Culture: Is London The World Capital Of Indian Cuisine?

(Drivebycuriosity) - Recently my wife and I visited London, where we stayed 6 weeks. We had much time to explore the British Capital and loved many things we saw. The long visit gave us the opportunity to taste London`s Indian cuisine - a fascinating experience.

It seems that London is the world capital of Indian cuisine (dnaindia  bloomberg). There are 2 reasons for that. The English history is entangled with the past of the Asian subcontinent. India had been a British colony for about 100 years. Many British lived in India, some married local women, and assimilated with Indian culture. Otherwise people from India immigrated to England and many settled in the capital. 

The other reason is economic. High-end restaurants have very high costs and need a big  affluent clientele to survive. London has a big enough market to support a row of upscale Indian restaurants thanks to her wealth and the high standard of living. UK ´s income per capita is $42,000, India´s about $2,000 (wikipedia).  London has per capita income of about $65,000, Dehli just $5,000. As a result London has five Indian restaurants with Michelin stars, New York City has one and Paris none (michelin  cntraveller).

It seems that curries, Chicken Tikka Masala (chicken with a combination of ground spices) & chutneys are now a standard part of English cuisine and you can find an Indian restaurant at almost any London corner. But Indian cuisine is much more than curries. Indian cuisine is full of ancient recipes, techniques and food philosophies. And Indian chefs are not afraid to use spices which are also good for your health. Curcumin, found in turmeric, is a potent anti-inflammatory. Cinnamon helps balance blood sugar; cumin and coriander aid digestion; fenugreek reduces cholesterol, counters heartburn, ginger relieves nausea; chilies contribute high levels of vitamins A, B and C.

Yes, anyone can purchase these ingredients and flavor their food. You can get very hot dishes also at Mexican & Szechuan restaurants. But some Indian chefs have the talent to find the perfect fit of flavors and to combine them into the right balance. The ingredients are often clothed and marinaded into bespoke, unusual and creative blends of complex seasonings and then cooked in a hot-clay oven, over an open grill, on a searing hot-iron-plate, or stir fried.

During our London visit we dined in 10 Indian restaurants and in 5 of them we enjoyed tasting menus of eclectic dishes  (in alphabetical order) : Amaya, Cinnamon Club, Jamavar, Quilion & Trishna. The tasting menus were symphonies of flavors - mesmerizing. And it wasn´t just the tastes. The variety, complexity, uniqueness and the anticipation before each next step increased the pleasure. 

The Cinnamon Club, located in a former library in the Westminster district, is my favorite. (above an image from their tasting menu). A combination of appetizers - Tandoori Norfolk free range chicken chaat (filled fried dough) in pastry shell Devon crab and kokum berry salad on lotus root crisp & carpaccio of home cured Shetland salmon and caramel jhal muri - started an exceptional culinary tour and opened an intoxicating mix.

Other restaurants also served addictive dishes. At Jamavar for instance I got delighted by their Malai Stone Bass Tikka.  The fish is marinated in spices before cooking in the tandoori oven, served with green cardamom,  mace,  avocado & mint chutney. Another highlight there was the lamb chop marinated in cumin, crushed onion, yogurt, fennel and ginger before being cooked in the tandoori and served with more ginger, with some carrots on the side. The spices having been absorbed into the meat and beautifully taking its flavor to a higher level. At Trishna I loved their Meen Manga Curry, consisting of cod, raw mango and flavored with Malabar tamarind.

The desserts completed the taste sensations. Above an image of Jamavar`s Mango Rasmalai, containing of wheat biscuit, mango cream & berry chutney. I am also dreaming of Cinnamon Club`s Cardamom shrikhand (sweet strained yogurt ) with tamarind glazed berries.

Even restaurants which don´t belong to the ivy league served fine dishes. The Mumbai Delight in Vauxhall south of the river had a delicious Manglorian Fish curry: Fish fillets cooked in freshly ground coconut masala with the twist of tamarind and roasted spices. Some day we might go back to London and may continue our exploration!