Curry: The Story of the Nation's Favourite Dish - Softcover

Britain has become a nation of curryholics - there are more than 8.000 curry restaurants in Britain, visited by 2m people each week. Each year GBP2bn are spent in Indian restaurants - about GBP70 per second - while Marks and Spencers sells 18 tonnes of chicken tikka masala weekly. But how did Britons come to take curry so much to its heart? Where did the word 'curry' originate? When did the first curry restaurants first come to Britain? And when were the first recipes produced for those who wanted to concoct the flavoursome dishes in their home? This book traces the story of curry in Britain, from its beginnings to the present day. The first recipe for curry powder recorded by the English was from a Mrs Turnbull, who wrote down her recipes in manuscript in the mid-eighteenth century at her home in Hyde Park, after returning from India; she also recorded how to make chutney, pilau and ginger candy. British ships went to India to find spices, and when the British returned from colonial India in the eighteenth century, they brought with them new tastes. Today, curry is one of the most widely available meals in Britain, produced at pubs nationwide, in supermarkets, and in a plethora of

Shranabi Basu lives in London where she is a correspondent for the Ananda Bazaar Patrika Group. She writes for the 'Telegraph' Sunday magazine as well as other publications in the group.