British Airways plane grounded by, er, curry

A British Airways jet had to be grounded for an emergency evacuation after panicky passengers thought they smelled poison gas - which turned out to be a broken container of stinky curry.

The flight from Belgrade to London had to land as travellers thought they were under attack from terrorists.

But an official investigation revealed the fumes had escaped from a giant container of curry spices in the cargo hold.

"The smell spread from the package of an aromatic food spice," confirmed the Serbian Ministry for the Protection of Human Environment.

"The chemical that was found in the cargo hold of the airplane did not leak out. It was sodium-selenite. But the smell did not spread from there."

Dozens of passengers had to flee the plane after it was returned to Belgrade and contained on a special emergency runway at the airport.

Emergency workers wearing breathing apparatus helped screaming passengers off the plane before the source of the fumes was discovered.

Source : TheDailyTelegraph

Curry house outrage over website

The owners of a Tooting curry restaurant say they are outraged after being named and shamed on the Government's UK Border Agency website this week for allegedly employing illegal workers.

The shame campaign is part of a Home Office new strategy to stop people smuggling, but Mirch Masala on Upper Tooting Road insists it is innocent and refuses to pay the £10,000 fine dealt out after a police raid on March 31.

Manager Hassan Shahzad said: "We would never employ illegal workers. We have six branches - we could not afford it. The officers behaved very badly. They were shouting because they wanted to scare the people. I was scared myself."

Officers claimed they found two illegal workers but Mr Shahzad said one worker had given him fake identification and the other was a delivery boy not employed by him.

During the raid, a man in his 30s, who Mr Shahzad said was a worried customer, broke two legs after officers chased him onto the roof and he fell to the ground.

Mr Shahzad said he is appealing against the fine and hit out at the Home Office, which he claimed refused to confirm workers' immigration status because of the Data Protection Act.

He said: "I tried to call their helpline to check people's documents, but they just said we can't tell you. I'm so angry."

The Home Office refused to comment on the allegations, but said all 58 businesses named on the website were found guilty and that arrests were based on intelligence.

Mr Shahzad said the reputation of his business had been tarnished by the fine, imposed on May 16, and said the raid scared his customers.

An Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said this week it was still investigating whether procedures were properly followed during the raid.

Source : Epsom Guardian

Charity dinner raises £10K for new homes

FOOD lovers tucked into three-course meal and raised more than £10,000 to build 15 homes for the poor in Bangladesh.

Dukinfield-based charity, the Just Help Foundation, arranged a fund-raising night at the Blu Spice Indian restaurant on St Albans Avenue, Ashton to raise the much-needed funds for poverty-stricken families in one of the most poorest countries in the world.

This was the second successful charity dinner organised by Mizan Rahman who has already helped to raise almost £20,000 for victims of the cyclone in Bangladesh in December.

Said Mizan: "We want to raise money to build 25 houses for distressed people in Bangladesh, especially those whose family sacrificed their lives in 1971 (when Bangladesh fought for independence from Pakistan).

"The money we have already raised has paid for blankets, oil, rice, medical treatment and we are hoping to roll the project out in other countries.

"However the money from our latest charity event will go towards building homes.

"One home costs £750 to build. That is the cost of new TV or a sofa for many people in England, but to those in Bangladesh it’s a new sustainable home.

"The money raised on the night will help to build at least 15 homes, but we still need more funds to build another 10."

Already 12 businesses across the North West have pledged their support with the Warrington Rest in Hyde and Blu Spice in Ashton agreeing to pay for one house each.

Mr Rahman, who is a news reporter for Bangla TV and a former Bangladesh national hockey player, added: "After such a successful night were many people donated generously, I hope to organise another dinner and raise enough funds so we can complete all 25 homes."

Special guests on the night included Bangladesh’s Assistant High Commissioner Asad Alam Siam and mayor and mayoresss of Tameside, Councillor Jack Davis and wife Carole.

For more information or to donate visit www.justhelpfoundation.co.uk

Source : Stockport Express

Curry Spice Could Prevent Diabetes and Obesity

Turmeric, a common Asian cooking spice found in many curries, could help prevent obesity and improve blood sugar control, new findings suggest.

