currycouncil.com

McCoy's launches curry promo with new crisps

2010-08-26T13:18:00.008+01:00

During these difficult financial times the currycouncil are always on the prowl for super money saving offers available to our visitors.

McCoy’s crisps are joining 1,500 Indian restaurants around the country with an offer for two main curry dishes for the price of one with every pack purchased.

Consumers will be able to take their promotional voucher on-pack to any one of the participating restaurants and consumers will receive one free main curry meal when they purchase a main meal of greater or equivalent value.

The promotion which runs until March 2011 will also allow consumers to bring more than one voucher to claim further main curry meals.

McCoy’s are also launching two limited edition curry flavours, also available from mid-September, McCoy’s Chicken Jalfrezi and Lamb Vindaloo.

Greg Johnston, marketing director of Bagged Snacks at United Biscuits UK says: "We’re extremely proud of the promotion and feel that it’s spot on for our target consumer. The curry meal is one of Britain’s great traditions and the restaurants have needed little encouragement getting on-board to take advantage of the extra sales opportunity the promotion will create.”

Consumers can log on to www.mccoys.co.uk to find the nearest restaurant taking part in the promotion.

You can also find additional local and national curry saving offers on our Money Off Vouchers page.

Source: promomarketing.info

Moorlands Restaurant Provides Hot Competition in the Tiffin Cup

2010-08-25T16:42:00.007+01:00

The Qarma Tandoori restaurant in Leek is celebrating winning a place in the regional final of the Newby Teas Tiffin Cup 2010.

The national competition is held each year to find the best South Asian restaurant in the country and Karen Bradley MP chose Qarma this year to represent Staffordshire Moorlands. Qarma Tandoori Restaurant will battle with other restaurants in the regional final to go into the national Grand Final.

In the next few weeks a mystery diner will visit the restaurant and judge whether it deserves to respresent the region. Karen said;

"Qarma Tandoori Restaurant was the overwhelming favourite among my constituents so I am delighted that my nomination for them has been accepted. I really hope they will be chosen to represent our region in the Grand Final of such a prestigious award. I am sure everyone in the Moorlands will be supporting them."

Keith Vaz MP, Chair of the Tiffin Club said:

"We are delighted with the nomination of the Qarma Tandoori Restaurant. It will really put Staffordshire Moorlands on the culinary map."

Karen is pictured with manager Mohammed Ahmed and staff of Qarma cooking up a - hopefully - prize winning meal.

Currycouncil.com hope to visit Qarma in the near future and will be providing the forthcoming results from the Tiffin Cup 2010.

Source: karenbradley.co.uk

CurryCouncil Monthly Chaat

2010-08-19T07:42:00.046+01:00

Welcome to the first edition of our new monthly feature - "CurryCouncil Monthly Chaat". We aim to bring you all the exciting news from the wonderful world of curry and beyond.

Curry Pasty

Ginsters have recently launched the Chicken Balti Pasty. The new pasty is a fusion of two of Britain’s favourite takeaways – the Cornish pasty and curry.

The £1.99 snack sounds perfect for a curry-in-a-hurry and may soon find its way into the lunch boxes of the CurryCouncil.

Health

The extra ordinary health benefits of curry was again in the news this month.

The Daily Star reported how “Curry Could Save Your Life” and that “Chilli-laden dishes such as vindaloo or phall might appear to cause the brave eater to tense up, but they make blood vessels relax. In turn this lowers blood pressure, reducing the risk of deadly heart attacks”

CurryCouncil member and avid Daily Star reader Paul Day (left) demonstrates how a hot curry “may cause the brave eater to tense up” and that curry may actually be good for your health.

New Restaurant

Delish Spice is set to open its doors to the public this week. The new Bramhall restaurant promises its customers “a refreshing twist on traditional Indian cuisine”.

The CurryCouncil are planning a visit to Bramhall's latest eatery very soon. Watch this space for our upcoming review and thoughts on their new venture.

Online Tikka-Away

CurryCouncil member MrMarf last week tested the credentials of the online take-away ordering service at the Red Rose Indian Restaurant in Hazel Grove (Stockport).

The whole process was smooth from beginning to end and made take-away ordering extremely easy. The food was also, quote, "spot on!".

This has resulted in the CurryCouncil's resident Business Naanalyst MrMarf emailing an exciting new idea directly to Mr Bill Gates at Microsoft.

MrMarf said "We need to devise some way of giving curry eaters online the best of both worlds. You need to introduce some scratch and sniff technology to give curry fanatics an idea of the spicy scent before ordering curry at their PC".

Landmark Review

The August 2010 curry will be the 40th Indian restaurant review to be placed directly on our home page.

There are even more reviews hidden away in our archives, please feel free to tikka some time to read some of our extensive back catalogue and add your comments.

Twitter

The CurryCouncil now have 300 curry eating followers on Twitter.

Curry house set its sights on top title

2010-08-11T19:47:00.005+01:00

A popular Rochdale venue could be named the best South Asian restaurant in the country after topping a public vote.

Miah’s Restaurant will represent the town in the Tiffin Cup – a national competition run by MPs, which aims to find the best South Asian food in the country and raise money for charity.

It came out on top after Simon Danczuk MP appealed to the public to vote for who they thought should represent the town.

And Miah’s, which serves Bengali food, is now waiting to find out if it has made it onto the national short list.

Those that make the final cut will the take part in a MasterChef style cook-off, judged by MPs and guest celebrities, with the proceeds going to charity.

Mr Danczuk said: "The response showed how many great restaurants we have in Rochdale and how passionately people feel about their favourites.

"Miah’s was a clear winner for Rochdale and I hope they’ll make it to the next round.

He added: "There’s a lot of friendly banter among politicians about how good their restaurants are but I really feel our South Asian cuisine can compete with anywhere in the country."

Source: MEN

Tikka temptation: surviving Ramadan on the Curry Mile

2010-08-11T12:18:00.006+01:00

The mouth-watering smell of a succulent chicken tikka is tempting enough for anyone visiting Manchester's Curry Mile.

But what must it be like working in a Rusholme curry house or cafe while also trying to fast?

Islam requires all Muslims to abstain from food, water or smoking during the daylight hours of Ramadan.

Rusholme's restaurant staff explain how they're surviving the holy month while surrounded by temptation.

Hectic Mohammad Javed works at Sanam restaurant in the heart of Rusholme, taking orders and serving diners with their meals.

As someone who has fasted every Ramadan for 40 years, he agreed that fasting around food was certainly a challenge but said the hectic nature of his job proved a helpful distraction.

On an ordinary day we barely have time to think about eating," he said.

"During Ramadan it gets even busier as we host nightly celebrations where Muslims open their fast amongst family and friends."

Adding: "Physically, we do feel weaker without drinking water but it's all about mental strength. We don't think of ourselves making food, it is just a business product at the end of the day."

Across the street in fast food outlet Chilli Peri Chicken, chef Mohamed Mahr agreed.

"I used to struggle with hunger pangs when I first started working but it soon becomes such a routine that it's not an issue."

"Giving up food over Ramadan is almost enjoyable because it makes us realize how lucky we are.

