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I have always felt that India doesn’t have one cuisine but several cuisines. And this is very much in evidence at a newly opened fine dining restaurant in the leafy green setting of Cobham in Surrey in Southern England. Massala has come up with a menu that’s traditional yet modern in its approach. One of the chefs Sunil Sinha has been trained by the acclaimed Taj Group of hotels and during his time with them, he has extensively researched dishes from Benares, Agra and Jaipur - all in the northern region of India. Chef Sinha feels that the combination of spices is important when it comes to cooking Indian food and he wanted to make authentic dishes using authentic techniques. Although there is Chicken Tikka Massala on the menu, Sunil stressed that he created his own recipe in the traditional Northern Indian way. And one day I hope, he may impart this secret recipe.

The Massala menu was easy to read and explained clearly where each dish came from. I sampled the Delhi delicacy Aloo Tikki - a potato patty with sweet and sour notes coming from fresh ginger, dates and tamarind encased in the spicy mash. The Gilafiseek Lamb were rustic kebabs made with seasoned mince lamb that were cooked in the restaurant’s very own tandoor (clay oven) and the Zafarini Malai Tikka was succulent breast of chicken flavoured with aromatic green cardamom and fresh coriander.

I always feel that in order to savour the flavours of curries, its best to accompany the dishes with simple breads. The Lachcha Paratha - a multi layered flaky bread worked well with with the south Indian coconut sauced preparation known as Monk Fish Malabar which I ate with Sukhi Meloni Sabzi - a medley of European vegetables in a tangy tamarind and asafoetida (asafoetida is a spice which gives dishes an onion and garlic flavour) laced sauce.

The unusual but melt in the mouth Roast Lamb Laziz from the North East region was a pleasant surprise and reminded me of a slow-cooked hearty lamb casserole with all the flavours of India. India is surrounded by water on three sides, so there are a wealth of fish recipes and more so from western India. The Patrani Machchi, a delicately spiced sea bass prepared in a traditional Parsi fashion by wrapping the whole fish in banana leaves and then steaming would make a great summer evening choice.