Turmeric has a long history, and has been used in the past to reduce inflammation, heal wounds and relieve pain. Now, scientists from the Columbia University Medical Center in the US say it could also have a role to play in reducing diabetes risk.

Obesity and inflammation play a big role in many diseases, including the onset of both obesity and Type 2 diabetes. But the researchers say that stocking up on Turmeric makes you less susceptible to developing Type 2 diabetes – probably because of curcumin, an anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant ingredient in turmeric.

They discovered that turmeric-fed mice were less susceptible to developing Type 2 diabetes, based on their blood glucose levels, and glucose and insulin tolerance tests. They also discovered that turmeric-fed obese mice showed significantly reduced inflammation in fat tissue and liver.

And the researchers also found that eating Turmeric on a regular basis led to significant weightloss, even when eating the same or even more calories.

Source : KeepTheDoctorAway

Curry favour with super spices

No doubt you’ve heard the buzz about “super foods” such as blueberries and pomegranates.

Thanks to new research at www.ars.usda.gov/nutrientdata/ORAC, now all eyes are on “super spices.”

Using a scale to measure the oxygen radical absorbance capacity or ORAC, scientists have discovered that a variety of commonly consumed herbs and spices contain high amounts of health-promoting antioxidants that relieve inflammation and ward off heart disease and some types of cancer.

The McCormick Web site ( www.mccormick.com) is already busy getting out the word: 1 teaspoon of curry powder contains nearly the same amount of antioxidants as 1/2 cup of red grapes.

Curry powder is actually a complex blend of up to 20 spices, herbs and seeds. Commonly used ingredients include cardamom, chili peppers, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, fennel seed, fenugreek, mace, nutmeg, red and black pepper, poppy seeds and sesame seeds, saffron, tamarind and turmeric, the spice responsible for giving curry powder its warm, rich yellow-gold colour.

The art of spice blending is a natural part of cooking in India, where home cooks develop their own signature curry powder that they grind fresh, as needed. Commercially available curry powders were a British convenience food used to approximate the taste of regional curries.

Source :KansasCity.com

Indian restaurant serves up curried rhubarb

An Indian restaurant is crumbling the boundaries of cooking - by making a curry out of rhubarb.

Cooks at the Bollywood Lounge in Wakefield, West Yorks, think their rhubarb and chicken curry with rhubarb relish will be a winner.

Owner Ali Nazrul said: "As Wakefield is at the heart of the rhubarb triangle, we wanted to honour it. Rhubarb and chicken curry may sound unusual but tastes great."

Ali has called the curry Joy Wakefield. He said: "Joy in Bangladeshi means celebration and we are celebrating Wakefield's famous vegetable."

Source : Sunday Mirror

Curry Announcement: Mousam

The June curry is to be held at the Mousam Indian Restaurant in Gatley.

Please refer to your individual email/SMS invites for the exact details and confirm your attendance to Paul Day ASAP.

The review will be published soon

Food chains export Indian palate

International food chain companies like McDonalds, Pizza Hut and Papa John's are exporting Indian menu to the world markets.

McDonalds' Pizza Mc Puff and Aaloo Tikki burger and Pizza Hut's Tandoori Chicken Pizza are part of the Indian menu of international food chains that's making the world bite into it.

International food chain companies like McDonalds, Pizza Hut and Papa John's customised their menu for the Indian market and after wooing the Indian taste buds, they are now taking this Indian menu to storm the world.

Papa John's developed the Chicken Tikka Pizza in India and is exporting it now to the middle eastern markets boosting revenues of stores abroad.

''Papa's Chicken Tikka Pizza, which the operators of Papa John's in the middle east exported from India and launched with great fanfare, is a huge hit in the middle east. It is adding half a million every month in the sales of 50 restaurant operators in middle east,'' says Tapan Vaidya, GM, JIP India.

Pizza Hut is another food chain company that is exporting its Indian customised Tandoori Chicken Makhani and Tandoori Paneer Makhani Pizza to US, UK and Caribbean markets.

''They had a fabulous run over there. About 5 per cent of the sales - that's what I am told - was really coming from the Indian recipes that were exported to the US and UK,'' says Anup Jain, MD, Pizza Hut.

