The nation continues to be rejoicing in all things curry National Curry week is the ideal time to celebrate all that is great about this fantastic dish.
You can't go wrong with a great curry dish. According to a recent survey by Paymentsense, Indian food was the second most popular dish for food lovers across the United Kingdom. More specifically,Korma is the most ordered takeaway Indian dish according to delivery website Just Eat. The humble korma has also recently topped a separate poll of the UK’s favourite curry.
9th-15th October is National Curry Week in Britain. Now in its 20th year, the event celebrates Britain’s favourite dish while raising money to combat poverty through a variety of special dinners, record-breaking attempts, raffles and auctions.
A new wave of Indian chefs is creating some of the most exciting Indian cuisines in Britain.
Here is our guide to who we think are the top Indian chefs in the UK.
Cyrus Todiwala OBE
Cyrus Todiwala is the Chef Patron of Café Spice Namaste, a restaurant incorporating Indian cuisine with specialities and influences from all over Asia, often with a European twist. Cyrus trained at the Taj Hotels chain in India, rising to become Executive Chef and overseeing a number of hotels before moving to the UK in 1991. He opened Café Spice Namaste in 1995 and has since opened two other London restaurants with his wife, Mr Todiwala’s Kitchen and Assado.
Vivek Singh
One of the most well-known Indian chefs in Britain, Vivek Singh is the Executive Chef of three London restaurants: The Cinammon Club, Cinammon Kitchen and Cinnamon Soho. His belief that Indian cuisine should not remain static means that his food blends Indian spicing and flavours with modern Western styles and techniques. He also makes regular appearances on the BBC’s Saturday Kitchen, Celebrity Masterchef and UKTV’s Market Kitchen.
Atul Kochhar
Atul Kochhar was the first ever Indian chef to receive a Michelin star in 2001 while head chef at Tamarind. He followed this with a second Michelin star in 2007 for his Benares Restaurant & Bar. He then went on to open Ananda, a restaurant in Dublin in 2008, as well as Indian Essence in Petts Wood. In addition to this, he has written three successful cookbooks and makes appearances on the television shows Masterchef Goes Large, Great British Menu and Saturday Kitchen.
Romy Gill
Romy Gill opened her own restaurant, Romy's Kitchen, back in September last year. Since she is also the head chef of the restaurant, this makes her the first female Indian chef-owner in the UK, a title she is proud of. Not one to rest on her laurels, Romy wants to use her ambition for food to take her further in the industry. Read our full feature with Romy here where she talks about her upbringing inspiring her menu as well as believing that you need a "good supplier relationship in order to be successful."
What dishes have you been creating to honour National Curry Week - let us know over on our Twitter and Facebook page?
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