8 fascinating facts about curry

Indian cuisine has grown in status to become one of the most popular in the world, being served almost everywhere from street food vendors to fine-dining restaurants. In the UK alone, the Indian food industry is worth more than £3.2 billion (and counting), as the people of Britain get an increasingly large appetite for the exciting, mouth-watering dishes of India – including, of course, curry. With that in mind, here are some interesting curry facts you may not know:

1. The word ‘curry’ originated from the Tamil word ‘kari’, which means a spiced sauce. This term once indicated a spicy, soup-like dressing that was served over meat and vegetables; the Portuguese then changed it to ‘curry’ and used it to describe sauces that were served with rice.
   
2. Hannah Glasse was the first person to publish a curry recipe in English; it featured in the 1747 cookbook entitled ‘The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Simple.’
   
3. One of the world’s fieriest curries is the Chicken Naga. The ingredient that makes this dish so spicy is the seeds of the Naga pepper, which is supposedly 100 times hotter than jalapeno peppers! Large quantities of the seed go into this chicken dish, so it’s not one for the faint-hearted.
4. The Indian states of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland grow one the world’s hottest chillies: the BhutJolokia Chilli Pepper, otherwise known as the Naga Jolokia, the Ghost Chilli or the Ghost Pepper. This is said to be 400 times fierier than Tabasco sauce, and even comes with its own health warning!
5. The UK’s first curry house opened in 1809. Situated in London’s Portland Square, the Hindoostanee Coffee House was owned by Sake Dean Mahomed and provided spicy vegetable and meat dishes to the capital’s diners. According to a newspaper ad for the curry house at the time, it served “Indian dishes, in the highest perfection…unequalled to any curry ever made in England.”
6. Perhaps surprisingly, the opening of Sake Dean Mahomed’s curry house came long before Britain’s first dedicated fish and chip shop, which opened some 50 years later.
7. Although the first curry house was built in 1809, it was some time before fine dining Indian food came to the UK. Edward Palmer – the great-grandson of an Indian princess and an English soldier - launched Veeraswamy in 1926, and to this day it is still serving up delicious, high-quality Indian food on London’s Regent Street.
8. In New Delhi in 2008, a team of 60 chefs produced the world’s biggest ever curry. Weighing in at 12 tonnes, the mammoth biryani contained 6600lb of rice and 187lb of chillies, and the container could only be lifted by crane. The dish was cooked in a specially-built furnace measuring three-feet high.

If these interesting facts have got you thinking about your next Indian meal, head to the London – the birthplace of the UK’s first curry house and first fine-dining Indian restaurant - for a truly authentic culinary experience. As well as their delicious curries, you’ll get the chance to savour a wide range of unique and flavourful dishes.

10 pickles of India

Many Indian people say that no meal is complete without a pickle (or two!). These crunchy, tangy condiments are made in kitchens throughout India, being stored in large glass jars and served at any time of day alongside snacks and meals.

Pickling was designed to preserve vegetables when they are in season, and although the process can be time-consuming it is relatively simple to do. The chosen ingredients need to be dried in the sun, before being soaked in oil and spices, and left in the sun again for a few days for the flavours to fully develop.

Here are some of the most popular pickles that are prepared and served in India – see how many you have tried!

Gajar Ka Aachar: This sweet and tangy pickle uses fresh carrots when they are at their best, and is ideal served with warming winter dishes. The carrots are flavoured with ginger, garlic, mustard seeds, chilli, mustard and turmeric powder.

Adrak Ka Aachar: Amla – the Indian equivalent of the gooseberry – forms the basis of this sweet and sour pickle. The berries are a natural source of vitamin C and are known for being beneficial for skin, hair and weight loss.

Green Chilli Achaar: This pickle is made with mustard oil and will add an incredibly spicy finish to your meal. It is best served with parathas (flatbreads) to help absorb the intense flavours.

Nimbu Ka Sada Achaar: The citrusy, sour pickle tinged with spice is an all-time favourite in many households. Lemons are washed and dried overnight, then chopped into small pieces and mixed with salt to extract their juice. They are then stored in jars, sometimes with fresh ginger added too.

Potli Ka Achaar: Most commonly served in Sindhi homes, this raw mango pickle is particularly popular in the summer. Chunks of raw mango are combined with onion seeds (kalongi), garlic and mustard – perfection!

