Star of India : The Spicy Adventures of Curry

How did the curry get here and how did the Brits, a nation famed for a love of bland food, end up with Chicken Tikka Masala as their favourite dish? It is a history that took curry, via the British Empire, from its Eastern origins, around the globe. This book talks to the men and women who gambled everything to make a living, who endured indifference and racism to secure an income and those who got their relatives to pack the cardamom when they visited as there was no other way of obtaining the ingredients. This book looks at how the British love affair with curry has changed lives, not just in Britain but around the globe

Curry isn't just a dish. It's a great British Institution. Like modern Britain it is a blend of influences from around the world and across history. It has travelled around the globe from its earliest origins 2000 years BCE, through the British Empire to the thousands of flock wallpapered curry houses that lined every British high street throughout the 1980s and 1990s. From there it once again embarked on a voyage to all corners of the world before reaching for the (Michelin) stars of haute cuisine. Now curry's journey is coming full circle as British creations like chicken tikka masala and Pataks pastes are being exported back to India. This is the story of curry's incredible adventure and of the many, brave, adventurous and enterprising people who made it a cultural phenomenon.

0470091886.pdf STAR OF INDIA 4 Contents 10 Author’s Note 12 Introduction 14 Chapter One – The Lust for Spice 22 Chapter Two – Why Spice + Spice = Magic 46 Chapter Three – The Food of Empire 62 Chapter Four – Twentieth-century Tastes 92 Chapter Five – The Pioneers 112 Chapter Six – The Vindaloo Years 140 Chapter Seven – The British Response 164 Chapter Eight – The Unexpected Consequences of Curry 180 Chapter Nine – The Curry Conquerors 196 Chapter Ten – The Five-star Revolution 214 Chapter Eleven – The Future of Curry 234 Chapter Twelve – Curry Conquers the World 250 Epilogue 262 Appendix A – A Guide to Regional Cuisine 270 Appendix B – Restaurant Names 280 Appendix C – Menu Mate 286 References 294 Index 296

How did the curry get here and how did the Brits, a nation famed for a love of bland food, end up with Chicken Tikka Masala as their favourite dish? It is a history that took curry, via the British Empire, from its Eastern origins, around the globe.

This book talks to the men and women who gambled everything to make a living, who endured indifference and racism to secure an income and those who got their relatives to pack the cardamom when they visited as there was no other way of obtaining the ingredients. This book looks at how the British love affair with curry has changed lives, not just in Britain but around the globe

How did the curry get here and how did the British, a nation famed for a love of bland food, end up with Chicken Tikka Masala as their favourite dish? This is a history that took curry, via the British Empire, from its Eastern origins, around the globe. "This is the story of curry's incredible adventure and of the many, brave, adventurous and enterprising people who made it a cultural phenomenon."--Jacket When the Cinnamon Club opened in London's Old Westminster Library in 2001 it was hailed as the most expensive Indian restaurant in the world.