McDonalds in fact started their entire vegetarian food menu for the Indian market, but some items like Aalo Tikki Burger, Pizza Mc Puff and Mc Veggie became instant hits for exports. McDonalds India is currently exporting three million units of these products combined to European and middle eastern markets. The company is expecting to double the exports to six million by 2013. McDonalds also says that its Indian suppliers are able to pick up bigger margins from exports.

International food chain companies are constantly customising the menu and looking for exports from India. Pizza Hut recently launched Ringo Garlic Pizza, which is soon going to be exported to US, UK and Korea. Subway is also looking to export its Chicken Tikka sub.

Source : NDTV.com

You've tried the food, now it's time for Indian wine

A range of Indian wines is being launched in Britain in an attempt to conquer curry lovers' taste buds with blends designed to complement fiery food.

At a time when competition between French and New World wines is intensi-fying, south Asia's winemakers are determined to overcome what they say is a misconception that wines from India are inferior.

Indage, India's biggest wine company, which makes 12 types of wine and champagne, sees its products as a good choice to accompany the stronger flavours in curry, according to Eastern Eye newspaper. With curry bringing £3.5bn to the UK economy every year, it could prove shrewd marketing.

Indage wines will reach British restaurants within three months and its established brands, such as Chantilli cabernet sauvignon, will appear on supermarket shelves alongside popular French and Italian labels. Deals with two British distribution and bottling companies are being finalised.

Santosh Verma, the director of Indage, said wine experts and chefs had been working together to create a blend that suited curry flavours. The UK marketing strategy will target restaurants and bars as well as retailers. Some bottles will cost as little as £2.99.

Some of Indage's brands, such as Tiger Hill, are already on restaurant wine lists. "People have been enjoying them without knowing their origin," said Mr Verma, adding that it was a myth that subcontinental wine is inferior to its European counterparts.

"India has the perfect soil for grapes. With the Himalayas in the north and Western and Eastern Ghats towards the south, we are taller than any European mountains. Our wines are on a par with any superior-quality wines from any part of the world," he said.

The company has doubled its sales since 2003 and recently won five awards at the International Wine and Spirit Competition, the "Oscars" of the alcohol industry. The Indian wine market has seen a 52 per cent growth in the past year.

Wine festivals in the picturesque Western Ghats valley near Mumbai have been organised and increasing numbers of vineyards are being planted. Sula and Grover, which among India's biggest wineries, have won recognition, the latter earning the honour of "best new world red" from Decanter magazine in 2005 for its La Reserve cabernet-shiraz blend.

A beginner's guide

*Arkavati grapes

Seedless and thin-skinned, this indigenous table grape is one of India's most popular varieties. It is used in white and sparkling wines and white port.

*Arkashyam

Arkashyam grapes are indigenous and can be traced back to ancient times. Previously grown in small quantities for the home market, arkash-yam has experienced a renaissance, providing a base for red wine and port.

*Baramati

Literally translating as "12 rivers" or "12 combinations", baramati is one of the most popular red grapes. Rarely used alone, it is a popular and affordable choice for fortified and blended reds.

*Cabernet sauvignon

One of the most successful French grapes introduced to Indian soil. The country's cabernet blends are celebrated for their ability to complement the fieriest curries.

*Chardonnay

Chardonnay has thrived since its introduction to India and is the country's most popular white grape.

Source : Independent

Sangam II - Didsbury

T 0161 446 1155

A 762 Wilmslow Road, Didsbury, Manchester, M20 2DR
E enquiries@sangam.co.uk
W http://www.sangam.co.uk/RestaurantsDidsbury.shtml

Visit arranged by: Gary Jordan
Review by: Martin Noble

The May curry was held at the Sangam II restaurant in Didsbury (Manchester), partner to the Sangam III in Heald Green.


7 members of the Curry Council duly arrived (Winfield was AWOL) and parked in the car pack behind the Co-Op. Poor signage had some council members worried that their car's may be clamped. Thankfully, this was not the case.

The restaurant was bright and modern. It's a large venue that can cater for parties of up to 120 people. However, the vast restaurant lacks intemacy due to the sheer size of the place.

