NATIONAL CURRY WEEK

3rd – 9th October. The nations love for curry is something that will never slow down or become unpopular which is why we have made a whole week dedicated to the delicious Indian dish that has snuck into our everyday cuisine.

t has commonly been said that curry is the new national dish of Britain, which comes as no surprise considering the number of curry houses are on our high streets today. As a nation, we really do love curry, so much so that the curry dish contributes to 5billion of the British economy!

Traces of curry recipes from India date back to the early 1500s and the dish eventually made its way to English cuisine in 1733 as it was served by Norris Street Coffee House in Haymarket, London.

‘Curry was yet to establish itself firmly in British cuisine. In the 1940s and 1950s, most major Indian restaurants in London employed ex-seamen from Bangladesh, particularly from Sylhet. Many of these seamen aspired to open a restaurant of their own. After the Second World War, they bought bombed-out chippies and cafes selling curry and rice alongside fish, pies, and chips. They stayed open after 11 pm to catch the after-pub trade. Eating hot curry after a night out in the pub became a tradition. As customers became increasingly fond of curry, these restaurants discarded British dishes and turned into inexpensive Indian takeaways and eateries.’ – www.historic-uk.com

As a nation, we love to absorb different influences and cultures, so much so that there are more Indian restaurants in Greater London than in Delhi and Mumbai combined.

Fun Fact 1 : The word curry originates from the Tamil word ‘Kori’ meaning a soup-like spiced sauce.

Fun Fact 2 : The world’s hottest curry is named The Chicken Naga, made from a lot of Naga pepper seeds which are 100 times hotter than jalapeno peppers.

Fun Fact 3 : Britain’s favourite curry is a Chicken Tikka Masala, however; the Tikka Masala is not an original Indian curry.

On the 28th of November 2022, the 18th annual British Curry Awards will take place. This event is taken very seriously with curry houses competing against each other to win the awards on offer. Much like the Oscars, there is a stage, special presenters, performances, trophies and speeches, all to be streamed online.

To get involved in National Curry Week, you could visit your local curry house and enjoy a delicious meal in Plymouth. We have a whole host of curry houses to choose from, a favourite of ours is Shapla Balti Cuisine! You could also purchase an Indian recipe book and have a go at cooking your own curry, perhaps invite a few friends over for a curry night too? If you’d prefer to enjoy a flavoursome curry from the comfort of your own home, most curry houses offer takeaway options.

Shapla Balti Cuisine

Located on Ridgeway in Plympton, Shapla Balti Cuisine is an authentic Indian restaurant and takeaway, offering the finest traditional Curries, Specials, Masala’s, Biryani’s and more.

Shapla Balti were finalists in the British Curry Awards in 2017 and 2021. Shapla was nominated for ‘Best in the South West’ to which they took home the award as finalist with Cheltenham-based Indian Restaurant Prithvi taking the winning title.

Personally, we recommend that you make the time to dine in at Shapla Balti Cusine to really get the full experience, but they also offer delivery free to the local area. Shapla regularly hosts a number of charity events and special evenings so keep an eye out on their socials.