LONDON: Thousands of people have converged in Leeds to savour the spicy and sumptuous fare dished out by the three-day World Curry Festival, an event that celebrates Britain's love affair with Indian food over centuries. The curry, as it is cooked and served here, is a British invention, but has roots in India.
It was Patna-origin Sake Dean Mahomed who began selling Indian-style dishes from his Hindoostane Coffee House in Portman Square, London, in 1810.
The inaugural festival was also held in Leeds last year to mark the 200th anniversary of curry's arrival in Britain. Several chefs are participating in the event in Victoria Gardens, including Hemant Oberoi of the Taj, Mumbai, often described as the 'world's greatest curry chef'.
Now in its second year, the festival has been sponsored by the British army, with soldiers cooking thousands of dishes of curry and selling them to avid food lovers to raise funds for the welfare of soldiers.
"The line up keeps getting more exciting by the day. Every chef who is appearing in our cooking theatre has something unique to offer. It's not just about Asian food either, Barrington Douglas has a fantastic take on Caribbean curries and we have some of the UK's very best vegetarian curry chefs on board too," Zulfi Karim, Festival director, said.
"If you love curry then this is one event you simply can't afford to miss," he added.
Hemant Oberoi is billed as one of this weekend's attractions at the festival, with local organisers making it known that he prepared a meal for US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle during their recent visit to India.
There are over 12,000 Indian restaurants in the UK employing nearly 100,000 workers.
The annual turnover of the Indian restaurant industry is estimated to be 4 billion pounds.
"We have had a fantastic start with a real buzz to the atmosphere and everyone joining in the celebrations, from families, couples and people just popping in during their lunch hour for a curry in a hurry," Karim said.
"We have already had thousands of people join us to see the chefs in action, have a go at making curries and, of course, tasting the delicious array of curries on offer," he added.
Chefs from the Royal Logistics Corps Territorial Army, have been rustling up curries to people in exchange for a small donation to the Soldiers' Charity.
The charity organisation's chief of staff, Robin Bacon, said, "having been served to troops since the 18th century, curry is the British Army's favourite dish. As well as raising money to support former and serving soldiers and their families, we're really looking forward to sharing (our) culinary skills."
It was Patna-origin Sake Dean Mahomed who began selling Indian-style dishes from his Hindoostane Coffee House in Portman Square, London, in 1810.
The inaugural festival was also held in Leeds last year to mark the 200th anniversary of curry's arrival in Britain. Several chefs are participating in the event in Victoria Gardens, including Hemant Oberoi of the Taj, Mumbai, often described as the 'world's greatest curry chef'.
Now in its second year, the festival has been sponsored by the British army, with soldiers cooking thousands of dishes of curry and selling them to avid food lovers to raise funds for the welfare of soldiers.
"The line up keeps getting more exciting by the day. Every chef who is appearing in our cooking theatre has something unique to offer. It's not just about Asian food either, Barrington Douglas has a fantastic take on Caribbean curries and we have some of the UK's very best vegetarian curry chefs on board too," Zulfi Karim, Festival director, said.
"If you love curry then this is one event you simply can't afford to miss," he added.
Hemant Oberoi is billed as one of this weekend's attractions at the festival, with local organisers making it known that he prepared a meal for US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle during their recent visit to India.
There are over 12,000 Indian restaurants in the UK employing nearly 100,000 workers.
The annual turnover of the Indian restaurant industry is estimated to be 4 billion pounds.
"We have had a fantastic start with a real buzz to the atmosphere and everyone joining in the celebrations, from families, couples and people just popping in during their lunch hour for a curry in a hurry," Karim said.
"We have already had thousands of people join us to see the chefs in action, have a go at making curries and, of course, tasting the delicious array of curries on offer," he added.
Chefs from the Royal Logistics Corps Territorial Army, have been rustling up curries to people in exchange for a small donation to the Soldiers' Charity.
The charity organisation's chief of staff, Robin Bacon, said, "having been served to troops since the 18th century, curry is the British Army's favourite dish. As well as raising money to support former and serving soldiers and their families, we're really looking forward to sharing (our) culinary skills."
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