Gary Jordan, the organisor of the May curry, had read about the Sangam's "Executive Party Banquet". He promised the Curry Council "a meal fit for a king". Expectations were therefore running high.

The Executive Party Banquet was chosen by all. This offered poppodums with chutney, a mixed shared starter (consisting of Chicken Pakora, Seek Kebab, Onion Bhaji and Fish Tikka), a choice of any main course, rice, a selection of differrnt nan breads, ice cream desert and coffee. This was all offered at a very reasonable price of £15.90 per person.

A regular discussion point for some of our Curry Council members is the old dilemma of "quantity versus quality". The more refined council members are prepared to pay a few extra £'s for the extra quality of meat and food preperation. Other members of the group want as much food as possible at the lowest possible cost.

The Sangam II 'Executive Party Banquet' was the proof of the pudding. The Curry Council have recently experienced great meals at both Shimla Pinks in town and the Jalfrezi Indian Food Bar in Bramhall. Both of which cost a little bit more than the Sangam deal. The extra cost was justified due to the quality of the said meals. Could the Sangam II live up to the high standards delivered so far on our travels in 2008 ?

The poppodums were served and were of a good standard. The chutney & dips portion sizes were very small and quickly disappeared. After prompting, the waiters did regularly offer to top these up.

The mixed starters arrived heaped on two plates (presentation slightly poor). The fish tikka arrived seperately. The food was equally divided up between the group but a couple of items were missing. The Council could not be bothered to alert the waiters that some items were missing, so Mr Jordan missed out on his lamp chop and Andy missed out on his onion bhaji. Unlucky.


A variety of main courses were delivered. Dave and Jord sampled the chicken madras. The lads reported that the Madras sauce was extremely HOT and could be likened to a vindaloo !

The Mix Shaslik was also sampled. The lamb was particularly tough and lacked flavour. The chicken was of an average standard and also tasted a little overcooked.

Overall, the main courses were of an acceptable standard but did not have any qualities that stood out or challenged the tastebuds. The quality of meat and how they were cooked were dissapointing.

A mixture of Nan breads and brown pilau rice, with cloves and cumin seeds, were served. The portions were plentiful and the group were offered extra nan and rice on more than one occassion (to the credit of the waiters). You certainly will not go home hungry after a meal at the Sangam !

The Nan breads were very thin and could almost be compared to Italian style garlic bread. The nan was of an acceptable standard but the curry traditionalist (who would prefer 'good old' fluffy nan breads, the size of a third world country, dripping in butter) may have been slightly dissapointed with this offering.

The meal was finished off with an ice cream desert and coffee. The Sangam offered good value for money but the food quality was of an average standard. The Curry Council left with full stomach's but overall were slightly dissapointed with the food at the Sangam II.

Food 6/10
Service 7/10
Atmosphere 5/10
Value for money 8/10
Originality 6/10

Overall 6.4/10

Chasni curries favour over tikka

Forget deep-fried, battered Mars bars, savoury haggis and... well, Irn-Bru.

Scotland lays claim to conceiving Britain's most popular dish.

And no, its not fish and chips.

It is Chicken Tikka Masala.

Sanjay Majhu, owner of the Harlequin Chain of Indian restaurants, said the mild curry was created decades ago in a Glaswegian kitchen by Asian immigrants catering to Western palates.

He said: "What they were trying to do was knock up a quick curry, so they used tomato soup.

"And they called it a Chicken Tikka Masala, because once you added the spices to the tomato soup all of a sudden it wasn't tomato soup, it was something else."

"But it's definitely one of those dishes that didn't come from India."

The popularity of Chicken Tikka Masala shows no signs of slowing down south of the border in England and Wales.

But there is a another curry threatening to take its crown in Glasgow.

It is called Chicken Chasni and in Sanjay Majhu's chain of Indian restaurants it easily outsells Chicken Tikka Masala 10 to one.

So just what is in a Chasni?

Sanjay said: "It doesn't taste like a curry. In fact it tastes like anything but a curry.

"In fact, it is more like a sweet and sour chicken, that the Chinese have.

