I notice MT has added the seemingly now 'traditional' coriander garnish with this dish.

I lived in the Middle east for 8 years ('76 - '84) & travelled all over ME, FE & Africa incl India, Sri Lanka - in all those years eating curries & all sorts of dishes everywhere, I never ever came across coriander used as the liberally sprinkled garnish that it appears to be today.  i have a friend who often was physically ill after eating certain Indian meals - but couldn't put his finger on the cause - until he took an Indian cookery course & tasted alll the spices and herbs .  When he bit into coriander, he knew instantly what the cause of his problem was.  I must say myself, it is not a taste I care for at all & feel it spoils a meal the way it is lavished so liberally over evry In dian dish you come across.  Even when you say no coriander - it still gets put on !

When did coriander suddenly become de rigeur to be put onto Indian meals ?  Basically it spoils the taste for me.  I never used to see it in ME or Uk for that matter until say 15 years ago

Let me state I am not generally a vegetable fan - especially the leaf variety - peas & beans & celery are about my lot with veggies.  Cabbage i hate !

So, one evening in Dubai in early 1980s, my wife & I were just about to go out for the evening to a dinner party when our housegirl - Anna Sequira (from Goa, but now in Mumbai with her family)came in with a delightful smelling dish with pourris & said I've made this for you - spicy cabbage - then left.  So, even though I hate cabbage, it smelled so good, I thought i would taste it.  Scooped up with the pourris, the dish was nothing short of fantastic - we ate the lot!  Our dinner party was a little short lived - we could only manage the odd mouthful.

Here it is courtesy of Anna dictating to my wife ( Mrs Ghoulie)

2 large white onions
I white cabbage
fry in oil.  then add

2 green chillies
3 medium tomatoes
1 Maggi chicken stock cube
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
3/4 glass water

pourris, 3 glasses wheat flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, water for dry dough consitency, roll out to 5mm thickness - fry in hot deep oil.

The quantities I know are slightly vague - but that's my wifes hurried dictation.  Anna couldn't see what the fuss was about.

enjoy it - I certainly still do

I used a 'good' curry house near me for at least 15 years 2x per week with friends - through 3 ownerships we were their best customers- until the last guy decided to put 1 dodgy chicken as part of 2x on a sizzling shashlik platter - 1x was definitely off - smelled fishy.  so he was told & advised not to pull that stunt again.  A takeaway a week later from same venue also turned into the same problem 1x good, 1x bad.  On our next visit to the restauarant - he was again warned of the experience - buggger me - again we get the same - of 2 chicken pieces 1x off 2nd ok. Never went back. Scandalous that they can think they can treat 'regulars' with contempt by serving obviously bad chicken - and then you see the tv programme on how chicken condemned as unfit for human consumption ends up being reprocessed and back in shops / restaurants.  Very false economy when you lose good, regular customers. That particular owner went bust & is now a petrol pump attendant !

Another restaurant nearby was closed down - reason - deliveries of chicken & other goods were placed in the WASTE skip in the mornings - since their was no one at the restaurant to receive them.  A complaint from a local resident lead to that one being investigated

did you find any other good indian restauarants in Manchester?  Jai Katmandu in Northenden was good until recently - they're training a new chef!!

Lived in Dubai -'77 to '84 & back there in mid 90s.  Fantastic authentic food at :-

Khyber Restaurant - near Dubai side (or was it deira side?) police station.  Chicken butter boneless, Chicken tikka massalla - khyber special veg - fantastic

Ravi Restaurant - Satwa - best chicken tikka over the bbq ever

- can't find anything to touch them in uk - not even the curry mile near me in Manchester - although the Gaylord in Spring Gardens Manchester came very close - but sadly now closed