Sera x Bibi Present: Indo-Chinese

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On Sunday 1 November, Sera and BiBi present Indo-Chinese, the final event in our three-part series exploring how Indian flavours have shaped food cultures around the world.

Hakka Chinese migrants began settling in Calcutta in the late 1700s, building tanneries and restaurants in Tangra, the neighbourhood that became the only Chinatown in India. Their wok cooking met the Indian kitchen, and out of it came a cuisine that exists nowhere in China: soy and green chilli, garlic and vinegar, cooked at high heat and seasoned for the Indian palate.

The dishes it produced are now everywhere in India. Chilli chicken was born in Calcutta's Chinatown. Chicken manchurian was invented in 1975 by Nelson Wang, a Calcutta-born chef cooking in Mumbai, improvising with soy sauce where a customer expected masala. Hakka noodles carry the name of the community that created them. A cuisine invented by migrants that became part of how India feeds itself, eaten from street carts to hotel dining rooms across the country.

The menu moves through Manchurian chicken wings, momos, and BiBi's take on Maggi noodles, with cumin and chilli lamb skewers, chilli paneer and burnt ginger fried rice. Deep fried kulfi to finish, with the full ten-dish menu on the day.

For one Sunday, Chet Sharma brings that table to BiBi, and the series that started over fire in East Africa finishes in Calcutta's Chinatown.

This event is in partnership with Minuty. We'll be showcasing several wines from their OR range across the meal, a look at how versatile Provence wine is across different cuisines, this time against the heat and high-flame cooking of Indo-Chinese.

Due to the unique nature of this event, we are unable to accommodate dietary restrictions or menu substitutions. Optional service will be charged on the day. Tickets are non-refundable.

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