"It's the cigarette cravings which cause me more grief," he said.

Smoking

The Curry Mile is also home to a growing number of shisha cafes popular with men from the Asian and Arab communities.

They gather to talk and smoke using shisha or 'hookah' pipes, but this also has to be sacrificed by Muslims during Ramadan.

One such place in Rusholme is the Cafe Lounge run by Faisal Khan.

"In my heart, I'm feeling tempted but in my head I know I should ignore the cravings," he said. "It drives me crazy!"

For the thirty days of Ramadan, Faisal faces the dual challenge of giving up both cigarettes and shisha while continuing to run his business.

"Every year my friends and I try to prepare ourselves with new tactics and strategies," he said.

"But they become useless once Ramadan starts and I see others smoking in front of me!"

"I can just about struggle through the hours of fasting but start smoking again once I open my fast at night.

"I avoid speaking to people during the day as I'm a bit of a wreck."

For other cafe owners, the temptation of working during Ramadan is just too much and they shut up shop for the month.

"I don't think I could avoid picking up a shisha pipe if I was working, I'm so used to it," said shisha cafe owner Lafi Albadri.

"I would rather miss out on business than slip up," he said.

While a busy job may be the answer for those working around food, there is help available to quit smoking during Ramadan.

Co-op pharmacies are holding 'Stop Smoking' sessions for Muslims trying to kick the habit.

These support sessions could provide invaluable support during Ramadan especially for those whose jobs are an everyday temptation.

Source: BBC

Silsila - Cheadle Hulme - Review

2010-08-02T20:27:00.013+01:00

T 0161 488 4880
A 22c Station Road Cheadle Hulme Stockport SK8 7AB

“So where is it again?” was the cry from Paul Day as Dave carefully tried to explain the exact location of July's curry venue.

“It’s opposite the Olive Press/Paprika coffee shop, just down from Pizza Hut on Station Road”. “hmmmm” replied the rat, “ok, go through Cheadle Hulme, pass Whittakers chippy, the Garam Massalla and Waitrose on your right, ‘spoons will be on your left, followed by Pizza LaVita and J. PIMLOT Traditional Family Butcher (purveyor of quality farm assured meat, Est. 1869), “got it” exclaimed Dayo.

“...ok so you carry on under the Railway bridge and as you pass under the railway, you’ll spot the Seven spices underneath (to your right), keep going... go past the Natwest bank and Whispers unisex hair salon the Sisila is literally next door to Blackstones Accountancy up the brow on the right”

To most this level of detail would be enough. His response? “Can I meet you at your house and jump in with you”.... which he did!

The visit to the Sisila was a rapidly arranged jaunt, with council members only receiving less than 24 hours notice. Nevertheless a contingent of 6 signed up and made their way to Cheadle Hulme’s newest eatery.

It was a typical July evening: hot, sticky and throwing it down. Most of the CurryCouncil had failed to spot the signage for parking, situated directly behind the restaurant. Instead we made a run for it having parked on Tescos /Blockbusters car park just down the round

We were greeted by two gentlemen who escorted us to our table. The Silsila is a modern looking establishment and the Council felt immediately at home. Several illuminated-bubble -water-features have been installed throughout, which seems to be the norm these days.

Andy “bad-boy” Hague was absent after he was caught by Matt Allwright and sidekick Dan Penteado (stars of the Rogue Traders segment on the BBC hit-show Watchdog) after swindling an old women of £780 during a routine boiler replacement.

Once in situ, we sat as Woodman and Noble arrived to join members Winfield, Dayo, Dave Marchbank-Smith and the lean but mean Gaz Jordan. We began the evening by sampling six 20 imperial fluid ounces of Cobra and thumbed our way through the Silsila menu.

11 popodoms were ordered as Slim-Jim Jord only wanted a pop and a half. A healthy discussion erupted as to which other member would sacrifice half and join Jord in his quest for a size 32 waist. Noble quickly volunteered and then ordered another pop. It was universally agreed that two half-pops is less fattening than one full one.

After discussing exactly how Paul had cut his head open whilst opening his car door and narrowly avoided a visit to A+E we moved onto the starters. The waiter had recommended the house special Banjara kebab. In all honesty the way in which he described the dish did not do justice to this unusual looking starter. The banajara was described as being “different and really, really green”.

The currycouncil think that the restaurant simply need to display a description of each starter on their menu to make ordering that little bit easier for the customer.

What arrived was four “Incredible-hulk-green” pieces of chicken. The chicken was infused with fresh coriander and various spices. It had a real kick and made a welcome change to the typical tandoori/tikka chicken starters served elsewhere. The presentation was also appealing, so far so good.

The Silsila are currently offering a midweek offer. If you call and make a reservation for a table for two or more you receive a complimentary bottle of wine with your meal. We were offered two bottles of “red or white” for our party of six. This was a nice gesture, however it didn’t stop Gaz Jordan from asking “whether or not we could swap the wine for a few more pints of Cobra”...

Two bottles of chilled Pinot Grigio duly arrived and for the first time in my years the Currycouncil actually looked respectable.

The main courses quickly followed with a combination of boiled, pilua and keema pilau rice and assorted breads. The assortment of curries were well received with the Tawah Signiture dish receiving glowing praise from Steve Winfield describing it as “the best curry, so far, this year”. The portions were just about right too.

The Silsila is a welcome addition to the SK8 postcode. It faces fierce competition with the Garam Massalla, Seven Spices, Barinda, The Red Fort and Jalfrezi only a stones throw away. However we would recommend a visit to the Silsila in the near future. Just remember to book in advance to take advantage of the free wine offer.

The bill £23 per head

Spice Lounge - Hale (Cheshire) Review

2010-07-29T19:18:00.008+01:00

T 0161 929 4444
A 112 - 114 Ashley Road, Hale, Cheshire, WA14 2UN
W www.spiceloungehale.co.uk

June’s curry saw the CurryCouncil visit the Spice Lounge, located right in the heart of Hale. This was following a recommendation from their sister restaurant – the Barinda in Cheadle. It was a good turnout from the Council members (with even Loaf coming out of Stockport for the night) with only Dayo missing (surprise!) due to apparently suffering with a week long virus.

The restaurant (with a combined in-house takeaway) is located on the main road, surrounded by fancy bars and cafes, in the exclusive location of Hale village in South Trafford. Consequently, parking was rather limited directly outside with some of us having to park on the side streets nearby. However, due to the high-class neighbourhood, you don’t have any fears of anything untoward happening to your vehicle whilst you dine.

First impressions of the premises were excellent and the Spice Lounge certainly lives up to its website description of being a fantastically stylish, modern Indian restaurant. The furniture and décor could not be faulted with the place having quite a cool and trendy atmosphere with numerous pictures and photographs of famous musicians on the walls, leaving you feeling that you were in the curry equivalent of the Hard Rock Café.

There were not a lot of other customers when we first arrived but by the time we left a couple of hours later, there was a fair crowd in.

We were shown to a large table in the centre of the place and lovely cold pints of Kingfisher were soon being supped, while we mulled over the extensive menu, which we hoped would be being prepared by the restaurants “award winning chef”. Fresh pops and a variety of dips were devoured whilst the Council discussed the recent England football debacle, with only Dave sticking up for the lazy overpaid gits.

