Latest news with #Itihaas
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Two top restaurants are offering volunteering opportunities this summer
Two of Scotland's most successful Indian-style restaurants are celebrating UK Volunteers' Week by inviting local people for a taste of work in the industry. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Volunteers' Week, which runs until June 8, is a UK-wide campaign marking the contributions made by volunteers to national life. It highlights the diversity of volunteering across the UK and unites national organisations in honouring volunteers' positive impact. The new volunteering programme, which will continue to run beyond the week, is being set up by Itihaas in Dalkeith and The Radhuni in Loanhead. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Habibur Khan, managing partner of both restaurants, said: 'We want to give back to our community by providing local people with work experience and perhaps opening the doors to part or full-time paid employment in the sector. Itihaas and Radhuni are offering volunteering opportunities throughout the summer. 'Volunteering brings benefits and confidence to people from all backgrounds. It helps them feel respected, valued and a worthwhile part of any organisation. We will help them shine by introducing them to what it's like in a hospitality environment where customers are the priority. In 2024 Radhuni was named UK Curry Restaurant of the Year and Matin Khan, Executive Director, was voted UK Curry Chef of the Year by trade magazine Curry Life. Radhuni is one of only a handful of Indian-style restaurants in Scotland to hold an AA Rosette for culinary excellence. Caroline Robb, external relations leader, UK Department of Work and Pensions for East Scotland, said: 'We would be pleased to support Itihaas and Radhuni with filling vacancies. This could include sector-based Academy Workshops with training and guaranteed interviews, invites into the job centre to promote current vacancies to those interested in the industry and invites to job fairs.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Habibur added: 'There will be no discrimination on the grounds of race, religion, disabilities, age or gender. Training will include safe food handling.' The flexible programme will run throughout the Summer. There will be no contract or minimum or maximum hours. Anyone interested should get in touch with either restaurant.
The Hindu
28-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Homely, rustic food shines at Itihaas restaurant in Thiruvananthapuram
Itihaas restaurant located by Muttada Road at Paruthipara, opposite Thomsun Bakers in Thiruvananthapuram, resembles a traditional naalukettu (a house with an open central courtyard) in Kerala. An intricately designed white balcony railing stands behind the big bold red letters announcing the eatery's name. The brick-tiled roof, slightly discoloured from age, shelters the building supported by concrete and wooden pillars. A glass shelf with snacks jostling for space and a steaming tea container welcomes the hungry customers outside the building. Inside the restaurant, the wooden stairs and flooring add to the place's rustic feel. Apart from wooden tables and chairs, Itihaas also has majlis-style seating arrangement and can seat around 100 people at a time. After being seated, I was attracted by the snacks and aroma of the chai I saw upon my arrival. I asked for a plate of chicken samosas and tea, despite my (unwavering) loyalty to coffee. Two samosas were served on a sheet of tissue paper on a steel plate accompanied by milk tea served in a glass. Traces of oil left on the tissue paper as I grabbed one of the samosas left no doubts about whether the snack was healthy at all. But did I care one bit? Absolutely not! The crispy and flaky samosa enveloped the shredded chicken flavoured with masalas that co-owner and chef Shafna Shifas, calls her own. The onions add a subtle sweetness, complimenting the rest of the filling. The pulverised meat has a bite to it, not getting overpowered by the rest of ingredients. The tea was mild, milky and moderately sweet. Its taste reminded me of an Irani chai boiled to perfection in fragrance and flavour. Snacks start from ₹10, which include varieties of Malabar bites and even Mangalore bun, the puri-like deep-fried bun, originally from Karnataka. This is the fourth restaurant owned by Shafna and her husband Shifas Sait. The other three are in Bengaluru and were started by the couple in 2016. 'The main reason why we came to Thiruvananthapuram, is because I am passionate about this place,' says Shafna, originally from Peyad, on the outskirts of the city. Shafna says, 'My parents are great cooks, and my father used to cook Chinese food at home when I was a child. I have never had Chinese food tastier than that. Now my three brothers together run a restaurant at my native place.' Itihaas offers a wide menu featuring dishes from Kerala, Chinese, and Arabic cuisines among others. The non-vegetarian options include protein-rich varieties such as chicken, mutton, beef and sea food — from 'Alleppey' chicken curry to prawns in black pepper sauce. Their specials include dishes such as Kasaragod beef palli curry, mutton cheriyulli cheena chattiyilitt vattichathu (mutton cooked down in a wok with shallots) and cheriyulli kozhi (shallot chicken), among others. The cheriyulli kozhi and mutton cheriyulli cheenachattiyilitt vattichathu have a similar preparation — cooking the meat with caramelised shallots in a spicy, secret masala. Tomato, ginger, and garlic are added to it as well. It is cooked till the gravy thickens. The dish is served in a small hot cast iron wok or cheenachatti at the table. The sizzling chicken with the red masala is served on a bed of cabbage leaves. The cheriyulli kozhi works well with rice dishes. The succulent chicken covered in the spicy gravy with the flavour of shallots complements the tang from the tomato. However, garlic slightly overpowers the dish with its pungent nature. This dish costs ₹349 plus taxes and mutton cheriyulli cheenachattiyilitt vattichathu costs ₹499 plus taxes. Malabar chicken biryani is another dish to look out for. One portion comes with two dum-cooked pieces of chicken and a boiled egg, served with raita, beetroot pickle and pappadam. The chicken was cooked to perfection with a subtle flavour. The rice was fragrant from the aromatics and enhances the masala with onions and powdered spices. The tangy beetroot pickle and raita cut through the richness of the biryani as well. The Malabar chicken biryani costs ₹249 for a plate and is also available in egg, mutton, beef, fish and prawns. Hyderabadi biriyani varieties are also available, starting from ₹100 for vegetable biriyani. Itihaas offers a vegetarian breakfast buffet for ₹49 with idiyappam, idli, dosa puri upma, kesari and so on. Accompaniments include kadala curry, sambar, vegetable stew and so on. A non-vegetarian breakfast buffet includes chicken stew, beef curry and egg masala at ₹249. The breakfast service begins at 7am and goes on till 11.15 am. On Sundays, they serve pidiyum kozhiyum, a traditional dish with boiled rice powder balls served with chicken curry at ₹299 plus taxes.
