by Keith Stewart

Given the European origins of most New Zealanders it is not surprising that we think of India as the cornerstone of the British Empire, and that Indian cuisine gained its foothold in European palates through its British connections. So I was extremely surprised to find great Indian restaurants in Portugal when I first visited that remarkable country, even more when I was told by locals that Portugal's contact with India was much older than that of Britian, and that the great Portuguese explorer, Vaso de Gama was actually buried in the South Western Indian state of Kerala.

Kerala is famous for its fish, for its pepper, its cashews, and for its hot and spicy vindaloo, a curry which actually gets its name from an old Portuguese recipe for pork and wine stew, which has been adapted with local spices to become the famous vindaloo.

This is but one example of the rich source of the various regional cuisines that go to make up the repertoire of Indian chefs. In a country that streches from the Himalayas to tropical, coconut fringed beaches across a multitude of climates and growing environments The range of foods and culinary inputs is vast and varied.

Historically the Moghul rulers of India who predated the British by centuries, introduced some of the most fabulous of India's culinary traditions, including the now world famous butter chicken and Tikka Masala, while it was the Persians who brought both Korma and Rogan Josh to the sub continent. Korma is known to Indian gourmets as one of the great dishes of Kashmir, while Tikka Masala and Butter Chicken are considered to be specialities of Delhi, of the states of Punjab and Haryana.

There are many in Britain, however, who claim Tikka Masala is the inspiration of a Glaswegian restaurant owner who thought up the recipe sometime in the 1960s. Just shows how diverse India's culinary scope is. And its legends.