Gobhi Shalgam Ka Achaar: Another popular pickle in the winter months, this combines cauliflower and turnip, which are flavoured with mustard oil, assorted spices and jaggery for natural sweetness.

Drumstick pickle: This one definitely tastes nicer than it looks! A whole pickle is coated in a fine paste made with metho, red chillies and tamarind, before being left to soak up the flavours.

Lal Mirch Ka Benarsi Achaar: Not one for the faint-hearted! This fiery Benarsi-style pickle is a spice-lover’s dream – the chilli itself is stuffed with sizzling hot spices. A must-try.

Aam Ka Achaar: Another mango-based pickle, this Punjabi-style condiment is made with an assortment of spices and has the taste of mustard oil at its base. Each home cook has their own blend of pickle masala, but popular additions to this dish include fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, turmeric powder and red chilli powder.

Adrak Ka Achaar: Also known as ginger pickle, this adds real warmth and heat to your meals. It’s important to grate the fresh ginger really fine to give a better result.

Fancy trying some authentic Indian pickles for yourself? Skip the jars at the supermarket and head to one of London’s best Indian restaurants.

Street food in the state of Goa

Goa is a state situated along India’s vast and exotic coastline, and for this reason is it a state also associated with delicious fish dishes, many of which are well spiced. This state was placed under Portuguese rule for more than 500 years when it was first conquered and, as a result, a unique cuisine has developed where east meets west in a fusion of flavours and styles.

In fact, a number of ingredients are commonly used in Goa that are not indigenous to India; they were introduced by western settlers and are now used to create world-famous recipes. Pineapple and chilli are two examples of this; when introduced, these ingredients had a huge impact on food and cookery in Goa and have since been utilised to create a mouth-watering local cuisine that reflects the mix of cultures that call this state home.

But let’s move out of the kitchen and onto the street – for this is where a lot of the culinary magic happens. Street food in Goa is an extension of the exotic fish and meat dishes served in homes across the state, and there’s plenty of choice.

Tourists who visit Goa are often amazed by the substantial dishes and simple snacks sold by these street vendors. A number of dishes from the region have, as stated above, become famous around the world – but for some culinary enthusiast there’s so much more on offer in this state than the usual Goan recipes found everywhere else.

For example, take ros-omelette. An omelette may not sound that exotic, but this particular meal cannot be found anywhere else but on the streets of Goa. Ros refers to gravy and the omelette also includes onions and tomatoes. These are then added to a small steel dish that also contains a chicken or mutton curry; the aromatic spices blend with the omelette and it is topped off with fresh coriander, and is served with bread.

Also take choriso bread – this is a type of sausage bread often sold by hawkers in Goa and is a huge street-food favourite hard to come by anywhere else. It’s made using Goan sausages that consist of marinated pork that is inserted into the bread before baking.

Cutlet bread is also highly popular and unique to Goa. This consists of a patty covered with bread cumbs, or rava, and deep fried. The patty can be made with mince or vegetables and once friend have a crisp outer shell that is as delicious as it is sinful. The patty is served in a Goanpoiee – a type of bread – that often includes a hot, spicy and flavourful green paste.

Finally the chilli fry is another dish traditionally served by Goan street hawkers that deserves a mention – it’s a semi-dry dish given an intense flavour by the inclusion of multiple green chillies; definitely not for the faint of heart! Lemon or vinegar are used to help cool the dish down, and as with most Goan street food it is normally served with fresh bread.

The food of Goa’s streets is unique and delicious, and hard to find anywhere else. To experience authentic recipes here in the UK, visit one of London’s fine Indian restaurants.

Kashmiris love of saffron

Saffron, also known as ‘red gold,’ is one of the world’s most expensive spices by weight. Saffron derives from the flower of the saffron crocus, which bears up to four flowers and can reach a height of 30cm.

Saffron is used in cuisines across the globe. In India, the spice is used in abundance and is added to a vast array of both sweet and savoury dishes. The addition of saffrongives dishes a bright, orange-yellow colour with a honey, almost straw-like flavour.

In India, saffron is not just part of the culinary world; the spice is also used to dye fabric and is added to perfumes due to its distinctively sweet fragrance. Saffron is also used in various religious rituals and ceremonies, for instance, during practices for the awakening of the kundalini.

Saffron grows in very few places in the world, which is in part reason why it is so expensive to buy. Kashmir, located in the north-west of the Indian subcontinent, is one of lucky regions where the spice is grown. In fact, Kashmiri saffron is believed to be the finest of them all; is it recognisable by its maroon-purple hue and when added to dishes, it releases a more intense, potent flavour than other varieties.

