There appear to be a number of dimensions in Curry or Indian type cookery and the dimensions are expanding.

Most people first encounter this type of food in a BIR. My first encounter was in a Curry house in Portsmouth. The old matelot I was working with took me to a place he knew from his time in the services and took great pleasure in watching me struggle over a very hot Madras. (Well it seemed hot at the time, watering eyes, runny nose, sweaty brow and hiccups)

Then I found a different dimension, cooking the stuff at home, or more precisely cooking what are supposed to be authentic curries with authentic ingredients. From this experience I found that I started to prefer this type of dish to the BIR style.

Later on I experienced the restaurants and outlets aimed at the local ethnic communities and worked my way through the various Lahore restaurants in and around the Commercial Road in London amongst others. Again a totally different taste dimension.

I think the latest dimension is the style of food, cooking and ingredients that are turning out in books like Curry Everyday. These aim to provide a quick spice fix after work, when pushed for time and are tailored to be healthier than all the other types of Indian type cookery.

What do you think?

I like them all. I cooked one of these healthy option versions for dinner on Monday Evening. I am at a Curry House in Notley, Essex with friends tonight. Friday I am aiming for a lunch reunion with some old work mates in Sweet and Spicy in Brick Lane and Saturday we have friends round for a curry night that we are cooking.

Spot on.

I've had the same thing, got really into BIR curries, started making my own but pretty much gave up on trying to get them like restaurant ones because you just couldn't get the recipes.

Learned quite a lot about home style cooking from a mate's mum and I'm pretty sure I've been going to the same restaurants as you in London!

Only found this site a few days ago so I'm sure I'll be going full circle and getting back into my BIR style food.  Going to make my first attempt at a base sauce this week or next.

There are loads of little curry styles you can find these days, the tandoori pubs you get in West Bromwich are a quality example, you get a completely different style of food at those.

Quote from: tempest63 on February 21, 2007, 03:07 PM
My first encounter was in a Curry house in Portsmouth.

My favourite place there is The Kashmir, Palmerston Road, Southsea. Have you been there by any chance?

Yes, there are numerous different styles of Indian cooking in the UK, let alone around the world, but I think the main focus here is clear - BIR curry house style food. If we stick mainly to that, we shouldn't get too confused.

Regards
George

I am going back to the very early eighties when I had that first curry in Pompey. I was working on the construction of the new crown courts if that helps to put it in its place in time. The curry house was near the train station but I was working on the Zurich Insurance building there about five or six years ago and I couldn't find that curry house so it may well have closed down, either that or it is my memory that is closing down!

I just remembered seeing the conning towers of one of the Carriers pulling out on its way to the Falklands from the roof of the building so that must be 25 years ago now.