The Brits taste buds are on the rise – that is to say that hotter curries are showing an increase in demand. According to Foodhub data 11% of us eat curry between three to seven times a week with a further 22% eating curry weekly and with only 10% never eating it. There are over 8,500 Indian restaurants in the UK with 80% being owned by Bangladeshis.

In 2001 Chicken tikka masala, positioned Indian cuisine even more firmly on the map, when it was referred to as a “true British national dish by the Foreign Secretary Robin Cook. This UK fondness for Indian food translates into the fact that there are more Indian restaurants in Greater London than in Delhi and Mumbai combined.

Curry was introduced to English cuisine in the 17^th century, through Anglo Indian cooking, where spicy sauces were added to boiled rice and cooked meats. To further this introduction into society, The Art of Cookery Made Plain & Easy’ by Hannah Glasse, published in 1747, was the first British cookery book to include three recipes on Indian pilau. 

This developed further in the 18^th century when viceroys and governors – often referred to as nabobs or nawabs, returning home from their overseas postings in the East India Company craved for the tastes of the spice. This was so much so, that the wealthy brought their cooks back to the UK with them so that the genuine flavours, textures, and authenticity could be digested. Those less comfortable, satisfied their foodie requirements by frequenting coffee houses such as the Norris Street Coffee House in Haymarket and by 1784 curry and rice was a well sought-after dish especially around Piccadilly, London.

In 1894 the first dedicated Indian restaurant opened in Portman Square, London by Sake Dean Mohamed who tried to create an authentic Indian experience both in its surrounds  with Indian art, bamboo chairs, hookahs, paintings  and a menu that surpassed all expectations. However, despite its popularity it failed due to the wealthy employing their own Indian chefs, location, and competition from more centrally located curry houses that were beginning to merge.

As more South Asians migrated in the early 20^th century with numbers of 70,000 being reported the demand was once again on the up with most famous being Salut-e-Hind in Holborn and the Shafi in Gerrard Street. In 1926, Veeraswamy an aspirational Indian restaurant opened at 99 Regent Street and became a firm favourite of Winston Churchill, as well as being frequented by Edward VIII, the former Prince of Wales. Married to a Mughal princess, Begum Fyze Baksh, its owner, Edward Palmer managed to recreate the spirit of the Raj and its regal heritage which lives on to today and is now part of The India Collection which includes Amaya and Chutney Mary.

In the fifties and sixties Indian restaurants started to emerge in many major cities and the menus were adapted to suit a wider audience with a more subtle palette. By the seventies, they had adopted a new plan and extended their opening hours to catch the late-night crowd after pubs closed which proved to be both successful and lucrative.

We’ve teamed up with “Cooking With Shaiwana” to bring you her Famous Chicken Biryani the winning recipe for the South West Regional Final on Britains Best Dish