Bedford Public Library

Curry, a tale of cooks and conquerors, Lizzie Collingham

eng

Includes bibliographical references (p. 284-305) and index

platesillustrationsmaps

index present

non fiction

Curry

bibliography

47507560669028

Lizzie Collingham

a tale of cooks and conquerors

In this fascinating volume, the first authoritative history of Indian food, Lizzie Collingham reveals that almost every well-known Indian dish is the product of a long history of invasion and the fusion of different food traditions. We see how, with the arrival of Portuguese explorers and the Mughal horde, the cooking styles and ingredients of central Asia, Persia, and Europe came to the subcontinent, where over the next four centuries they mixed with traditional Indian food to produce the popular cuisine that we know today. Portuguese spice merchants, for example, introduced vinegar marinades and the British contributed their passion for roast meat. When these new ingredients were mixed with native spices such as cardamom and black pepper, they gave birth to such popular dishes as biryani, jalfrezi, and vindaloo. In fact, vindaloo is an adaptation of the Portuguese dish "carne de vinho e alhos-"-the name "vindaloo" a garbled pronunciation of "vinho e alhos"--and even "curry" comes from the Portuguese pronunciation of an Indian word. Finally, Collingham describes how Indian food has spread around the world, from the curry houses of London to the railway stands of Tokyo, where "karee raisu" (curry rice) is a favorite Japanese comfort food. We even visit Madras Mahal, the first Kosher Indian restaurant, in Manhattan

Chicken tikka masala : the quest for an authentic Indian meal -- Biryani : the great Mughals -- Vindaloo : the Portuguese and the chilli pepper -- Korma : East India Company merchants, temples and the nawabs of Lucknow -- Madras curry : the British invention of curry -- Curry powder : bringing India to Britain -- Cold meat cutlets : British food in India -- Chai : the great tea campaign -- Curry and chips : Syhleti sailors and Indian takeaways -- Curry travels the world