The British are greatly influenced by cultures that have filtered into our own culture through centuries of exploration, discovery and colonisation. So it was only a matter of time before I decided to pen a piece that would shine a light on culinary unsung hero of our fair England… Namely, the beautiful and mysterious Eastern treasure that could only be… India.
1757 saw the commencement of British dominion in India. Merely another piece, to the already sizeable puzzle, that formed the British Empire. “The Glory Days” as it was fondly referred to by so many Brits, although I assume, not such glorious days for the original inhabitants, the Indians. Upholding a rich tapestry of history, tradition and cultural diversity within its borders, no wonder the British stayed there for so long. It truly became home to so many Brits for so long. Many Brits were born there, and lived there entire lives out in India opting to be buried there, rather than in their native England.
The legacy of India lives on in present day England. Everything from its history and traditions to its vibrancy and language, but nothing more so than its wonderful food. Indian food has long been the nation’s cuisine of choice, with the humble curry sitting proudly at the top spot as the nation’s single favourite dish. Surprised? Not really. Ask any Brit what the favourite food of nation is and the vast majority will say curry or Indian.
In actual fact, 1 in 7 restaurants in England is Indian and over the course of 50 years, the number of Curry houses in the country has risen from a meagre 300 to well over 8,000 in recent times. We even have Michelin-starred Indian food offered in elegant contemporary surroundings, in upscale neighbourhoods such as ‘Tamarind’ restaurant in Mayfair.
Frequented by A-listers like Robert De Niro and Uma Thurman and even the Sultan of Brunei has been known to send his jet from Brunei to collect a few thousand pounds worth of take-out Curry…. Ok, perhaps that is a little ludicrous, but he is one the richest men in the world, and good food is worth every penny… If you have a few pennies, of course!
Although the curry that is known to us today bears little resemblance to the authentic and very region-specific dishes of curry (or Kari) originating in India. One of our favourite dishes is ‘Chicken Tikka Masala’, a dish that doesn’t actually exist in India. Legend has it, that it was created some 30+ years ago in when the Indian equivalent of ‘Joojeh Kebab’ (Chicken Tikka – literally meaning ‘Pieces of chicken’) served with Pilao rice was sent back to the kitchen of an Indian restaurant in London.
The customer’s complaint was that the dish was dry and unappetising as it had no sauce and he rudely demanded “Where’s my gravy?”… Allegedly, the chef panicked and wanting to please the difficult customer, he scoured his kitchen and came up with a mixture of cream and a can of tomato soup… and BINGO… There in that humble kitchen, a monster was born! And sure enough, the Frankenstein-esque concoction sparked a national obsession that is very much still alive today.
India itself is a cornucopia of culture influenced by different cultures and religions. Even the Persians had a very infamous hand in the history of India and the ‘Parsee’ culture (as it’s now known) is alive and well in India to this very day. The Persians established the ‘Mughal Empire’ which introduced an era of decadence and luxury that was previously little known to India. One of the biggest aspects of the culture that was affected during the reign of the Mughals was definitely culinary change. Strange and unknown ingredients were being imported from Persia.
Dried fruits such as apricots, as well as pistachio nuts, walnuts, almonds, saffron and many other ingredients were fused into Indian cuisine, creating a new hybrid of ‘Muglai Cuisine’. During this time the ‘Tandoor’ was also introduced (deriving from the Persian ‘Tanoor’) as was the trend for marinating meat (especially in yoghurt). They also abandoned use of Beef and Pork, falling in line with their Muslim traditions and rubber stamping their own unique brand for creating rich, opulent dishes, where sweet-meets-savoury and over-indulgence was the order of the day. The Moghals influenced the nation for over 400 years, which was more than enough to win their position in Indian history.
India houses many religions, with Hindu, Muslim and Sikh as the majority, as well as Christianity and Catholicism also. Shockingly, there are over 325 languages spoken throughout the land… which although true, is somewhat mind-boggling to say the least!
