A feast of Indian flavours, Cornish produce & fire. Join Nisha Parmar & Woodfired Canteen for one very special night in Truro.

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Nisha Parmar is Throwing a Dinner Party in Truro

And when the person doing the inviting is known as the ‘Queen of dinner parties’, you know you’re in for a good night.

This September, MasterChef semi-finalist Nisha Parmar is joining forces with Cornwall’s Woodfired Canteen for a one-off Indian-Cornish feast cooked over fire in our Chef’s Theatre Tipi.

Nisha’s food is bold, colourful and generous. It’s rooted in the Indian food she grew up around, but shaped by a career that has taken her into kitchens, events and dining rooms around the world.

For Truro, she’s turning her attention to Cornwall.

Cornish crab tucked into pani puri. Scallops cooked over the BBQ. Fish wrapped in banana leaves. Tandoori chicken. Whole cauliflower roasted over the fire. Blistered naan. And, because no good dinner party ends without something sweet, chocolate and cardamom s’mores.

Together with the Woodfired Canteen team, Nisha will bring it all to the table for one very special night.

Come hungry. 🔥

Meet Nisha Parmar

For Nisha, it all started in the kitchen at home.

As a child, while other kids were watching cartoons, Nisha was far happier cooking alongside her mum or watching cookery programmes.

Food became her happy place.

But it took a little longer for her to realise it could also become her career.

After 17 years working in corporate banking, Nisha took a leap in 2018 and entered BBC’s MasterChef UK. She made it all the way to the semi-finals – and returned home knowing sitting behind a desk wasn't where she belonged anymore.

So she swapped banking for the kitchen and hasn't looked back.

Today, Nisha is known for warm hospitality, authentic family food and the kind of dinner parties people REALLY want an invitation to.

Her cooking has taken her from private dining rooms to some fairly extraordinary places, including St Paul’s Cathedral, 10 Downing Street, The Science Museum in London, Treehouse Antigua and Taste of Abu Dhabi.

But what sits at the heart of it hasn't really changed since those early days cooking with her mum.

Food should bring people together.

And this September, there’s a seat at the table for you.

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An Indian-Cornish Feast Over Fire

Nisha has created this menu especially for Truro Food Festival, bringing together Indian flavours, some fantastic Cornish ingredients and her love of cooking over flame.

And we're starting as we mean to go on.

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The Welcome – Namaste

Coal-roasted corn chaat

Charred sweetcorn, lime, chilli, coriander, tamarind and crispy sev

Mini papad cones

Smoked aubergine, coconut and chilli oil

Cornish crab pani puri

Miso tiger’s milk

Little bites, big flavours and something to eat while everyone settles around the table.

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The Cornish Sea – Naasto

BBQ Khao Soi scallops

Rice noodles

Sweet Cornish scallops meet the fire, with the fragrant flavours of Khao Soi bringing everything together.

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Then it's time to fill the table.

The Fire Feast – Jamanvar

From the Sea

Banana leaf-wrapped green tikka fish parcels

From the Land

Tandoori chicken thighs and paneer skewers with makhani sauce

From the Soil

Whole fire-roasted coconut cauliflower

Sesame hispi cabbage

On the Side

Curry leaf smoked potato salad

Fire-blistered garlic butter naan

This is where Nisha and Woodfired Canteen really get to play with fire.

Expect smoke, spice, char and a table steadily filling with dishes designed to be passed around.

Tear into the naan. Spoon over some more makhani. Try a little bit of everything. Then go back for the dish you’ve been thinking about since the first mouthful.

No tiny portions required here.

This is a feast.

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The Sweet Goodbye – Aavjo

Chocolate & cardamom s’mores

Toasted marshmallow, charred fig, blackberry and hot chocolate sauce

Sticky fingers are probably unavoidable.

We think you’ll cope.

Welcome to Nisha’s Dinner Party

For one evening, our Chef’s Theatre Tipi becomes one very special dining room.

You’ll be sitting right in the heart of Truro Food Festival, with Nisha and the Woodfired Canteen team cooking just metres away as dishes move from fire to table.

And Nisha isn't someone who simply sends the food out from the kitchen.

Hosting is a huge part of what she does.

Throughout the evening, you’ll hear from Nisha about the dishes, flavours and stories behind the food while sharing the feast around the table with the people sitting beside you.

Think dinner party rather than restaurant.

Relaxed. Generous. A little bit lively.

And very well fed.

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Drinks for the Evening

We’ll welcome you with a drink on arrival, included with your ticket, before you settle in for the feast.

Our festival bar will also be open throughout the evening, with a selection of drinks available to enjoy alongside your meal.

The bar is card only, so there’s no need t

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