British laying claim to indian food

Last week it was Birmingham City Council that launched a campaign to protect the famous Balti name by preventing Indian restaurants outside the city from using it. And now the curry crazy Scots are staging a tikka takeover, laying claim to Britain's most popular dish the Chicken Tikka Masala.

Its a know fact that British are crazy about Indian Food so much that across the UK, 2.5 million people dine in 9000 curry houses every week. The very first Balti dish, which is named after the pot it is cooked in, is believed to have been served by a Pakistani immigrant called Mohammed Ajaib in Birmingham in 1977. The dish became so popular that the area of Birmingham between Sparkbrook, Balsall Heath, and Moseley became known as the “Balti Triangle” because of the large number of restaurants serving it. Today, the Balti is a staple at Indian restaurants nationwide in Britain.

However, Birmingham City Council claims that because the Balti originated in the city, it has the right to protect the name, similar to other protected goods such as the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie or Wensleydale cheese.

Elsewhere in Glasgow, which has won the Curry Capital of Britain title three times, the Shish Mahal restaurant wants the city to be recognised as the home of chicken tikka masala, which it claims to have invented in the Seventies. Around 25 million portions of Chicken Tikka Masala are devoured in the UK every year as they spend £2.8billion on Indian food. Shish Mahal wants the dish to have the same legal protection as other regionally designated food, such as Arbroath Smokies. It could be renamed Glasgow chicken tikka masala.

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Wimbledon champions love Indian Food

Rajdoot, the Indian restaurant located in Wimbledon has become one of the prime eating spots for the tennis crowd during Wimbledon fortnight. Mimom Rahman seen in the picture with Roger Federer is a waiter and top tennis celeb spotter at Rajdoot.

He proudly shows the restaurant autograph book featuring superstars like the Williams sisters, Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt, Andre Agassi, Lindsay Davenport, Steffi Graf, Maria Sharapova.

Roger Federer in particular has taken a liking to this restaurant calling in 3 times in the first week of Wimbledon. One of his orders included Butter Chicken, pilau rice and 8 naan. [via Guardian]

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