Group+Four+(7)

**Food** =**__Background__**= Indian food is very popular and important in the U.K, it has become a £3.2 million industry. There are now 8,000 Indian restaurants in Britain, employing 70,000 workers (Wikipedia). It has been an important part of Britain since the nineteen century where British women started  cooking the food for their families, "They incorporated Indian food into the national diet and made it culturally British" (Zlotnick). Curry, interpreted as a gravy, became especially popular when businessmen began to take home leaves to India in the early nineteen century and brought back the ideas and recipes of curry. When wives then started to integrate curry and rice into the dinners they would serve to their families and friends, curry became very popular with the urban bourgeoisie. In 1851 an article in the book __Modern Domestic Cookery__ stated, "Curry, which was formerly a dish almost exclusively for the table of those who had made a long residence in India, is now completely naturalized, the few dinners are thought complete unless one is on the table" (Zlotnick). This shows how very early on the British were enjoying curry and that they had already started the process of hybridizing English and Indian food. Curry belonged to the Victorians as much as tea and trumpets, as modern day Indian food belongs to the English as much as fish and chips. Indian food had become very mainstream and still is in the English culture where not only the bourgeoisie were enjoying the food, but the working class as well. In a poem was written called "Curry" and published in __Punch's the Poetical Cookery-Book__, the fourth line describes a scene that is very English and domestic, but was localized in the lower-class of London.

"Three pounds of veal my darling girl prepares, And chops it nicely into little squares; Five onions next prepares the little minx (The biggest are the best her Samiwel thinks). And Epping butter, nearly half a pound, And stews them in a pan until brown'd.

What's nest my dexterous little girl will do? She pops the meat into the savory stew, With curry powder, tablespoonfulls three, And milk a pint (the richest that may be); And when the dish has stewed for half-an-hour, A lemon's ready juice she'll o'er it pour; Then, bless her, then she gives the luscious pot A very gentle boil--and serves quite hot.

P.S. Beef, mutton, rabbit if you wish; Lobsters, or prawns, or any kind of fish Are firt to make A CURRY. 'Tis, when done, A dish for emperors to feed upon." Today, Indian food is still very popular, but a new thing has emerged. Indian food's domain was mostly restaurants, whether they were eat-ins or take-outs, but now the supermarkets have come in for some share of the money. Supermarkets have now started to offer ready meals, fresh and processed sauces, accompaniments and spices for the customer. This has given a good turn out for the supermarkets because the English have become more adventurous and are trying to cook Indian food themselves. It has also been a benefit to the Indian consumers, who are the largest ethnic minority group in the UK today, because they now are able to find the ingredients they need at the local supermarket (White).

Indian food is made up mostly of pulses, rice and atta (whole wheat flour). Then there is the many spices that accompany these main ingredients. The spices that are most often used are: chili pepper, black mustard seed (rai), cumin (jeera), turmeric haldi, manjal), fenugreek (methi), asafoetida (//hing, perungayam//), ginger (adrak, inji), and garlic (lassan, poondu). There are also popular spice mixes such as garam masala. Garam masala is usually composed of five powdered spices: cardamom, cinammon, and cloves and then every region adds other spices that make it their own blend.

Northern cuisine is known for its dairy products. Samosas are a very popular snack in Northern India, and also in the UK. But the main staples of northern cuisine are the lentils, vegetables and roti (a wheat based bread). They are mostly known for the the kabobs and tandoori because of the strong Muslim migration into Indian. Northern India is very close to Pakistani, which makes their food very similar.
 * __Northern Cuisine:__**

Eastern Cuisine is strongly influenced by Bengali cuisine, which makes the food not too spicy. In the region fish is eaten often and is commonly served for dinner along with rice. But what Eastern cuisine stands out in its desserts, which have now become very popular in Northern India as well.
 * __Eastern Cuisine:__**

Southern cuisine is distinguished by its great emphasis on rice. They also use a lot of coconut, from its milk to its oil. Sambar, a soup made of vegetable stew or broth that is based from tamarind and toover dal, is highly popular as well. The uniqueness of this dish is that every state that is located in the Southern region makes their sambar differently.
 * __Southern Cuisine:__**

Western India's cuisine is divided into three groups: Gujarati, Maharashtrian and Goan. Gujarati cuisine is mainly vegetarian and is often sweet due to the use of brown sugar. Maharashtrian cuisine is divided into two groups: Goa which use rice, fish and coconut often, and Deccan which use groundnut instead of coconut.
 * __Western Cuisine:__**

Now that your mouth is watering, let me show you what is going to be at the festival.

**Food:**
 * Chicken Tikka -- Chicken cooked with spices and then cooked in a tandoori oven
 * Chicken Tikka Masala -- known as "Britain's National Dish"
 * Samosas -- little pouches of flaky dough filled with either potatoes, peas or meat
 * Naan- Plain or Garlic
 * Sambar



**Beverages:**
 * Tea -- Darjeeling and Assam, both will be prepared as a masala chai. A wonderful sweet, thick and milky concoction with traces of cinnamon and ginger in it.
 * nimbu pani (lemonade)
 * different flavors of lassi (blending of yogurt with water, salt, pepper, ice and spices until frothy)
 * badam doodh (milk with nuts and cardamom)
 * sharbat (made with fruit or flower petals)
 * coconut water.

**Alcoholic Drinks:**
 * Palm Wine
 * Coconut Fenny
 * Kaju Fenny aka Cashew Fenny
 * Bahng Ki Thandai
 * Indian Beer

**Chefs:** **__ Anjum Anand__** A writer and TV chef for the BBC program, "Indian Food Made Easy". She will be teaching how to cook Indian food healthy, for those of you who are watching your carbs.

__**Sheikh Kamran**__ Executive chef of Indian Ocean restaurant located in Ashton-under-Lyne. He is also the winner of the British Curry Awards 2008 for the second time.*

Owner of Dilli resturant will be offering lessons in cooking vegetarian Indian food.
 * __Ravi Bajaj__**


 * __ [[image:chefAtulKochhar_2.jpg width="212" height="294" align="left"]]

Atul Kochhar__** BBC competition to create the Great British Menu for Queen Elizabeth's 80th birthday banquet. Owner of the prestigious Benares restaurant. His winning menu consisting of Tandoori chicken, mah ki daal, Peshawari naan, ginger and coconut sauce, kulfi and Bengali bhappa doi.


 * If you think your curry is better than Kamran, then here is your time to shine. There will be a curry cook off with Sheikh Kamran and only non-chefs will be able to participate. Bring your curry by 3:00 pm to the food tent and we will have a surprise guest judge in attendance to name the victor!



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