Starters arrived before too long and were well received with Woody enjoying a Shami Kebab and CMS tucking into the Tandoori Chicken which was a big daddy piece of chicken wing. Other members stuck with the usual selection including a large tasty Chicken Chaat.

Mains took a while to arrive but were worth the wait with the Council trying a variety of dishes as is par for the course these days. The restaurant advertises how dishes can be tailor-made to suit your palette and with Dave and Woody specifically ordering ‘non-Spring Chicken’, this was probably the reason behind the slight delay.

Good-sized portions were served up with a mixture of Boiled and Pilau Rice along with accompanying Nan’s of Plain, Peshwari and Garlic – which were all very nice.

Woody thought the Chicken Shahee (Chicken and minced lamb combined with butter, spices, tomatoes and onion – with several boiled eggs on top) was excellent and CMS enjoyed the “nice and not too spicy” Chicken Mossommon (the Chef’s specialty, cooked to his own secret recipe).

The bill arrived at £26.50 each, with a tip, which we felt may have been a tad expensive with the Council thinking that the fashionable location may have upped the price somewhat. However, the food was of a very good standard with great portion sizes and faultless service too. All in all, the Council felt that the Spice Lounge is well worth a visit and gets a big thumbs up.

No grave concerns as curry house opens up

2010-07-27T13:14:00.005+01:00

A former church is being converted into a curry house.

An Indian restaurant is opening in a revamped chapel in Chorlton, but as the cemetery is consecrated ground, the graves outside will remain.

The former Methodist Chapel on Beech Road has been derelict for more than a decade and owner Mannan Khan has spent the past eight years securing planning permission to refurbish it.

The new venture called Impress will throw open its doors to the public next month.

Mr Khan said: "It is a unique building and I am looking forward to opening here. I hope people won’t mind walking through a graveyard – I think when they get inside and taste the food they will forget about that."

The dad-of-three from Urmston has previously run a balti restaurant near his home, but says he was looking for a place in Chorlton for some time.

"It’s a lovely area," he said. "There’s a good cosmopolitan crowd and several celebrities so I am hoping to impress them with my restaurant."

The chapel was built in 1826 and held services for around 130 years until closing in the mid-1950s, when parishioners transferred to the Methodist Church on Manchester Road. It was later used as a storage base for the Coupe family’s furniture business who had a shop on Wilbraham Road, but was sold around 11 years ago.

The derelict building has been brought back to life and Mr Khan wants to fire up the appetites of Chorltonians with his south Indian and balti dishes.

As a muslim, he will not be selling alcohol, but diners can take their own booze.

He said: "I don’t see a problem with my religion in opening in a methodist chapel. We are both peaceful religions, and I have been waiting a long time to open up here."

Mr Khan has one old photograph of the building which will be put up inside, but he is encouraging south Manchester residents to take along any more old pictures, to keep the chapel’s history alive.

Mary Paul, chairman of the Association of Beech Road Traders, said: "I hope it does well as it’s quite a quirky idea to have an Indian restaurant in an old chapel."

And Ida Bradshaw, 69, who lives on nearby Neale Road, said: "I think it’s great. There isn’t anything like this on Beech Road."

Source : MEN

New Stockport Curry Houses launch in 2010

2010-07-25T08:27:00.022+01:00

A large number of new Indian restaurants are springing up around Stockport this year.

The large North West town (with a population of about 280,000) is fast becoming a credible alternative to the nearby Rusholme Curry Mile.

The home town of the currycouncil has an additional three contemporary restaurants to cater for its curry loving inhabitants and offer a variety of belt straining delights.

Two established curry houses have also recently changed their names and re-launched their restaurants to compete in the fiercely competitive Stockport curry scene.

The former Wright Arms pub, on Marple Road in Offerton, is following the recent trend towards coverting old pubs into Indian restaurants and is currently under refurbishment to offer Indian cuisine by the end of the year.

The currycouncil will endeavour to bring you up-to-date news and reviews from these new restaurants in the near future.

In the mean time, if you have dined at any of the new restaurants listed below and wish to share your thoughts with the readers of currycouncil.com - please post your comments below.

New Restaurants

Khandoker
Cedar Tree House, 10 Fir Road, Bramhall, Stockport SK7 2NP
0161 439 1050
http://www.khandoker.co.uk/

Silsila
22c Station Road Cheadle Hulme Stockport SK8 7AB
0161 488 4880

Red Rose
173-175 London Road, Hazel Grove, Stockport SK7 4HJ
0161 456 3638
http://www.rrronline.co.uk/

Poynton Indian Cuisine
(formally the "Ruby Tandoori")
61a London Rd South, Poynton, Stockport, Cheshire, SK12 1LA
01625 859307

Harappa
(formally" Zeera" and also "Mango Lounge")
106 Higher Hillgate, Stockport, Cheshire, SK1 3QH
0161 477 6757
http://www.harapparestaurant.co.uk/

"New Zealand" Indian beer to launch in the UK

2010-07-21T12:59:00.009+01:00

The currycouncil are always looking for new Indian beers to sample and have been alerted to a new boutique craft beer that is expected to hit the shelves in the second half of 2010.

The Monsoon brewing company produce Monsoon beer, in Christchurch, New Zealand, that is specifically crafted to go with Indian food.

Monsoon is made from the purest water drawn from ancient aquifers in the South Island of New Zealand, and all of its ingredients are natural. The beer is absolutely chemical free and organic (the Pilsner has been certified Organic in Europe).

Monsoon is to be being featured in the upcoming Indian movie CURRY MUNCHERS.

The beer is produced in small batches and has won international awards.

The currycouncil are yet to try Monsoon's Indian beer and hope to publish a full review in the near future.

What next for the battle between Mongoose and Cobra?

2010-07-09T13:24:00.004+01:00

Wells and Young’s’ claim that its new Mongoose beer brand uses the original recipe for Cobra Beer are unlikely to be the subject of a legal challenge, according to lawyers, but the brewer needs to be careful that its marketing does not attract regulatory scrutiny.

Mongoose, a "cheeky" moniker chosen because of the mammal’s ability to overcome the cobra snake, features a mongoose with a dead cobra in its mouth on the label and claims to be the beer of choice for "those in the know".

However, the assertion that could prove to be the most controversial is that Wells and Young’s founder Charles Wells owns the recipe used to make Cobra because it was never assigned to Lord Karan Bilimoria, founder and joint owner of the brand via the Cobra Beer Partnership, the joint venture between him and Molson Coors.

Molson Coors declined to comment when asked whether any action would take over the claims.

However, in response to but making no mention of Mongoose, both Lord Bilimoria and Dr. Cariapa, Cobra’s founding master brewer, were keen to stress that they had created the beer.

"As Cobra’s founder and creator I am wholeheartedly dedicated to maintaining the integrity of the Cobra brand and the distinctive quality of the beer itself," Lord Bilimoria adds.

Legal experts predict that it could be difficult for the Partnership to mount a legal case.

