Pistachio, coconut & yoghurt — Colonel Saab London
Pistachio (pista) and coconut (nariyal) are two of the great luxury ingredients in Indian confectionery — pistachio was brought to India by Persian traders and adopted enthusiastically into Mughal cooking (Mughal emperors prized pistachios and almonds above all other nuts); coconut is the defining flavour of South Indian coastal cooking, used in everything from coconut oil to coconut milk to the grated coconut that goes into chutneys, curries, and sweets across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Goa. Colonel Saab's Pistachio & Coconut Lassi unites the North Indian Mughal pistachio tradition with South Indian coconut — a fitting drink for a restaurant that spans India's culinary geography.
Blanched pistachios (skins removed) blend more smoothly and give a prettier pale-green colour. To blanch: boil for 30 seconds, drain, then rub in a towel to remove skins. Coconut cream (full fat, not coconut milk) gives richness without wateriness. A high-speed blender (Vitamix, NutriBullet) achieves a much smoother result than a regular blender for the pistachio paste.
An elegant homage to the era of the Indian Army officer — refined North and Central Indian cuisine in a handsome Holborn dining room. Colonel Saab's bar programme is built on house-spiced spirits and techniques drawn from both the subcontinent and the British raj era, producing some of London's most inventive Indian cocktails.
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