Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Curry on eating

Images Tony French

As the UK heats up for November’s National Curry Week, Sudi Piggot brings you her favourite spicy hotspots

Curry is now as much a part of British culture as fish and chips. 2008 celebrates 60 years of Britain’s favourite dish, Chicken Tikka Masala from its origins in Moti Mahal, Delhi in 1948 as Chicken Makhani. With National Curry Week coming up (November 23-29) to raise money with Oxfam to alleviate poverty throughout South-East Asia, there’s no better time to tuck in. So here’s a tantalising tour of the UK’s best Indian restaurants from svelte Michelin-starred eateries to Manchester’s Curry Mile.

LONDON

Cinnamon Club

The Old Westminster Library, Great Smith Street, Westminster tel. , www.cinnamonclub.com

Housed inside a converted 19th-century library Cinnamon Club is popular with MPs as it’s so close to Westminster. Chef-patron Vivek Singh cooks across regional Indian boundaries. His signature dishes include fantastic game in season, spice-crusted sea bream wrapped in banana leaf and memorable mango and cardamom brulée.

Benares

12A Berkeley Square House, Berkeley Square, Mayfair tel. ,
www.benaresrestaurant.com

With flower-filled water features and a sleek black granite bar area Benares exudes style and sophistication. Michelin-starred Chef-patron and TV personality Atul Kochar specialises in evolved dishes using Indian spices and techniques combined with British seasonal ingredients. Signature dishes include spiced Scottish scallops with grape and mint dressing, pan fried sea bass with coconut ginger sauce and fennel infused Kentish lamb chop with goat’s cheese.

Preem & Prithi

118-126 Brick Lane, East London, tel.

Dodge the curry touts on Brick Lane, the heart of London’s Bangladeshi community, and head straight for the very reasonably priced Preem and Prithi. Choose from the usual curry house favourites like tikka masala, bhuna and jalfrezi dishes, but the chef’s signature dish ‘Chicken Hussainy’ –with a coriander, chilli and onion based sauce – is well worth ordering. If you fancy trying your own hand at cooking curry then head chef and owner Azmal Hussain runs cookery classes at the restaurant.

NEWCASTLE

Rasa

Quayside at 27 Queen Street, tel. , www.rasarestaurants.com

The newest outpost of Das Sreedham’s mini empire (also in London), and much favoured by Jamie Oliver, Rasa specialises in Keralan (South Indian) seafood. The seafood and black pepper ramsam (broth) spiced with turmeric is outstanding. Fabulous vegetarian dishes include vadais – silky soft dumplings shaped like doughnuts made of lentils, green chillies, onion and ginger and masala dosa – paper thin pancakes made of rice and black gram flour filled with spicy potatoes served with coconut chutney.

Vujon

Quayside at 29 Queen Street, tel. The Sanskrit word ‘vujon’ appropriately translates as ‘gourmet dinner’. Treats from all over India are served including venison with Goan spices and paiyas (Indian rice pudding mixed with milk, coconut, raisins and almonds), The décor is stylish and sophisticated with dramatic oversized pink lights.

“For children I recommend banana boli; plantains dipped in rice and chickpea batter and South India’s ‘pizza’ uthappam made of rice and lentil batter topped with tomatoes, curry leaves, chillies and onions, served with sambar and coconut chutney.”
Das Sreedham
(Rasa)

Valley Junction 397

397 The Old Station, Archbold Terrace, Jesmond, tel. , valleyrestaurants.co.uk

Housed in a former signal box and railway carriage decked out in greens and gold, hence the name. The menu offers a cosmopolitan choice of tandoori, tikka curries and biryani and helpfully denotes mild curries such as creamy ‘korma’, medium ‘rogan’ dishes tempered with tomato and hot curries such as jalfrezi and vindaloo.

Indian sweetmeat

Indian sweetmeats and sweet makers are a world unto themselves, a world that draws anyone who has a very sweet tooth into a spiral of temptation

Halwa a fudge like sweet made with semolina cooked with syrup or reduced milk and flavoured with nuts, saffron or sweet spices

Gajar halwa is made with grated carrots cooked in sweetened cardamom milk and fried in ghee until caramelised Rasgullas soft paneer (cheese) balls simmered and dipped in rose-scented syrup; served cold

Jalebis spirals of batter, deep-fried and dipped in syrup, best eaten warm

MANCHESTER

Dilli

Stamford New Road, Altrincham, tel. , dilli.co.uk

The first Indian restaurant with an Ayurvedic slant outside London. Ayurvedic cooking uses particular ingredients to nourish specific parts of the body, counteract illness and help maintain the body’s natural balance. Favourite dishes include lightly smoked seekh (lamb mince kebab) with mint, poppy seeds and almonds; a Peshawar speciality (now in Pakistan) of chicken tossed with fresh herbs and black peppercorn cooked in a kadai (an Indian pan similar to the Chinese wok) plus plenty for vegetarians including baby aubergines cooked with chillis, peanut and yoghurt gravy.