Andy Millmore, partner at Harbottle & Lewis says: "Tatste you cannot protect and recipes are typically protected only by trade secret."

Isabel Davies of law firm CMS Cameron McKenna, says ownership disputes often arise when agreements are not put in writing.

"Recipes and other trade secrets are often very valuable to food and drink manufacturers. Some companies will allow only a small number of employees to know the recipe, and will bind them with obligations of confidentiality," she adds.

Although Mongoose’s label and advertising materials do not make direct reference to Cobra Beer, lawyers believe that Wells and Young’s needs to be careful that it does not overstep the mark.

Mark Daniels, an intellectual property lawyer at Browne Jacobson, says that Mongoose’s owners will have to decide whether the publicity generated by the launch outweighs the potential for regulatory scrutiny.

"Questions about comparative advertising look capable of being raised. But then the controversial marketing campaigns are often the most eye catching. The question is whether any potential legal spat surrounding the campaign serves to raise visibility of Mongoose beer even further."

Wells and Young’s is hoping to fill what it describes as "genuine gap in the market for the original Indian recipe beer" to challenge Cobra and Kingfisher.

The Indian beer market is becoming increasingly competitive with rivals Cobra and Kingfisher both launching campaigns this year that push their Indian heritage, while linking them with eating Indian food.

Mongoose’s owners will be hoping that the law of the jungle prevails

Source: MarketingWeek.co.uk

Windaloo - Spices 'may reduce gas emissions'

2010-07-07T21:19:00.003+01:00

Curry spices could hold the key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, scientists have claimed.

Research has found that coriander and turmeric - spices traditionally used to flavour curries - can reduce the amount of methane produced by sheep by up to 40%.

Working a bit like an antibiotic, the spices were found to kill the methane-producing "bad" bacteria in the animal's gut while allowing the "good" bacteria to flourish.

Source: The Press Association

Real Indian cuisine: Spice world

2010-07-07T12:53:00.006+01:00

It's 200 years since the first curry house opened in Britain – but only now are we moving beyond chicken tikka masala to discover the true Indian cuisine, writes Anthea Gerrie.

This month marks 200 years since Britain got its first curry house. It was an instant hit – how could it not be with a people from a temperate island who had been addicted for centuries to the spices they craved to pep up their bland native fare?

But although we don't know exactly what London's Hindostanee Coffee House served its punters, history tells us the "Indian" food Britain originally took to its heart was a real mish-mash. Thanks to 19th century recipes calling for pre-mixed curry powder and Bangladeshi restaurateurs serving their own ersatz inventions in the great post-war curry invasion, what we came to love was a hybrid cuisine. Even the authentic-sounding chicken tikka masala, which overtook roast beef and Yorkshire pud as our favourite dish a decade ago, was born in Glasgow.

So do we really have cause for celebration? Yes, but we should be celebrating the 28th anniversary of fine Indian food rather than 200 years of mediocre curries, according to some. "If you're talking sophisticated and innovative, it's not even the 10th birthday," declares Vivek Singh of London's Cinnamon Club. This audacious entrepreneur, whose high-end Westminster eatery was named Best Restaurant at last year's World Food Awards, did not arrive on these shores to bring top-end Indian dining to Brits till 2001. That's the year Atul Kochhar became the first chef to win a Michelin star for Indian food. He won it for London's Tamarind before going on to open the less-traditional Benares, for which he has also landed a star.

The newest such accolade for an Indian restaurant is for London's Amaya, which so captured the public imagination with its open kitchen and marinated grills – nearly half the diners never even progress to a curry – that it won its Michelin star within a year of opening. Interestingly, Amaya is in the same Masala World ownership as Veeraswamy, Britain's oldest existing Indian restaurant, and Chutney Mary. The directors claim credit for intitiating the transition from curry house to fine dining in Britain via Camilla Panjabi's innovations at the Bombay Brasserie.

"We had long wanted to get across the fact that Indian food is gourmet, a world away from the bowls of gloopy brown mess I saw in Indian restaurants here when I arrived in the Eighties," says Namita Panjabi, co-director of Masala World. "In a French restaurant you would never order a coq au vin, a boeuf bourgignon and a seafood dish for everyone to take and mix on their plate. And we don't eat like that in India, where all the really refined cooking takes place in the home. We have a meat or fish dish, a green vegetable, a root vegetable, a raita and rice or bread."

That's how Panjabi, having seen her sister do the same at the Bombay Brasserie, plated up the food at Chutney Mary in 1990. "We got a lot of flak for insisting each diner should choose their own dish from people who were used to sharing and wanted to see the bowls back. But we were determined to showcase Indian food as it is meant to be eaten."

When Masala World bought Veeraswamy, the concept of tasting several dishes when going out for "an Indian" was allowed to remain, concedes Panjabi: "We figured Veeraswamy is all about tradition. But we served the dishes very beautifully in thalis, and the spices are all stone-ground, the way they would be in India."

Panjabi acknowledges that while modern decor – such as the striking terracotta sculptures, granite candle-holders and open kitchen of Amaya – took time to catch up with a modern way of serving Indian food, the arrival of authentic regional cuisine dates to 1982. That's when the Taj Hotel group opened the Bombay Brasserie, bringing colonial style – and hitherto-unimaginably sophisticated Indian fare – to London's Gloucester Road. "We brought Farsi and Goan cuisine and dishes from Hyderabad and other places," recalls Hemant Oberoi, Taj's grand master chef. "That was when people were only talking about Madras and vindaloo – and these were not correctly cooked. A proper vindaloo, for example, has a lot of vinegar in it. What you thought of as Rogan Josh was ridiculous: it comes from the Kashmiri region, where people don't use the tomatoes that were often put in."

He claims Britain is unique in its use of pre-mixed curry powder. "In India, we make proper garam masala and every chef takes great pride in how he hand-pounds this spice mix – he would never use a processor. The mix must be slowly roasted then equally slowly ground by hand." The bog-standard curry house is facing its demise in the face of our growing sophistication, he warns: "If their chefs don't follow the ways of the top restaurants, Indian cuisine will be a forgotten chapter in this country's culinary history."

Amin Ali, who opened Soho's Red Fort in the first push upmarket, says the growth of the UK's Asian population has done a lot to perpetuate authentic food: "You can now find most of the ingredients for serious Indian cookery in any supermarket – and as a result of how we changed the face of Indian cooking in the 1980's, people expect more from it now."

The newest wave of Indian restaurateurs are the risk-takers and award-winners of the past decade, spearheaded by Singh. He says: "People thought I was crazy taking over a Grade II listed library in Westminster and expecting people to pay £35 a head. In fact, they paid £35 for a halibut, and now pay £80 a head for a memorable dining experience."

Rajesh Suri, who managed Mayfair's Tamarind when the restaurant won its star in 2001 and who now owns the place, says: "Michelin recognition was a wake-up call. It told the world you could get food and service in an ethnic restaurant every bit as fine as in a French restaurant. We compete not only against each other, but Michel Roux and Gordon Ramsay. As we found out at Tamarind from losing our star briefly before winning it back, we can never take our eye off the ball."