"But it is an absolutely beautiful dish because it has Indian spices running through this sort of sweet and sourness.

"I'm just surprised it has become a number one."

Word on the street has it, a former chef, now a restaurant owner, named Balbir created the Chasni.

I hit the streets of Glasgow to track him down.

And let's just say he was pretty easy to find.

After more than 30 years he is still in the curry trade running a restaurant called Balbir's.

He said the Chasni came from catering for people who did not think they liked Indian food.

"The Chasni that is popular in Glasgow is my recipe. I created it in 1982," he said.

"I tend to experiment a lot in the kitchen. There were people who said, 'I can't eat Indian but I like Chinese', and that's how the Chasni came about.

"I tried a few different versions but the one that became the most popular wasn't the one I liked, it was too mild for me."

Truly Scottish

Having tried the sweet and sour Chasni myself, I wondered just why Balbir's brand of unique Indian cooking is so popular with Scottish diners.

Paul, who's been a customer for years, explained its success.

He said: "Balbir is not a follower. He tends to blaze his own trail and others follow him. If you are here you should come and try one. Because afterwards, you'll try another and another and will never leave."

And while Chicken Chasni is clearly a hit in Glasgow, you would be hard pressed to find it in curry houses outside of Scotland.

So for now, if you're looking for a truly Scottish culinary experience, forget haggis, tuck into a chasni.

Source : BBC

* Click here for Chicken Chasni recipe *

Brown urges curry house training

People in Britain will be trained up to fill staff shortages in curry houses, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said.

The industry fears it will be hit hard by a new points-system for workers from outside the EU.
Mr Brown was asked to help ease shortages in kitchen staff, who used to be largely recruited from Bangladesh.

Mr Brown said he believed they had come to a "fair" position on immigration but he wanted to help people already in Britain train up to fill the jobs.

Last month the Home Office was urged to ease new restrictions on migrant workers for curry restaurants, of which there are about 9,000 in the UK.

Lack of staff

It is thought the industry employs at least 50,000 people - the majority of restaurants are Bangladeshi owned.

During his press conference Mr Brown was told there were about 25,000 unfilled vacancies in kitchens and some restaurants are faced with the threat of closure over a lack of staff.

Mr Brown said: "We will make it possible for people who are in this country to be trained to be either chefs or restaurant workers in the industry.

"We are doing far more to train than every before. We know there are people who, if trained, could make a contribution to the industry."

He said it was important, not only so people could contribute towards the British economy, but to become productive workers earning good salaries.

'Irreparable damage'

"We have come to a position on immigration that I believe people will see is a fair one," he said.
"That the new Australian points system is one that gives us the opportunity to decide on occasions what are the right needs for the British economy.

"But I have no doubt at the moment that one of the things we should be concentrating on is helping people in this country train for the industry, that is a very important industry and a very important part of our economy."

According to the Immigration Advisory Service, restrictions on lower-skilled workers from outside the EU are causing a labour shortage so severe it could cause "irreparable damage" to the curry industry.

It argues that attempts to get eastern Europeans to work in curry restaurants have failed because they do not have the "cultural sensitivity" required.

It wrote to the immigration minister Liam Byrne asking for the rules to be relaxed for catering workers from Bangladesh. But government officials said they had no plans to review the current arrangements.

Reference: BBC Online

P-RICE RISING?

Curry lovers across Britain could face higher meal bills as rice soared by 30 per cent to a record global high.

The increase came after Egypt, a major world rice exporter, imposed a ban on selling its product abroad to keep local prices down. Worldwide stocks are at their lowest since 1976 and half the amount in 2000. A spokesman for Britain's Indian restaurants said owners will try to hold prices for now.

Reference: Propeller

A to Z (Curry Council Hall Of Fame)

The A to Z list below is the Curry Council Hall Of Fame. These are the restaurant's visited by the Curry Council from the mid 1990's through to the present day. Click on the name to see if a review or a news article exists for the restaurant.

Grey font indicates that the restaurant has now either CLOSED or changed it's name.