Moon Restaurant

450-452 Wilmslow Road, Withington, tel.

An archetypal curry house with flock wallpaper, sitar music and pictures of the Taj Mahal that light up, serving spicy, but not fiery home cooking including chicken karahi, tarka dhal and perfect coconut pashwari nan.

“When ordering it’s usual to choose a couple of starters to share, a selection of kebabs, and main dish plus vegetables, breads and rice. Rice is usually eaten at the end of the meal with a little gravy from the main dish or a dhal (lentil puree). Sharing is considered a sign of good hospitality.”
Ravi Bajaj
(Dilli)

Nawaab

1008 Stockport Road, Levenshulme, tel. , nawaab.co.uk

A former art deco cinema, this restaurant is elegant and huge with Warhol type prints of Bollywood stars. There’s a vast help yourself buffet continually renewed with fresh pakoras and samosas, tasty chicken masala with ginger, tomato and yoghurt, naan made to order on the tandoor and sticky gulab jamam to finish. Inexpensive and popular with large Asian family groups.

No curry experience in Manchester would be complete without a trip to the city’s Rusholme Curry Mile. It’s become a big tourist attraction and is packed at weekends. Best is the Sanam Sweet Centre and Restaurant (145-151 Wilmslow Road Rusholme, tel. ) which does great kebabs too and specialist ice-cream eaterie Moonlight (75, Wilmslow Rd, tel. ).

BIRMINGHAM

Itihaas

18 Fleet Street, tel. , itihaas.co.uk

Raj Rana’s stunning contemporary-meets-traditional eaterie has slate finished walls, original paintings, carved stone elephants, Jali marble window frames like those found in Moghul palaces and elegant black sari-clad hostesses. Chef Amardeep Saka offers intriguing dishes influenced by North India and Mumbai including plenty of vegetarian dishes and thalis (a selection of small bowls served on a tray usually including rice, dhal, vegetables, pickle, chapatti and a sweet dish).

Al Frash

186 Ladypool Road, Sparkbrook tel.

One of the best among Brum’s great value Balti Triangle eateries, south of the city centre. Famous for its aubergine pakora and house specials such as balti chicken and mushroom and Afrodesia, (finely minced chicken or prawn cooked with ginger, garlic and mushroom) served sizzling in black steel balti bowls accompanied by coriander naan bread. Like most of Balti Triangle’s restaurants it is BYO (Bring Your Own drink).

Radjdoot

12 Albert Street, tel.

Des Sarda’s Nepalese restaurant serves exquisite chilli garlic king prawns and lamb punjabi massala with a dark onion and tomato gravy finished with balsamic vinegar in tasteful authentic surroundings. Peshwari naan bread (with sultanas and almonds) is cooked fresh to perfection.

Bristol

Old India

The Old Stock Exchange, 34 St. Nicholas Street, tel. , www.oldindia.co.uk

Moghul cuisine meets avant-garde in a stunning mahogany-panelled grade II-listed building rather like a colonial clubhouse. Specialities include lamb chops roasted in pomegranate juice, giant prawns in almond and saffron sauce and hariyali bortha (spinach and mashed potato patties with cheese and mustard seeds).

Kathmandu

Colston Tower, Colston Street, tel. , www.kathmandu-curry.com

A Nepalese family-run restaurant – they pride themselves on importing all their own spices. Plenty of seafood dishes including lobster. Specialities include mo mo (Nepalese dumplings); tiger prawns simmered in light spices and served in puri bread and choyla (lamb cooked in charcoal with ginger & garlic served on a sizzling platter).

Bristol Raj

36 Alma Vale Rd, Clifton, tel.

Warm, inviting and bright contemporary Indian diner serving stylishly updated versions of sub-continent classics at wallet-friendly prices including vegetable samosas made with fresh tamarind and traditional kulfi (a dense and delectable ice-cream made with condensed milk and cream flavoured with mango and saffron).

FR Le curry est servi

Le curry appartient aujourd’hui autant à la culture britannique que le fish and chips. Avec l’arrivée prochaine de la National Curry Week (la semaine nationale du curry du 23 au 29 novembre), voici un tour alléchant d’une sélection des meilleurs restaurants indiens en Grande-Bretagne.

LONDRES

Cinnamon Club Old Westminster Library, Great Smith Street Particulièrement fréquenté par les Membres du Parlement comme c’est à deux pas de Westminster. Le Chef et propriétaire Vivek Singh cuisine à la croisée de toutes les cultures régionales.