Sriram Aylur, head chef at Quilon in Westminster, is one of five to have won a Michelin star for an Indian restaurant in Britain. The restaurant is cool, spare and blonde, and Aylur's dishes, from the favourite British playgrounds of Kerala and Goa, are unique in their bright clear yellows, reds and greens, perhaps because of his memories of the bad old days. He says: "It used to look as if the kitchen had three different shades of brown sludge for sauces, and which one you got depended on which dish you ordered."

However, we shouldn't despise the fare brought to us in the Sixties by entrepreneurial Bangladeshis with little knowledge of regional cuisine. Even Atul Kochhar, whose innovation runs to developing his own wines to partner Indian food, has chicken tikka masala in his repertoire. He credits Brits with creating "the mother recipe" for a dish based on India's authentic butter chicken and thinks it says a lot that Indians in India love it. "When I go home and am asked to cook, that's the first dish everyone wants me to make!"

A HISTORY OF CURRY IN BRITAIN

1600 East India Company set up under charter from Elizabeth I to break Dutch monopoly of the spice trade.

1747 First curry recipe recorded in The Epicure's Almanack.

1780 Pre-mixed curry powder arrives on grocers' shelves.

1810 Migrant Sake Dean Mahomet opens Britain's first curry house at 34 George Street on London's Portman Square.

1926 Veeraswamy, the oldest Indian restaurant still standing in Britain, opens just off Regent Street. It becomes the posh people's curry house, frequented by socialites and celebrities.

1959 Veeraswamy's introduces Brits to tandoori chicken.

1969 A Glasgow restaurant claims to have invented chicken tikka masala, a claim disputed by rivals from Edinburgh to Essex.

1970s Bangladeshi migrants fill every corner of Britain with curry houses, serving an ersatz mix of standardised dishes in three degrees of spice heat, usually labelled korma, madras or vindaloo.
1982 The Bombay Brasserie, opened by Taj, Indian's premier luxury hotel group, ushers in a new era of authentic regional Indian cuisine.

1987 The Balti (named after the large dish it is served in) is invented in Birmingham. It starts a new craze among curry lovers with former tandoori restaurants rebranding themselves overnight as balti houses.

1989 Karan Bilimoria creates Cobra beer, brewed in Britain and now exported to 50 countries, as a rival to European lagers and Indian imports which had the curry house market sewn up.

2001 Atul Kochhar becomes the first Indian chef in the world to win a Michelin star – for London's Tamarind.

2001 Robin Cook declares chicken tikka masala "Britain's true national dish".

2001 The Cinnamon Club sets a new price point for luxury Indian restaurants when it opens in a listed Westminster library.

2009 British winemakers Carr Taylor and Atul Kochhar each launch a separate range of wines intended to perfectly partner Indian food.

2010 The Michelin Guide brings the total of starred Indian restaurants in the UK to five, the highest to date.

Source: Independent

A spicy 200 year affair

2010-06-28T19:44:00.007+01:00

The tingling of the taste buds, the watering of the eyes - it's almost like being in love.

And Britain's passionate affair with the curry has hit a 200-year landmark.

In 1810 a surgeon from the army of the British East India company opened the Hindoostane Coffee House in George Street, central London.

The venture was not a success but, its founder, Sake Dean Mahomed, unwittingly became the Cupid who started Britain's 200-year love affair with sub-continental cuisine.

The first Indian restaurant to ring up profits was the Veeraswamy, opened by Anglo-Indian Edward Palmer at the British Empire Exhibition of 1924.

It was so popular that he moved it to Regent Street where to this day it is frequently fully booked.

By the start of the Second World War in 1939, there were six curry houses in Britain. Six years later, Indians arriving to help rebuild London started in earnest the growth of the nation's favourite restaurants.

The migrant workers established cafes and canteens to feed thems and their families. But curious natives soon discovered the spicy food which was a revelation compared with bland, rationed British food.

From these cafes grew a national obsession with the likes of chicken tikka massala, naan bread, Bombay potatoes and lamb pasanda, spelled variously around the land.

By 1982 there were 3,500 curry restaurants in Britain. Today there are 12,000. More than 80% are run not by Indians but by Bangladeshis.

Two-thirds of our eating out is in curry restaurants, where we spend £5million a day and eat 205 million poppadoms (or papadums - most items of Indian cuisine have variations on their name) every year.

And London has more Indian restaurants than either Mumbai or Delhi.

The largest Indian restaurant in the world is the Aakash in Cleck heat on, West Yorks.

The former Providence Place United Reformed Church, built in the 1850s, can feed 750 people at the same sitting.

The biggest naan bread was made for the 1999 Kingfisher National Day by the Bengal Brasserie restaurant, in Hither Green, South East London.

It measured two inches thick, 66cm (26in) long and 58cm (23in) wide, and weighed 4kg (8lb 12oz).

Pat Chapman, who runs the 45,000-member Curry Club, said: "Curry was something the working man had never seen and it was at a price that everyone could afford.

"It tasted great, was cheap and was mildly addictive. When it first started it catered for people back from the Raj who had developed this peculiar taste for the exotic dish.

"It didn't really catch on as it was only old Indian hands who liked it. My mother came back from India in 1933 and she used to go to Veeraswamy every week as she loved curries so much.

"Then in the 50s a lot of Bengalis who worked on the docks were made redundant and opened up restau-rants. To keep costs down they kept off the high streets but to make up for it they brought in red flock wallpaper and dinner-jacketed waiters to make it seem more posh."

Many of the dishes we know and love would be unrecognisable in India. Chicken tikka masala was created in Britain when a chef added tomato and onion paste to grilled chicken. The dish was unknown in India until the 90s when British companies began exporting it.

Many other dishes considered traditional Indian staples are also not authentic. "Ninety-five per cent of Indians don't know what a vindaloo, jalfrezi or a madras curry is," says cookery writer Camellia Panjabi.

Earlier this year four master chefs from Indian and Bangladeshi restaurants in Britain travelled to Kolkata.

They showcased the best of British curries, such as chicken tikka masala and baltis, to appreciative diners.

Even the word curry can't be traced back to the India or its neighbours.

The word was coined by the British in India and has no direct translation into any of the sub-continent's 15 or so languages.

Many Indians feel it demeans their food and prefer to use other words to describe each dish.

What's more, one of the earliest known recipes for meat in a spicy sauce, dating from 1700BC, appeared on tablets found near Babylon in Mesopotamia - what is now Iraq.

Taj Mahal is the most popular name in Britain for an Indian restaurant.

Adrian Davey, managing director of Cobra beer, said: "We did a survey that found Bromley - not Brick Lane or Bradford - had the most Indian restaurants per capita, with one curry houses for every 853 residents.

"And six of the top 10 came from the south."

Pat Chapman believes Britain's love affair with curries could not be more intense. He said: "We have seen a tailing off of restaurant openings so we may have hit a peak.

"Before curries we didn't really know international food. But it helped pave the way for many other cuisines which people like exploring.

"It has become a deep-rooted part of Britain and its culture."

Nine years ago, the late Robin Cook suggested that chicken tikka masala had become the national dish.

Perhaps now is the time to make that official.

