British 'Balti Chicken' Makes Its Way Into The Indian Kitchens

Pulse

oi-Staff

By Super Admin

Thursday, June 2, 2011, 14:54

As Kolkata plays host to the Taste of Britain's Curry Festival, the "British Indian" fare will do very well in India despite there already being a vast range of indigenous cuisine on offer.

The dishes being showcased include the balti chicken, which originated in Birmingham in the 1970s, and chicken tikka masala, which are nowhere the same in taste as the ones being offered in the sub-continent.

"British curries are quite unique," says Syed Ahmed, the festival director and editor of Curry Today magazine. "They are milder and healthier. I predict that a flagship British Indian restaurant will soon open its doors in India," he added.

The festival has offered a platform for a deal with a five-star hotel which has agreed to start importing balti chicken sauces from Britain.

As an impact of extensive travelling, the Indians have shed their preconceptions and reservations for traditional foods. People are now ready to experiment with their taste buds.

According to Sanjay Matta, who has designed menus for some of India's smartest restaurants, Chicken Tikka Masala, which was dubbed as a 'true British national dish' by Robin Cook in 2001, is among the recipes gaining popularity in India.