Mooli's creates Indian street cuisine in Soho, London
7th September 2011

Moolis, an Indian street food eatery that opened in Soho, London in 2009, is the brainchild of two former city workers, Sam and Mathew (S&M) who both grew up in India. After living for many years in the UK, the desire to eat fresh delicious Indian food on-the-go (just as they did on the streets of Delhi, Bangalore, Kerala and Hyderabad) led them to quit their jobs at BCG and UBS respectively, to start Mooli's. Instead of just reproducing Indian street food, S&M, along with Raju Rawat (head Chef and mooli master), set out to create the most tasty & fresh mooli's ever: Keralan Beef, Goan Pork, Chicken & Apple, Asparagus & Cumin Potatoes, Scrambled Paneer all with incredible chutneys, zesty salsas, hand-rolled in fresh roti made by Moolita at their venue in 50 Frith Street, London.

It took many months of travelling in India looking for the best recipes (from the kitchens of a Nawab in Lucknow to the streets of Calcutta and Old Delhi to the heart of Goa to Mathew's family home in Kerala). Head chef Raju Rawat, who has over 13 years of experience as a chef in Indian restaurants in Delhi and London, trained at India's finest five star hotel chain (Oberoi, New Delhi) and worked at Benares, a Michelin starred restaurant in Mayfair. It was Raju's skills at making the perfect Roomali Roti (a true art form) that gave him the nick name "mooli master".

Having grown up in India on a diet of chappatis, rotis and parathas made with a high proportion of wholewheat flour and absolutely no artificial preservatives, none of the commercially available flat breads in the UK met Moolis exacting requirements. Made of refined flour, they are either loaded with synthetics and preservatives like E22, E282 or Gum, or just too thick and chewey to do justice to the delicious mooli fillings, chutneys and salsas. The skill and labour required to make rotis meant that making them manually in the UK was not viable. Then Sam came across Lupita, a Mexican machine used by the Cool Chile Company to make lovely corn tortillas at Taqueria, and the duo set out to find our own Moolita.

The journey took them to San Antonio, Texas, to the makers of the incredible wedge press machine. Confirmation of the machine's prowess came from the BAPS Hindu temple (Neasden, London) currently the only other place in the UK to use these machines. Moolita now resides at Mooli's so customers can wake up to the aroma of fresh Indian rotis being made at 50 Frith Street.

Mooli's can be found at: 50 Frith Street, London W1D 4SQ T: 0207 494 9075. Visit www.moolis.com for further information

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