A ROYAL FEAST

The oldest known use of the word curry appears in a 600-year-old cook book written for Richard II. Cury was Old English for the modern word cookery - so the 150 recipes in the 1390 manuscript Forme of Cury are hearty British fare.

They included frumenty, a porridge-style dish, and payn puff, boiled fruits in pastry.

Manchester University archivist John Hodgson said: "It's not like Delia Smith books specifying quantities of ingredients or cooking times. It was very much a case of trial and error.''

POPPA-FACT
The world's hottest chilli - 50% hotter than the Mexican habanero - grows in Assam . Indian scientists are trying to develop a tear gas from it.

POPPA-FACT

The world's hottest curry - the Widowmaker - is served at the Bindi restaurant in Grantham, Lincs.

POPPA-FACT

Veeraswamy, the first successful Indian restaurant in London, has been open on Regent Street since 1926.

Source: Mirror

Lime Lounge Restaurant - High Lane - Review

2010-06-25T20:33:00.014+01:00

T 01663 766686
A 123 Buxton Road,High lane,Stockport,SK6 8DX
E info@limeloungerestaurant.co.uk
W www.limeloungerestaurant.co.uk

The month of May saw the currycouncil members in a small dilemma. Do we count the Mays WAGS curry as the monthly curry or do we carry on with tradition and call a members only curry for May? The answer was simple for the currycouncil, a members only May curry was needed!

The next question was what restaurant to visit and review? Having had various invites from the website and new local curry houses opening in both Bramhall and in Cheadle Hulme, as well as Offerton, Mays curry location was going to be a difficult choice for the currycouncil. It was Beans turn to decide, so what would he choose?

Based on high recommendations from Christopher James Gents hair salon the last 3 times Bean had visited, Bean decided the council would have to go to the Lime Lounge as he couldn’t stand another ear bending from the barber about the restaurant if he hadn’t been there next time he went for his hair cut. So the Lime Lounge in High Lane it was.

The Lime Lounge is perhaps a little unknown as you’d only actually probably go past it if you were driving to Lyme Park or decided to go to Sheffield or head towards the M1.

Its located on Buxton Road, High Lane opposite the Red Lion pub. Parking is OK but you might want to park in the pub opposite as only a few spaces are available outside the restaurant itself.

On first impressions the currycouncil would say the Lime lounge is a “new age, modern” curry house. It's similar to the Purple Pakora (Poynton) and Jalfrezi (Bramhall) in its décor.

However one good thing that stood out to the currycouncil members was this was a modern restaurant but played traditional old school “bangra” music. This is an easy point to gain from the council (well done Lime Lounge).

We were seated towards the rear of the restaurant and met up with Marf and Loaf who had both been waiting for 10 minutes and spitting feathers…..

Drinks were ordered swiftly but unfortunately didn’t score that well. We did think that the draft beer perhaps could have been better, this was swapped for bottled Cobra lager again immediately and with no problem from the friendly waiter.

Also considering the fact that Woody spilt a full pint of Andy’s Coke all over the table the waiter again was extremely understanding and nothing seemed to much trouble to re-lay and tidy up the mess that “daft” Wood had made. Woody seemed to be a bit off colour after taking a pasting from Bean at squash an hour earlier which could account for his strange behavior in throwing Diet Coke everywhere.

Members ordered Chicken Chat and Tandoori Ratan starters. These were good value for money considering the portions that you got.

Dave went for the Chicken Chat and followed by Chicken Tikka Madras. He felt he was given a good portion size and it was well presented. However the rice portions were on the smaller side compared to the majority of other curry establishments the council have visited. Dave also enjoyed the decor and water feature with his concluding comment being "the strength of curry was perfect"

Marf decided to go for the Tandoori Ratan starter, as did the rest of the council members.

The Chicken Gurkali Murgh was impressive with fresh ingredients and good quality chicken in the dish.

Chicken Gurkali Murgh (above)

Again on the service side we had good advice from the waiter "watch out for those red chillies!".

Pops were also very fresh and the fresh tamarind brown sauce was a good & spicy extra for the pops and starters and also a first for the currycouncil. The currycouncil predict that tamarind sauce might start to appear with other onion relishes, mango sauce condiments in other restaurants in the future.

Naan, boiled and pilau rice were also all sampled and were of a high standard (especially the freshly cooked naan). The only improvement that perhaps could be made was the wood straw like baskets the naan was served in.

The general consensus was this as a decent curry house, good standard of food, good value for money and decent service.

The bill arrived and worked out with a tip about £22 each. The bill also came with hot towels and choc mint chocolates and “easy points to gain” for the Lime Lounge. £22 a pop seemed really good value for money considering that Jord sank 4 pints because he wasn’t driving and the bill was being pooled (scavos!)

All in all a good nights curry, definitely worth a visit and would be a recommendation from the Curry Council.

The Lime Lounge also scored 4* out of 5 on Scores On The Doors - the official local authority hygiene ratings panel for food businesses (read more about Scores On The Doors here).

Surprise Town Named Curry Capital of UK

2010-06-24T13:19:00.005+01:00

A TOWN with no previous tradition of exotic or spicy food is today named the unexpected curry house capital of the UK.

A survey found one curry restaurant for every 853 residents in Bromley, south London.

Both Birmingham, renowned for baltis, and Manchester failed to make the top 10.

Other curry hot spots included Epsom, Reading, Leicester, Cardiff and Doncaster.

The study, for Cobra Beer, also found that Taj Mahal was the most popular name for an Indian restaurant, followed by Taste of India, Maharaja, Akash, Spice Lounge and Monsoon.

Quirkier names included Posh Spice, Urban Turban and Some Like It Hot. Britain’s first curry house opened in London in 1810 and there are now more than 9,000. One in five people say Indian food is their favourite. Cobra Beer plans to send a mobile curry house to areas which do not have any Indian restaurants.

Source: Express

Curried Chicken With Mint Recipe (GMTV)

2010-06-21T20:12:00.005+01:00

Learn to make Rosemary Shrager's dish of curried chicken with fresh mint

The delectable Rosemary Shrager is back in the GMTV Kitchen this week and she's kicking off with a dish of curried chicken with fresh mint.

It's light, great value, quick and it's got a kick!

Ingredients:

1 medium chicken (approximately 2 kilos) cut into 10 pieces

250ml good chicken stock

Olive oil

300g yoghurt, natural

Salt and pepper

For the marinade:

1 cm fresh ginger, grated

2 garlic cloves, crushed

8 cardamom pods, crushed

1 dessert spoon of curry powder, medium

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the dressing:

Juice of 1 lemon

5 soft dried apricots

5 soft dried figs

10 walnuts

10g peanuts, unsalted

10 mint leaves, chopped

Handful of mint leaves

To serve:

4 fresh figs cut into quarters

Chopped fresh parsley

Brown rice, cooked

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Mix the ginger, garlic, cardamom, curry powder, coriander, cumin and cinnamon all together and add to 100g yoghurt and season.

Now rub into the chicken. Allow to marinade for as long as possible.

In a large frying pan add 2 tablespoons of oil. Fry the chicken on all sides until brown. Put into a roasting tray and put into the oven for about 20 minutes.

