The British are no strangers to Indian cuisine. But the lines between the two cuisines have hardly blurred, with spices remaining almost exclusive to Indian cooking. “Most of them think that our food is very hot and that it will kill you,” says Mumbai-born Cyrus Todiwala, whose Spice Cafe Namaste, is currently listed among U.K.’s 100 Top Restaurants.
And so a purpose was born. Cyrus teamed up with chef Tony Singh, a Scotsman, to travel all around the U.K. to demystify spices for the British public in their show The Incredible Spice Men , airing on TLC.
“You have two Indian-looking gentlemen — one with a very heavy Scottish accent and one with an proper Indian accent — who travel across Britain, going to farms and different producers to understand what is typically local to that particular region and then take that food and spice it up a little bit,” says Cyrus, explaining their new show.
Cyrus has cooked a banquet for the Queen and Prince Philip during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, while Tony’s restaurant Oloroso was named ‘the hippest place to eat and drink in Edinburgh’ by The Independent . When these men say cumin on Welsh rarebit is a great combination, you cannot but believe them!
How did you two team up?
Cyrus Todiwala: The idea came up few years ago and has been germinating in our minds. The point was to play with traditional British things by making them slightly Indianised. You know, spice up a roti for a roast pork. We thought we could work as a team .
How do you two complement each other?
Tony Singh: Chef Cyrus brings a vast knowledge of health benefits and the traditional use of spice. When I joined the show it was a learning curve for me because I was trained in Edinburgh. My background is French cuisine. I was hoping to bring something more modern and fun. Showcasing the myriad features of cooking in a fun light-hearted way should make food more accessible to people.
Britain is no stranger to Indian food and spices. How is your show going to work around that?
CT: We had this great mix of east and west. The British public has been exposed to Indian elements in food for over 1000 years but they are still afraid of it. What we did was to just bring that closer to home. We are on a mission to take away the fear of spices among the traditional British people who do not want to go down that road.
TS: One of the biggest problems is the perception of Indian food being hot and difficult. Plus the show was based on British food, which is associated with comfort. Adding the twist and taste of spice to take it to a different level was fun.
What changes do you see in the Indian food industry in the U.K.?
CT: The British understanding of Indian food is definitely getting better. But unfortunately history has always undersold our cooking. It is difficult to fight this battle in which we are constantly trying to raise the profile of Indian food. It is gradually changing though.
TS: We have more regional restaurants now. There’s more south Indian, north Indian and Central. The Indian chefs are being more true to themselves, and our rich heritage.