Benares 12A Berkeley Square House Le Chef Atul Kochar, aussi propriétaire et personnalité du petit écran, qui a reçu les louanges du Michelin, se spécialise dans une nouvelle cuisine, combinant les épices et les modes de préparation indiens aux ingrédients anglais de saison.

NEWCASTLE

Rasa 27 Queen St Spécialisé dans la cuisine du Kerala (Sud de l’Inde), le poisson et le ramsam au poivre noir (bouillon) épicé au curcuma est extraordinaire.

Vujon 29 Queen St Des délices de tout le continent indien y sont servis, dont notamment du gibier avec des épices de Goa et du paiyas (pudding de riz indien).

MANCHESTER

Dilli

Stamford New Rd Le premier restaurant indien avec une approche Ayurvédique à l’extérieur de Londres. Cette cuisine utilise des ingrédients particuliers pour nourrir des parties spécifiques du corps, contrer la maladie et aider à maintenir un équilibre naturel.

Nawaab 1008 Stockport Rd Ancien cinéma art déco, l’endroit est élégant et spacieux, avec un grand buffet self-service. Pas cher du tout et apprécié des grandes familles asiatiques.

BIRMINGHAM

Itihaas 18 Fleet St Le Chef Amardeep Saka concocte des plats intrigants, aux influences de l’Inde du Nord et de Mumbai, comprenant une grande quantité de plats végétariens et des thalis (une variété de différents plats dans des petits bols).

Radjdoot 12 Albert St Des Sarda, restaurant népalais, sert de délicieux scampis à l’ail et au piment ainsi que de l’agneau punjabi massala, dans un décor agréable et authentique.

BRISTOL

Old India 34 Saint Nicholas St

La cuisine Moghul rencontre l’avant-garde dans un fabuleux bâtiment classé au rang II (Grade II), couvert d’acajou, qui a tout d’une maison coloniale.

Kathmandu

Colston Tower Colston St Restaurant népalais familial qui importe ses propres épices. Beaucoup de plats de poissons, dont du homard.

NL Al curry wat de klok slaat

Curry is vandaag de dag even vast verankerd in de Britse cultuur als fish and chips. Naar aanleiding van de Nationale Curryweek van 23 tot 29 november volgt hieronder een prikkelend overzicht van enkele uitstekende Indische restaurants in het Verenigd Koninkrijk.

LONDEN

Cinnamon Club Old Westminster Library, Great Smith Street Een populaire stek voor Britse parlementsleden, niet onlogisch aangezien het dicht bij Westminster ligt. De kookkunsten van chef Vivek Singh gaan over de regionale grenzen heen.

Benares 12A Berkeley Square House De specialiteit van chef-kok Atul Kochar, die niet alleen een tv persoonlijkheid is maar ook wordt geprezen door Michelin, zijn uitgekiende gerechten die Indische specerijen en technieken combineren met Britse seizoensingrediënten.

NEWCASTLE

Rasa 27 Queen Street Gespecialiseerd in Keralan (Zuid-Indische) gerechten. De visgerechten en ramsam met zwarte peper (bouillon) op smaak gebracht met kurkuma is overheerlijk.

Vujon 29 Queen Street

Hier vind je lekkernijen uit heel India, waaronder hertenvlees met specerijen uit Goa en paiyas (Indiaanse rijstpudding).

MANCHESTER

Dilli Stamford New Road Het eerste Indiaanse restaurant met ayurvedische inslag buiten London. Ayurvedisch koken gebruikt speciaal uitgekozen ingrediënten die specifieke delen van het lichaam voeden, ziektekiemen tegenwerken en het natuurlijk evenwicht van ons lichaam in balans houden.

Nawaab 1008 Stockport Road Dit elegant aangeklede restaurant met een uitgebreid zelfbedieningsbuffet was vroeger een art deco bioscoopzaal. Goedkoop en erg populair bij grote Aziatische families.

BIRMINGHAM

Itihaas 18 Fleet Street Chef Amardeep Saka tovert boeiende gerechten op de borden, met invloeden uit Noord-India en Mumbai. Je vindt er veel vegetarische schotels en thalis (verschillende gerechten in kleine kommetjes).

Radjdoot 12 Albert Street Des Sarda’s Nepalees restaurant serveert voortreffelijke reuzengarnalen met chili en look, en lamsvlees punjabi massala in een smaakvol ingericht, authentieke locatie.

BRISTOL

Old India

34 Saint Nicholas Street Moghul kookkunsten met een avant-gardistisch sausje in een verbluffend mooi beschermd gebouw, bezet met panelen in mahoniehout, dat veel weg heeft van een clubhuis in koloniale stijl.

Kathmandu

Colston Tower, Colston Street Dit restaurant wordt gerund door een Nepalese familie die eigenhandig al hun specerijen importeert. Je vindt er heel wat visgerechten, waaronder kreeft.

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