Wipe the pan that you have fried the chicken in.

Add any of the marinade that was left to the chicken stock and cook for 2 minutes in the frying pan.

When the chicken is ready, put it back into the pan with the stock. Mix to cover and season well.

For the dressing: Meanwhile process the nuts and fruit but not too fine. Add the rest of the yoghurt and add the lemon juice and chopped mint.

Serve with brown rice and garnish with fresh parsley, mint leaves and fresh figs.

Watch the GMTV video here

"Red Rose" for the ladies - Review

2010-06-19T21:00:00.001+01:00

Red Rose Indian Restaurant

T 0161 456 3638
A 173-175 London Road, Hazel Grove, Stockport SK7 4HJ
E info@rrronline.co.uk
W www.rrronline.co.uk/

Fabio Capello decided to leave the WAGS at home during the World Cup but contrary to the wise words of the Italian, the currycouncil abandoned their standard protocol of not allowing WAGS to attend the revered curry pilgrimage.

In the month of May, the WAGS were granted access to a unique Bangladeshi style banquet at the Red Rose Indian Restaurant in Hazel Grove.

Did you know that over 80 percent of the "Indian" restaurants in the U.K. serve Bangladeshi food?

"Boy-Girl-Boy-Girl"," Two tables of six and an eight" or "What about just one long table". The WAGS immediately made our seating arrangements a little bit more complicated than usual.

We eventually decided to be seated at one long table that was conveniently located next to the kitchen and the bar (top result).

The evening kicked off with a mixture of drinks being served including nice draught pints of Cobra, Diet Cokes for the drivers and even some Magners Cider for the soon-to-be Mrs Hague.

Poppodums were served, fresh and crispy. The ladies opting for dipping their pops gracefully into a side portion of mango and the lads creating pops that could almost be pieces of art, carefully crafted with circular swoops of mango, drizzles of chilli sauce and carefully placed onions.

10 of our 14 opted for the "Bangladeshi" set menu. The remaining ladies (and Dayo) chose dishes separately from the extensive menu as they were slightly apprehensive of eating meat on the bone.

The "Chefs Special Starter" was served all round. The large chicken wings were marinated in yoghurt and were tastefully seasoned.

The main courses were truly different to anything that the currycouncil would usually think about ordering. The waiter promised us a “true taste” of Bangladeshi cooking and they certainly didn’t let us down.

The first dish to share was the Handi Bombay Lamb Chops. The dish appeared curious to the eye and was very different to the more traditional “english” tomato based curries that have become a hybrid of traditional Bengali cooking.

The sauce had an oily texture but oozed with flavour. The taste of the garlic, ginger and chilli added to the experience.

The waiter informed us that the lamb had been slowly cooking for 3 to 4 hours before our arrival and this rang true as the meat dropped off the bone and tasted delicious.

The second main course was the Chicken Handi Kebabi. The large pieces of chicken on the bone were succulent and gave us a truer flavour of this traditional dish. The handi had undertones of garlic, coriander and mint and was garnished with peppers and onions.

All dishes were accompanied by generous portions of pilau rice and fresh naan breads.

If you are feeling adventurous and fancy trying the special Bangladeshi menu, contact the restaurant in advance and they should be able to produce something similar at a set price for any large group.

The Red Rose menu states “Dedication to excellency towards customer service, your satisfaction is our achievement” and this certainly was the case for the currycouncil (and don't forget the WAGS) this evening. The service overall was great and the food excellent value.

This recently opened restaurant is a welcome addition to the growing number of Indian restaurants that are now appearing in the Stockport area.

Read our previous review of the Red Rose here

Curry And Football - A Perfect Match?

2010-06-17T13:23:00.021+01:00

What's better than beer and football? Perhaps beer, CURRY and football on a giant TV screen! The currycouncil have been searching for the best Indian restaurants to watch the World Cup and to cheer on England.

Capello Curry

If you fancy a World Cup curry with a kick, get yourself down to the Indian restaurant Jai Ho in South Shields.

Restaurant owner Khamal Hussain and his chefs at the Ocean Road haunt have conjured up a super-hot curry to honour Fabio Capello – which is claimed to be twice as hot as a vindaloo.

Mr Hussain stresses the Capello Curry is not for the faint-hearted and said that the extra-spicy dish will be on the menu throughout the World Cup and anyone who can 'manage' it will get it for free.

Hot Deals

The Red Rose in Hazel Grove (Stockport) has installed a giant LCD TV screen for their customers to watch the World Cup and enjoy a curry with the game.

The restaurant has a World Cup Special Offer (Sunday to Thursday) which includes popadoms and chutney, any starter, any main meal, any side dish, any rice and a naan, sweet and coffee all for just £11.95.

They are also offering 20% off all food if you eat-in (Monday to Thursdays only, excluding the above meal deal).

The Indian Ocean in Ashton-Under-Lyne also are hosting "Football Glory Nights" throughout the tournament offering Curry, Cobra and most importantly a giant TV screen. Read more here.

Alternatively, order a Indian takeaway, relax and watch the game in the luxury of your own home. Why not check out our "Money Off Vouchers" page for more curry saving offers.

Asda searches for curry dishes inspired by England's World Cup squad

2010-06-14T13:20:00.006+01:00

Asda has launched a curry takeaway counter "with a difference" by asking shoppers to re-name the nation's favourite dish with names inspired by the England team.

The supermarket chain has approached Wayne Rooney's agent to ask if it can officially and legally change the name of their award-winning Vindaloo to Vinda-roo in celebration of a "nation's hopes" in the World Cup.

43% of Asda shoppers have said that they are looking forward to tucking in to a curry whilst watching the World Cup, with the vindaloo being ranked as the most popular at 56%.

Asda is challenging customers to tell them what other football names they could call their curries' and the best suggestions could end up on shelf before the end of the tournament. Shoppers could be tucking in to a Lamps Rogan Josh, a Cashley Kashmiri or even a Crouchy's mango chicken.

Shoppers should send their best suggestions to http://www.blogger.com/www.asda.com/yourasda for a chance to see their dish out over the counter.

Emma Broadbent, takeaway counter buyer, said: "Our shoppers are going bonkers for curry in the run up to the World Cup so we have combined the nation's two favourite things, curry and Rooney, in one tasty takeaway. 92% of our customers will be staying in to cheer on the boys, so why not order in a great value curry, kick back and cheer them onto victory".

Asda is the biggest takeaway retailer in the country and is expecting to sell a massive 25 million kgs or 25,000 tonnes of take-out curry during the World Cup tournament.

Source: Talking Retail

Plans for the 2010 Currycouncil Awards underway

2010-06-10T13:15:00.018+01:00

The countdown to the 2010 currycouncil.com awards ceremony, which will take place in January 2011, has now started!

The currycouncil annual awards set the benchmark for the quality Indian dining experience in the Manchester and Cheshire region.

The inaugural 2009 award ceremony was a huge success and was covered extensively by the local media. This included a radio feature and interview on Pure 107.8 FM. The awards were also featured in both the Stockport & Macclesfield Express Newspapers and received national coverage at the Cobra Beer website.