But it does have a large hand in explaining the vast diversity of culture that exists throughout the land. The food really does differ quite greatly from one state to the next. The Panjab in the north of India offers food that is more recognisable to the western world than perhaps that of Tamil Nadu, which is on the southern coast of India.
Typically, the northern regions tend to produce dishes based on a staple mix of crushed ginger and garlic, often infused with curry leaves, mustard seeds and cumin as a base. These sauces are largely thick and rich and often contain some element of tomato. Often, dishes still reflect the ‘Mughal’ fusion of sweet and savoury, where meat tends to be the main stay of the diet. The idyllic coastal state of Kerala, in the south of India, has a cuisine where dishes largely revolve around the plentiful supply of fish and seafood available and the regional staples of green chillis and coconut-based sauces. A classic Keralan dish is a ‘Moilee’, which is a treasure chest of scallops, giant shrimp and local fish in a saffron infused coconut broth, which is extremely fiery… It packs a punch and contains a somewhat unforgiving heat.
The problem with Indian food outside of India is that we just don’t have enough of the authentic variety available here. Delights such as ‘Dosas’ which are giant crisp-breads rolled into tubular shapes and can often be 6ft long, served with a variety of different dips and chutney and even a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds and freshly chopped mint, are very hard to find. Indians don’t eat with a “less-is-more” attitude, even the simplest of dishes comes with a myriad of accompaniments.
A traditional menu favourite is a ‘Thali’ which is a silver tray containing anywhere from 6-12 little silver bowls, which each contain a small portion of a different dish. Daal (using any variety of 8 or more different types of lentils), rice, several different meat dishes and assorted curries, vegetable dishes like ‘Saag Paneer’ (Saag meaning spinach & paneer, which of course, means cheese) or Channa (which are chick peas)… as well as at least 2 or 3 different chutneys and sauces.
My favourite sauces are a spiced, bright-green mint and coriander sauce and also a sweet and sour type of sauce made with tamarind. The most popular accompaniment to most regional cuisines is the humble ‘Raita’, which is simply a slightly sweet yoghurt and mint sauce. This really helps drench the heat of certain Indian dishes and the sweetness leaves a pleasant taste in your mouth following the abrasive spice content of your meal.
From Madras to Rogan Josh and Balti to Vindaloo… Whatever your tastes and whatever your tolerance for heat, there is always a curry to suit you. Mild and sweet, rich and spicy, dry and fiery… The combinations are endless and only limited by your own culinary imagination. There is no wrong doing of any kind.
The Brits love going for a “Ruby” or “Ruby Murray” (That’s cockney rhyming slang for ‘curry’) and are renowned for knocking back a beer or six with their curry. This is one thing that is a MUST when eating Indian food… to ensure you pair it with an good supply of ice cold beer. This has been scientifically proven to be one of the best beverages to pair with your favourite Indian meal for the purpose of being the perfect way to cool down and hydrate your body after the impact of all those chillis and spices.
Lastly, don’t forget to round off your Indian meal with a sickly-sweet treat to further combat the spices and to which Indians are rather partial to… Whether ‘Rasmallai’ (little round sweet cheese-based dumplings in a creamy fragrant sauce with pistachios) or ‘Kulfi’ (a saffron and pistachio ice cream similar to our own ice cream) and the ever popular ‘Jalebi’ (which is like our very own ‘Zoolbia’) They are all intensely sweetened and contain (probably) more than 1,000 calories and have a ludicrously high fat content, but they are “Mmm-mmm-gooooood”
There is only one unpleasant side effect to our wimpishly sensitive, non-Indian stomachs… and that is the INFAMOUS “Delhi Belly”… But every so often, the majority of us are usually more than willing to partake in the ‘Delhi-Belly-Lottery’ in order to indulge our cravings for the wonderful flavours of an Indian feast… And why not? Someone once said “Variety is the spice of life….” And if its variety you are looking for? Then Mother India has it all… and she does it very well! So “Namaste” everyone, if curry isn’t your thing, then you haven’t had the right curry!
