I would like to take this opportunity to bring this to your notice that it has not happened once but every time Manju Mali is on the show she shows a new Indian dish but completely changes the authenticity of the dish and makes it her own.. all dishes in India are not made of onions, ginger, garlic, tumeric, garam masala....... Indian food is basically a mixture of different herbs and spices. That does not mean it is going to be spicy or hot.. I have been watching this programme and love Jenni's presentation a lot.. all the chefs who join this show have a lot of class and come up with top dishes... except for Ms Manju Mali who completely ruins the dishes she claims to be Indian. On every incident that she comes up with an aunthentic dish from India she ruins it and I cant take it anymore.. she did this with a dish called Fish Moilly and yesterday the Rogan Josh that she made and explained was totally wrong.. The people who watch ur program will have different impression about ur dishes. Rogan as in India means meat fat and josh means literally means heat... and not meat or gosht as told by Ms Manju Mali... Traditionally fatty meat on the bone was used to make rogan josh and it was slow cooked in its own fat with extra added for intense flavour. The dish gets its heat and intensity from a lavish use of body heat inducing spices like large black cardammom and cloves... also fennel powder is essential to give fragnance.. The hall mark of the dish as cooked in Kashmir is a liberal use of the true kasmiri red chilli which has a mild flavour but gives a bright red colour.. there are no tomatoes or puree used instead it is given a sourness by using full fat yogurt.. in olden days people used the bark of a tree called Ratan JOg to give it a particular flavour and deep red colour but nowadays in restaurants in India they use the dried petals of cocks comb flower to give the same properties...Thank you very much for taking time to read my views it will be appreciated if i could get an answer from your side and i hope that u inform Manju Mali and she stops using the names of authentic dishes and ruining them... Thank you once again

Anjali Pillai

Anjali, I thouroughly enjoyed your post. I have noticed similarities with 'authentic' Italian dishes broadcast in the past. Again, incorrect ingrediants were used that are key to the final authentic taste of the meal

Hello Godfather i am glad someone took note of my remarks and replied back as well...but how do we get through to Jenni and her team not to pretend that Manju Mali is the next best thing after Curry!!!!!! I hope they realise as well that she is no good perhaps they should encourage Atul Kocchar instead cause he knows what he is talking about

I think you are being very unfair to Manju. Her first book (which I have) is called Brit Spice and that is exactly what she is about. Trying to introduce the flavours of India into British food, but just because she calls them by their Indian name, doesn't mean she cannot change the recipes. I love her recipes and she makes them all so easy for us.

dear Anjali.Methinks your first post,you quoted,Camellia Panjabi,from her excellent book.I still think,Manju cooks wonderfull food and gives it her own twist,like every other chef in the world.

hello all.
i have not posted for a very long time, but i have to agree with kunju, manju mali is not the best cook i have seen on tv.
when she had her own series, she would present her dishes half cooked and her use of herbs and spices were totally out of proportion, regarding quantity.
still fun to watch though, and cringe