Together with chef Aktar Islam, we explore the UK’s love affair with Indian food which has lasted for over 300 years
The British are no strangers to spice. From the 17th century, men who went abroad with the East India trading company came back with a taste for Indian food. The first curry recipe was published in 1747, in Hannah Glasse’s The Art of Cookery, and consisted of chicken served in cream, turmeric and pepper sauce.
From 1858 to 1947, India was ruled by Britain – a time period known as the Raj – and a distinct Anglo-Indian cuisine emerged; English dishes reinterpreted by Indian cooks, or Indian dishes toned down to suit Indian palates. Some of these dishes are still eaten in Britain today, like kedgeree and mulligatawny soup.
THE RISE OF THE BRITISH CURRY HOUSE
Although the first Indian restaurant, the Hindoostanee Coffee House, was opened in 1810, it wasn’t until the 1970s they became common across the country.
“In the 1970s, there were lots of Bangladeshi immigrants, who came to the UK and set up restaurants,” Aktar Islam, Head Chef of Orpheem, explains.
“During this period, Indian food in the UK went through a phase of stagnation. “Their goal was to commercialise the process of Indian cooking, so they’d make one sauce and then use it as a base to make all the dishes, adding cream for korma, and extra spice for vindaloo. That’s why, if you go to certain restaurants, everything tastes a little bit the same."
“We really managed to cook the complexity out of curry. These dishes don’t give any indication of the versatility and diversity of Indian cuisine, which varies so much according to the region and the ingredients that are available there,” he explains.
Although the Bangladeshi restaurants cooked dishes from all around India, they didn’t have the resources to visit many of the places that they visited, so the dishes were more creations of the imagination.
“There’s a parsi dish called dhansak, which is a delicious braised mutton stock with vegetables and different pulses. But in the UK it’s made with lemon juice, tomato puree and tinned pineapple!” Aktar says.
Although we might be very fond of these British curry house classics, they don’t bear much resemblance to their Indian counterparts. 'Vindaloo’ as we know it doesn’t exist in India. The closest dish is a Goan delicacy, vindalho, a pork stew made with feni (palm wine), vinegar and whole spices. This, in turn, is an adaptation of the Portuguese dish "carne de vinha d'alhos", made with pork, wine and garlic.
A DIVERSE RESURGENCE
These days, however, Indian cuisin