Name Location
Aashiana (Denton)
Anarkali Indian Restaurant (Levenshulme)
Balti Massala (Hazel Grove)
Barinda (Wilmslow)
Bilash Balti House (Swinton)
Blue Nile (Hazel Grove)
Blue Raj (Urmston)
Heavily Tandoori (Heavily)
Hanaan (Rusholme)
Hilal Restaurant (Handforth)
Deeba (Poynton)
Garam Massalla (Cheadle Hulme)
Garam Massalla (Heaviley)
Gatley Tandoori (Gatley)
Great Kathmandu (Didsbury)
Heatons Tandoori (Heaton Moor)
Imran's Indian House (Stockport)
Jonaki Restaurant (Reddish)
Jalfrezi (Bramhall)
Khan Saab (Parrs Wood)
Khandoker (Parrs Wood)
Kismet (Heaviley)
Kushoom Koly (Heaton Moor)
Last Monsoon (Stockport)
Light Of Asia (Heaviley)
Maharaj Restaurant (Hazel Grove)
Mango Lounge (Stockport)
Mashaal Indian Restaurant (Stockport)
Masterchef Tandoori (Heaton Moor)
Meghna (Bramhall)
Mister Khans (Rusholme)
Momtaj Indian Restaurant (Stockport)
Monihar Tandoori (Hazel Grove)
Mr Ali's (Great Moor)
Nawaab (Levenshulme)
Nobin (Hazel Grove)
Paradise Spice (Heald Green)
Sadagar Restaurant (Cheadle)
Saeeds (Stockport)
Sanam (Rusholme)
Sangam (Rusholme)
Sangam II (Didsbury)
Sangam III (Heald Green)
Sangam III (Heaton Moor)
Sanjoys (Stockport)
Seven Spices (Cheadle Hulme)
Shahbaaz Indian Cuisine (Worsley)
Shere Khans (Rusholme)
Shimla Pinks (Manchester)
Tandoori Royale Restaurant (Burnage)
The Bengal Dynasty (Offerton)
The Corainder Lounge (Stockport)
The Everest (Heavily)
The Fort Of India (Newton Le Willows)
The Indian Ocean (Ashton)
The Kismet (Heavily)
The Passage To India (Malia, Crete, Greece)
The Royal Naz (Rusholme)
The Shantee (Newton Le Willows)

Revised Curry Club Rules and Regulations 2005

Curry Club Rules and Regulations

"4 Rice, 4 Nan and 2 chip"

Honouree Council Members

Martin Noble (Chairman)
Stephen Winfield
Steven Woodman
Dave Smith
Paul Day
Andy Hague
Gary Jordan

I. Every name above must arrange a monthly curry every 8 months (in ascending order)

II. Only deaths, marriages and childbirth are acceptable reasons to cancel your curry.

III. Each curry organiser should provide at least 7 days notice before his monthly curry. This, however, is not ideal and at least two weeks should be considered.

IV. The football calendar should always be taken into consideration and all midweek calendar fixtures of Stockport County, Man United and Man City should be avoided.

V. Wherever possible curries should be within the SK postcode area for convenience. Curries outside of the SK postcode area are permitted, at the discretion of the curry council.

VI. Females are not permitted

VII. Curries dates and times should be communicated by email or text AND telephone. Email only is not acceptable as members of the curry council do not always regularly access email.

VIII. The balance of the curry force (4 rice, 4 nan and 2 chip) may be disturbed if non-curry-council-members are invited to the curry. The long established route of becoming a curry member Jedi is sacred and outsiders are not allowed.

IX. Any Curry Jedi wishing to bring a young padawan to the curry must seek permission from the council. If this rule is not followed, Code IX will be introduced and temporary suspension of curry club membership will be sought by the council for a minimum of a two month period.

X. Any curry establishment that you are knowingly aware of previously having a H&S (Health & Safety/Hygiene) fine or closure is NOT permitted.

XI. Zero tolerance will be applied to rule breakers and a ‘three strikes and your out’ policy will apply.

XII. Food quality is of utmost importance, followed closely by a clean and friendly establishment. Car security should also be considered.

XIII. All members must do their best to preserve and maintain the sacred monthly curry. If the curry is not organised within the pre-allocated month (40 day period max), the council shall have the power to order that the organiser be suspended indefinitely from all curry activity.