Not another Rogan Josh
The group email entitled, ‘Boys, beers and curry’ did a round robin on Sunday evening with a list of potential dates. All of which fell coincidentally with National Curry Week (13th – 19th October), now celebrating its’ 17th year. It struck me that perhaps curry, Britain’s favourite cuisine possesses unifying powers that Ban Ki-moon could aspire to. I mean you never pop out for pasta, hot dogs, pies or noodle soup with your mates...do you? There’s a comforting ritual in going to an Indian restaurant and questioning who over-ordered the two extra portions of rice or the keema naan and untouched aloo ghobi by the time the bill arrives. Clichéd or not it seems that the culture of communal curry is here to stay and given its 200 year old roots in Britain (the first Indian restaurant opened in 1810, in George Street, London known as the Hindoostanee Coffee House) I think curry’s foundations have been firmly grounded into Britain’s appetite for spice.
So what now, given National Curry Week is enjoying adolescence...surely it’s time for a little adventure and a spot of rebellion. My advice? Celebrate National Curry Week by doing one or all of the following:
- Make it – Park the take-away menu/restaurant booking and cook curry from scratch and try something you can’t buy on a menu such as beef bughela (celebratory beef curry), karhi (gently spiced soup), Kingfish curry, Seviyan (vermicelli pudding).
- Buy it – If you must book a restaurant/order in, then abandon your usual tikka masala, rogan josh or jhalfrezi and pick a few dishes overlooked by the masses such as haleem (hearty lamb broth), methi chicken (fenugreek chicken), karela (punk gourd curry), baingan ki burtha (smoky aubergine)
- Host it – How about transforming lives through the power of curry and host your own supperclub like the Urban Rajah’s Cash n Curry supperclub and cook up a feast for friends and family from any of these recipes. Then simply donate all the proceeds to a charity like International Justice Mission who liberate children and adults from bonded labour and slavery in India. Imagine...your curry could transform a life forever.
Resolve to make this National Curry Week like naan other and daal out some goodwill, korma on you know it makes sense...ok enough of the puns, I’ll get my coat.
Not another Rogan Josh
The group email entitled, ‘Boys, beers and curry’ did a round robin on Sunday evening with a list of potential dates. All of which fell coincidentally with National Curry Week (13th – 19th October), now celebrating its’ 17th year. It struck me that perhaps curry, Britain’s favourite cuisine possesses unifying powers that Ban Ki-moon could aspire to. I mean you never pop out for pasta, hot dogs, pies or noodle soup with your mates...do you? There’s a comforting ritual in going to an Indian restaurant and questioning who over-ordered the two extra portions of rice or the keema naan and untouched aloo ghobi by the time the bill arrives. Clichéd or not it seems that the culture of communal curry is here to stay and given its 200 year old roots in Britain (the first Indian restaurant opened in 1810, in George Street, London known as the Hindoostanee Coffee House) I think curry’s foundations have been firmly grounded into Britain’s appetite for spice.
So what now, given National Curry Week is enjoying adolescence...surely it’s time for a little adventure and a spot of rebellion. My advice? Celebrate National Curry Week by doing one or all of the following:
- Make it – Park the take-away menu/restaurant booking and cook curry from scratch and try something you can’t buy on a menu such as beef bughela (celebratory beef curry), karhi (gently spiced soup), Kingfish curry, Seviyan (vermicelli pudding).
- Buy it – If you must book a restaurant/order in, then abandon your usual tikka masala, rogan josh or jhalfrezi and pick a few dishes overlooked by the masses such as haleem (hearty lamb broth), methi chicken (fenugreek chicken), karela (punk gourd curry), baingan ki burtha (smoky aubergine)
- Host it – How about transforming lives through the power of curry and host your own supperclub like the Urban Rajah’s Cash n Curry supperclub and cook up a feast for friends and family from any of these recipes. Then simply donate all the proceeds to a charity like International Justice Mission who liberate children and adults from bonded labour and slavery in India. Imagine...your curry could transform a life forever.
Resolve to make this National Curry Week like naan other and daal out some goodwill, korma on you know it makes sense...ok enough of the puns, I’ll get my coat.
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