The Kashmir region is responsible for producing more than 80% of Indian’s saffron. Globally, however, Iran dominates the market. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for sellers nowadays to mix high-quality Kashmiri saffron with lower-grade Iranian saffron, and then attempt to sell it as pure Kashmiri saffron.

Most of the Kashmiri saffron is grown in the small Kashmiri town of Pampore. Known to Indian’s as ‘saffron town,’ Pampore sits a few miles from the city of Srinagar. Saffron is harvested in the autumn, during which hundreds of locals travel to the plains to start plucking the valuable flowers. The flower is the only part of the plant which grows above ground and to make just one small pound of saffron, a staggering 75,000 flowers need to be picked – it’s no wonder, then, why the spice is so expensive to buy.

The saffron grown in Kashmir is classified into different grades, depending on the relative amounts of red stigma and yellow styles (the threads) the flowers contain. The strength – and therefore quality – of the saffron is determined by a number of factors, including the amount of style picked along with the red stigma.

One of the most popular saffron-based dishes prepared in the homes and restaurants of Kashmir is Zarda, which essentially is sweet saffron rice. To make this dish, basmati rice is cooked with a number of sweet ingredients, such as milk, nuts, sugar and cardamom – and of course, saffron. Nuts (such as almonds, cashews and pistachios) and raisins are sprinkled on top of Zarda before serving. This aesthetically-pleasing dessert is often served at weddings across India, not just in the Kashmir region.

If you want to sample an authentic, saffron-infused dish, prepared by highly-skilled chefs, then book yourself a table at one of London’s fine Indian restaurants.

Maharashtrian specialities for vegetarians

The authentic flavours of the Indian state of Maharashtra come from a long and rich culinary tradition, dating back thousands of years. As a result, the dishes of this fascinating state are vast, varied and hold appeal for a wide range of tastes. Maharashtra specialises in super spicy recipes as well as soothingly mild ones; with a plethora of options for meat and fish lovers as well as those that follow a vegetarian diet.

In fact, Maharashtra might just be one of the top Indian states for a vegetarian foodie to visit. The most iconic dishes of the state are vegetable-based and whether you are looking for a deliciously tempting street food snack or something more substantial, you can guarantee you’ll find something to your liking on the Maharashtrian menu. Here are a few of our favourites:

1.          Vada Pav

This famous Indian fast food snack is consumed all over Maharashtra and is the ultimate ‘grab and go’ morsel when eating on the run. Vada pav stalls can be found throughout the busy city streets, particularly in Mumbai. It is the Indian equivalent of a veggie burger - a spiced, mashed potato patty, deep-fried to crisp perfection and sandwiched between two halves of a fluffy white bread bun.

2. Poha

A popular breakfast dish in this sprawling state, Maharashtrian poha differs slightly from the recipes enjoyed in other parts of India. This version is known as ‘kandapoha’ and the key ingredient of flattened rice is mixed with plenty of flavoursome onions for extra flavour.

3. Pitlabhakri

The simple food of rural Maharashtra does not mean it is any less flavoursome than the fancier recipes of the state. This vegetarian dal has provided sustenance for people living in the countryside for hundreds of years, but it is now having something of a revival with many successful restaurants in the larger cities adding it to their menus. Served with a warm Indian flatbread known as bhakri, the meal is complete.

4. Bharitbhakri

Again served with the same traditiona flatbread as above, this dish consists mostly of eggplant as opposed to the lentils involved in a dal. Chunks of succulent eggplant are roasted and mixed with spices, tomatoes and chopped onions to form a flavoursome dish laden with texture.

5. Sabudana khichdi

A comfort food favourite in Maharashtra, this dish consists of an unusual ingredient - pearls of tapioca. These pearls are fried with a selection of spices including cumin and chilli pepper and combined with chopped green chillies and nuts. A popular breakfast meal and street food, it is also a dish that can be enjoyed at certain times of ritual fasting.

Indian cuisine is beloved by vegetarians the world over due to the mouth-watering array of options it lays on. Visit one of London’s best Indian fine diningrestaurants to experience a variety of vegetable-based sides and mains, created from the freshest produce and inspired by the traditional recipes of India. Although based firmly on authentic flavours, the dishes on these innovative menus have been given a modern twist to bring them bang up-to-date with the 21st century. Treat yourself and book a table today.