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INDIAN food has long been embedded in British culture and there are now some 8000 Indian restaurants in the country employing some 70,000 workers and turning over more than GBP 2 billion annually.
From the original institution that is Brick Lane in the East End of London, to the renowned Balti houses of Birmingham and Manchester's curry mile, authentic Indian food with regional variations is to be found everywhere.
While dishes such as chicken tikka masala and chicken korma are hugely popular, I have to admit they are by no means authentic dishes and are not what real Indian cooking is all about. And they are laden with saturated fats. Don't ever expect to see them in my restaurant - or ask.
Thankfully, however, palettes have become more experimental, resulting in an enthusiastic market for all that is authentic, vibrant, healthy and inventive. Which, of course, is great news for us chefs.
The annual British Curry Awards are the Oscars of the Indian restaurant industry and I was fortunate enough to recently win an award after my restaurant, Roti, received the people's choice award for best Indian restaurant. This year we've been shortlisted for the Best Indian Restaurant award at the forthcoming Scottish Restaurant Awards.
But, it doesn't take years of cooking experience to create great family curries at home that aren't laden with saturated fats. And no, that doesn't mean heating up some "healthy" curry sauce from the jar and stirring it through some lean meat.
Along with millions of people from many cultures around the world, my Indian cooking style is based around the intense flavour and fire of hot foods. After all, chillies are the second most common spice in the world, following salt.
Few people, however, realise the many health benefits of...