The Dishoom team are pleased to introduce to the Dishoom Store the latest at-home creations from their dedicated team of invention-wallas – the Dishoom Masala Dabba,and the very first collection of bottled cocktails from the Permit Room.
The Masala Dabba has been created as the perfect companion to the Dishoom cookery book, containing a collection of nine of Chef Naved’s go-to spices and signature blends, thoughtfully presented in a reusabled abba (a silver metal storage tin for spices, as found in all Indian kitchens). Meanwhile, Dishoom’s daru-wallas have been busy in the Permit Room batching and bottling a brand-new collection of cocktails, and are delighted to now offer the India Gimlet, Sonia’s Negroni and Permit Room Old-Fashioned for at-home enjoyment. These brand-new items join the Dishoom Store alongside very many gifts perfect for the festive season (and beyond!), including Bacon or Vegan Sausage Naan Roll Kits, the Dishoom cookery book, Dishoom’s album of Bombay-London grooves, “Slip-Disc”, and more. All gifts can be ordered now for nationwide delivery to most addresses in the UK mainland via https://store.dishoom.com.
The Masala Dabba and “Dishoom: From Bombay with Love”
The Masala Dabbahas been created as the perfect kitchen companion for novice cooks and artful chefs alike, containing a quick-start collection of nine of Chef Naved’s go-to spices, including signature masalas and the harder-to-find spices that make mastery of Dishoom’s most-cherished recipes that much easier at home. Inside the dabba home cooks will find meticulously portioned packages of Indian spice cupboard staples, including ground coriander, dried fenugreek, whole black peppercorns and green cardamom, alongside harder-to-find spices such as black cardamom, amchur, and must-have chilli powder, deggi mirch (a medium-hot blend with a vibrant red hue, thanks to Kashmiri chillies). In addition, each dabba contains Dishoom’s signature garam masala, the foundation of many best-loved Dishoom recipes, and kabab masala, the key spice-mix that finishes many a dish. All are presented in a beautiful reusable dabba, which contains small metal pots for decanting, and a delightfully helpful little spoon for scooping and sprinkling. These tip-top spices come complete with Chef Naved’s tips on best use, providing cooks with the ingredients and know-how they need to fast-track their way to creating first-rate Indian dishes at home.
The Masala Dabba makes an especially good companion to Dishoom’s cookery book (and highly subjective guide to Bombay, with map!), “Dishoom: From Bombay with Love.” The spices included provide the foundational flavours of many of the best-loved recipes, whilst the signature masalas remove the need for much preparatory work. The spices can be used in endless recipes, ranging from simple snacks and sides such as Gunpowder Potatoes and the Bowl of Greens, to joyous everyday dinners, including House Black Daal, Rajma, Chicken Rubyand Mattar Paneer, to celebratory showstoppers such as Soft-Shell Crab Masala, Jackfruit Biryani and succulent Lamb Raan.
The highly acclaimed “Dishoom: From Bombay with Love” is an eccentric and charming cookery book, which takes readers on a day-long tour of south Bombay, peppered with much eating and drinking. Its pages are replete with stories and over 100 recipes to share with all who come to the table. The Masala Dabba (£33) and the cookery book (£26) are both available to buy separately, or as a perfect all-in gift for £50 (including a charming Dishoom tote) –simply visit https://store.dishoom.com. Chef Naved suggests home cooks replace spices regularly in order to keep them fresh, so Dishoom will also helpfully offer a complimentary refill of whichever spice is used up first.
Gifts from the Permit Room
Within every Dishoom there is a Permit Room bar, so named after the official term for all Bombay drinking establishments, in which, according to the Bombay Prohibition Act of 1949, only permit-holders may consume alcohol. Herein, liquor can be sold and imbibed, but only for the goodness of one’s health. Now, Dishoom’s daru-wallas invite guests to enjoy a taste of these drinking dens wherever they are in the UK, with the launch of their first-ever bottled cocktail collection. The team have chosen three of the Permit Room’s very best tipples–the India Gimlet, Sonia’s Negroni, and the Old-Fashioned–all which can now be ordered individually, or as a beautifully packaged collection of three.
The Permit Room Old-Fashioned is a bottle-aged muddle of Woodford Reserve bourbon, bay leaf reduction, green tea and so on, best sipped at room temperature, neat or on the rocks while sitting in a large armchair. A garnish of a bay leaf and a black olive is recommended.
The India Gimlet is Dishoom’s take on the favoured tipple of the high seas. The gimlet was originally devised to prevent scurvy when sailors, anxious to avoid death, mixed lime cordial with their gin, so creating one of the earliest cocktails. Dishoom’s version sees London dry gin infused with fresh dill, then bottled with Rose’s lime and a dash of celery bitters. Daru-walla recommends placing the bottle in the freezer, along with two coupe or martini glasses, for thirty minutes before serving, and garnishing with a sprig of fresh dill and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Lovely easy-drinking.
Sonia’s Negroniis a recreation of the famous Italian drink for the Italian-born, Indian politician. Dry citrus gin and bitter Campari are sweetened with Dishoom Chai Vermouth (macerated with cinnamon, fresh-cut ginger, cloves and vanilla), giving a more relaxed edge to the traditional robust Negroni. The drink is bottle-aged for smooth, tawny intensity and is best served over ice with a twist of orange peel.
The individual cocktails and the Permit Room Collection make delightful and delicious gifts, either as a treat for oneself or to bestow upon a loved one. Each and every drink is lovingly batched and bottled by the aforementioned daru-wallas in the Permit Room at Dishoom King’s Cross. The 200ml bottles contain two generous serves and are priced at £14 each, or £38 for the set, and are available to purchase in the Dishoom Store: https://store.dishoom.com. Bottles can be recycled, reused, or returned to any Dishoom where this thoughtfulness will be kindly rewarded.
Very Many Gifts for All Budgets and Occasions
The Dishoom Store is now fully stocked for Christmas (and beyond!) with a selection of gifts for all persons and purses. The Permit Room Collection of bottled cocktails and the Masala Dabba arrive following the recent launch of the Bacon Naan Roll and Vegan Sausage Naan Roll Kits, which offer patrons both near and far these much-missed café classics in the comfort of their own kitchens. The kits are priced at £16 plus delivery (via courier, on the day of your choice), and come with every thing needed to make two Bacon or Vegan Sausage Naan Rolls, as well as the requisite tea and spices for a plentiful batch of Masala Chai.
As well as the newest products dreamt up by Dishoom’s team of invention-wallas, shoppers can also pick up other sundries and stocking fillers. Patrons can find “Slip Disc”, Dishoom’s album of groovy 1960s Bombay-London music, available in vinyl LP and CD format (£18 and £10, respectively). Dishoom Coins make a perfect no-expiry-date gift for use in the cafés –minted with the consent of her Majesty’s Treasury, each coin can be used to settle all or part of the bearer’s bill at any Dishoom and are available in multiples of £10. Last-minute gifting is also available in the form of Electronic Gift Vouchers for redemption in the cafés, which are available in multiples of £10 for immediate email delivery. Gifts can be perused, and purchases made, at https://store.dishoom.com.