some black Moong Dal, its earthy appeal contrasting nicely with the other dishes. Finally, desserts don't come richer tha​​​n Gaulb Jamin, sponge like balls soaked in syrup. Don't think about the calories, just enjoy.

Tony Singh’s life-long love and study of food is evident in every mouthful of what is easily one of the finest ‘At Home’ offers available in the Capital.

Just don’t forget to wash it all down with one of Balraj’s delicious Roasted Tellicherry Black Pepper Espresso Martinis.

Nothing beats the Leith connection... ya bass! And I don’t mean the fish.

Sing 4 Your Supper (for two) costs £60 from https://mctsingh.com/collections/singh-4-your-supper

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