The Purple Pakora - Poynton (Stockport) were the proud winners of the coveted currycouncil.com Restaurant Of The Year award (2009).

The Cinnamon Tree Indian Restaurant - Heald Green (Stockport) also received the "Newcomer Of The Year" Award (2009).

Both restaurants were presented with a custom made glass award trophy inscribed with their name, award category and the famous currycouncil logo.

Purple Pakora - Restaurant Of The Year - 2009

Cinnamon Tree - Newcomer Of The Year - 2009

The currycouncil.com annual awards honors the best restaurants as voted by the currycouncil members. Each restaurant is rated by the currycouncil in the following areas: Atmosphere, Value For Money, Originality and most of all; exemplarily Food and Service.

Competition for 2010 is sure to be tough and guarantees to be an extremely tight contest.

The currycouncil will endeavour to visit and review a large number of restaurants in 2010. The reviews offer constructive and honest feedback which will hopefully improve and ensure quality in Manchester & Cheshire curry houses.

The winning restaurants could be Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani or Nepalese - why not nominate a restaurant for us to visit or share your own restaurant experiences with us?

Please post a comment below or alternatively contact us at info@currycouncil.com with a nomination for a restaurant to be reviewed.

Cobra "Ruby Wednesday" 2 for 1 offer

2010-06-07T13:02:00.012+01:00

Cobra beer have launched a new "2 for 1" curry offer on their website.

Manchester is the first area to be included in their "Ruby Wednesdays" promotion and features many restaurants that have been previously reviewed by the currycouncil in the Stockport and Manchester areas.

The offer allows you to get a 2 for 1 curry main dish when you buy a Cobra beer at the restaurant on "Ruby Wednesday".

Simply fill in the form online to join the Cobra Curry Lovers Club. You will receive a curry code by text which you present at your chosen restaurant to get a free meal.

Zouk Tea Bar & Grill - Manchester - Review

2010-06-01T13:25:00.031+01:00

T 0161 233 1090
A Unit 5 Quadrangle, Chester Street (off Oxford Road), Manchester, M1 5QS
W http://www.zoukteabar.co.uk/

Zouk Tea Bar & Grill is located in the heart of Manchester City Centre, just off the bustling Oxford Road and close to the BBC.

Several members struggled to find the venue for the April curry despite its rather simple location and some spent 10 minutes circling Oxford Road looking for Chester Street. There are plenty of parking meter spots available outside (which are free after 6pm) and numerous NCP car parks are all within walking distance.

Zouk is a large and contemporary restaurant that has room for around 200 diners and covers 4.5 thousand square feet. The open plan kitchen, mezzanine floor and high ceilings all add to the experience. You can clearly see that the reported £1m that was spent on Zouk has been wisely used and the restaurant appears very impressive.

We were seated at a large table and ordered some small bottles of Cobra whilst looking through the innovative and ecletic menu, which offered many speciality fish and meat dishes (including the rather unusual chicken livers marinated with cumin and also Tandoori Haddock).

Although Zouk was not too busy on this Wednesday evening, the service from the start was incredibly slow and it took the waiter half an hour to take our food order after prompting. Do restaurants owners still naively believe that customers will buy more drinks if they are kept waiting?

Poppodums were delivered accompanied by the world smallest pickle tray and at £1 a throw this was slightly disappointing.

The waiter heard our laughter as we all noticed that the bowls were not much bigger than a tea spoon and kindly topped up the mango which again was quickly eaten due to the small portion size.

The Zouk website states that "all the chutneys and sauce are home made". We were sat immediately in front of the partially hidden serving area and noticed that pre-bought bottles of sauce were being poured into various bowls by the waiters to accompany the pops and starters. We had no problem with this but felt that this contradicted the statement on Zouk's website.

After another long wait, a mixture of starters were delivered. The lamb chops "marinated in a secret Mughlai recipe and chargrilled over hot embers" tasted delicious and were good value at £3.50.

A variety of other starters were ordered including the Gola Kebab ("minced lamb mixed with paneer cheese and selected herbs and spices, formed round skewer and cooked over barbecue charcoal") and the Tandoori Mixed Grill.

The main courses overall were good and came in adequate (but not large) portion sizes.

The chicken handi, a punjabi style dish that is cooked in a clay pot, was tasty and would be recommended. Chicken and lamb Karahi's were also ordered and again were good. Woody ordered the mild Chicken Tikka Masala and continued to embarrass the council with this unadventurous and rather "english" dish.

Zouk certainly impresses with its stylish restaurant interior but failed to deliver on its service. The waiters were friendly but virtually non existent throughout the evening and this spoilt a pleasant meal.

The bill came in at around £20 each for two small bottles of cobra, 1 pop, starter, main course, rice, naan and was still fair value despite the poor service. The only regret was that we did not sample any of Zouk's dessert menu, which appeared impressive and quite varied.

The currycouncil may have been too spoilt recently by the ever improving standards of our local Indian restaurants and think that Zouk may need to work harder and raise the bar to become one of the true greats.

Help Nominate Currycouncil.com For "Best Food Blog" award

2010-05-28T13:19:00.006+01:00

Here is a chance for you to be entered into a great prize draw and help http://www.currycouncil.com/ to be nominated for the "Best Food Blog" in the Observer Food Monthly Awards.

The "Best food blog (UK based)" is a new category in the Observer's Food Monthly awards and lets you vote for most knowledgeable, wittiest and informative online foodie, the one whose updates and tweets you just can't do without (remember thats us here at currycouncil!).

Click here to vote for http://www.currycouncil.com/

Lobster Curry Recipe

2010-05-23T20:14:00.004+01:00

This is a luxurious curry, and somewhat of a treat due to its price. The dish's base is fairly mild, as it is important that the flavour of the lobster is not overpowered.

If you prefer, you can substitute the lobster with any firm-fleshed white fish – monkfish is perfect, although it is endangered. Sea bass would work, as well – though it need not be cooked beforehand, merely added right at the end so that it is no more than just cooked through.

4 live lobsters, weighing 500g/1lb each
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 white onions, peeled and finely sliced
2 red chillies, diced with seeds left in
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
5cm piece of root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp coriander seeds, roasted and ground
5 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp palm sugar
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp tamarind water
400ml/14fl oz coconut milk (preferably fresh, though tinned will do)
75g/3oz dried coconut flakes, lightly toasted

Bring a large pan of well-salted water to the boil; once the water is boiling vigorously, add the lobsters and cook for seven minutes, then remove and set aside until cool enough to handle. To remove the flesh from the shell, make an incision all the way down the underside of the body. Remove the flesh in one whole piece. Crack the claws gently and remove the flesh there, also in one piece if possible.

Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan, add the onions and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Now add the chillies, garlic, ginger, coriander and tomatoes, then turn down the heat and cook for a further 10 minutes.

Add the sugar, fish sauce and tamarind water and cook for five minutes, then pour in the coconut milk. Raise the heat just slightly and cook for 10 minutes, then turn the heat to low and add the lobster. Cook gently for three to four minutes, then remove. Divide the lobster in its sauce between four warmed soup plates and garnish with toasted coconut. Serve with half a lime and flat bread or jasmine rice.

Source: Independent