Chicken tikka masala out, dosas in
BY AP9 Aug 2012 1:58 AM GMT
AP9 Aug 2012 1:58 AM GMT
The popularity of ‘Indian food’ in Britain is not news anymore, but the latest trend is to tuck into the many regional variations on offer across the country, mainly the many delights of south Indian cuisine.
For long, ‘Indian food’ in the UK meant dishes with a north Indian flavour, offered by restaurants with cooks from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Indians with expertise to put together dishes such as chicken tikka masala and curry.
The chicken tikka masala, which many insist is a British invention, was considered Britain’s national dish, but connoisseurs are increasingly turning to the more authentic regional Indian cuisine. London is one of the places where a large variety of regional Indian cuisine is available.
The latest acknowledgement of the growing interest in south Indian cuisine is a qualified doctor and cook, Mini Sankar, being nominated for an award at the 2012 Manchester Food and Drink Festival.
Sankar specialises in south Indian cuisine, and prides herself on being the only chef in North West England to specialise in strictly South Indian cuisine, reports from Manchester said.
She said: ‘A lot of places serve South Indian food along with other dishes but my food is strictly South Indian only. It’s something people in Ramsbottom and elsewhere in the north west really like and I think specialising in it has made us stand out. I am passionate about food and cooking and making the best dishes possible.’
Until some time ago, people of Indian origin or visitors from India would complain that the so-called ‘Indian’ food available in Britain is not the real thing – it is customised to the British taste, and is not tingling enough to satisfy the ‘desi’ palate.
The situation cannot be more different now, with several well-known Indian restaurant chains opening branches in various towns, and recent immigrants opening outlets offering authentic fare from their respective culinary regions in India. Branches of well known restaurant chains such as Chennai Dosa and Sarvana Bhavan offering south Indian fare at modest prices can now be seen doing brisk business in various towns here.
Chennai Dosa, considered the fastest growing chain in Britain, opened its first restaurant in East London in 2003, and has now opened its 11th branch in Trafford, Manchester.
Sarvana Bhavan has five branches. Chennai Dosa claims that after opening the first branch in 2003, ‘within a year we became the largest dosa maker in Europe. We brought about a radical change in the way South Indian food was defined in Europe.’ Some entrepreneurs have opened region-specific restaurants that are doing brisk business.
Notable among these is the Shri Krishna Vada Pav, opened in Hounslow by entrepreneurs from Mumbai, offering vada pav for £1, and other Maharashtrian fare such as pav bhaji, misal pav and bhel puri. Today, there are over 12,000 Indian restaurants across Britain and the industry is estimated to be worth £ 4.2 billion annually, including the revenue from the large volumes of packed Indian food sold in supermarkets.
For long, ‘Indian food’ in the UK meant dishes with a north Indian flavour, offered by restaurants with cooks from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Indians with expertise to put together dishes such as chicken tikka masala and curry.
The chicken tikka masala, which many insist is a British invention, was considered Britain’s national dish, but connoisseurs are increasingly turning to the more authentic regional Indian cuisine. London is one of the places where a large variety of regional Indian cuisine is available.
The latest acknowledgement of the growing interest in south Indian cuisine is a qualified doctor and cook, Mini Sankar, being nominated for an award at the 2012 Manchester Food and Drink Festival.
Sankar specialises in south Indian cuisine, and prides herself on being the only chef in North West England to specialise in strictly South Indian cuisine, reports from Manchester said.
She said: ‘A lot of places serve South Indian food along with other dishes but my food is strictly South Indian only. It’s something people in Ramsbottom and elsewhere in the north west really like and I think specialising in it has made us stand out. I am passionate about food and cooking and making the best dishes possible.’
Until some time ago, people of Indian origin or visitors from India would complain that the so-called ‘Indian’ food available in Britain is not the real thing – it is customised to the British taste, and is not tingling enough to satisfy the ‘desi’ palate.
The situation cannot be more different now, with several well-known Indian restaurant chains opening branches in various towns, and recent immigrants opening outlets offering authentic fare from their respective culinary regions in India. Branches of well known restaurant chains such as Chennai Dosa and Sarvana Bhavan offering south Indian fare at modest prices can now be seen doing brisk business in various towns here.
Chennai Dosa, considered the fastest growing chain in Britain, opened its first restaurant in East London in 2003, and has now opened its 11th branch in Trafford, Manchester.
Sarvana Bhavan has five branches. Chennai Dosa claims that after opening the first branch in 2003, ‘within a year we became the largest dosa maker in Europe. We brought about a radical change in the way South Indian food was defined in Europe.’ Some entrepreneurs have opened region-specific restaurants that are doing brisk business.
Notable among these is the Shri Krishna Vada Pav, opened in Hounslow by entrepreneurs from Mumbai, offering vada pav for £1, and other Maharashtrian fare such as pav bhaji, misal pav and bhel puri. Today, there are over 12,000 Indian restaurants across Britain and the industry is estimated to be worth £ 4.2 billion annually, including the revenue from the large volumes of packed Indian food sold in supermarkets.
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