Did the British colonise India? Curry and Tikkas.

This question inevitably pops up in my mind when I go to supermarkets and take a walk down the streets. It always seems to be the other way round to me; history reversed. "What is the No 1 British national food? Move over fish and chippies, it is CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA. Yes, you see more of this than fish and chips restaurants or shops in many parts of London.

Chicken Tikka Masala found itself onto supermarket shelves in terms of sauces, pre-cooked dinner sets, frozen microwave food, sandwiches and even in salads. The adverts on tv boast about the effectiveness of a washing powder in terms of its ability to remove the chicken tikka stain from your blouse.

Indian Food is all the rage in London and many parts of the UK. Other than Chicken tikka, Korma have also found its way into supermarket shelves. In a recent TV episode of the popular and F-mouthed Gordon Ramsey, the convicts in a prison told them the fav food there is curry!

Hmmmm, talk about ditching the traditional food for foreign influences. If you think that I am jumping for joy to find so much spicy food here, nahhhh. I did not.

The British version of "curry" is far from authentic. If you ask me how I should describe it, it is SWEET. Not spicy, and not oomh at all, at least that is what the supermarket bought food and college canteens have been telling me.

Boring at best. I have not tried the Indian restaurants in London yet, although they are supposed to be very good. I do fear disappointment, of eating something yellow, goey and SWEET (yucks!), after spending some money on it.

Maybe, just may be, I will venture into the famous Brick Lane in East London for what else, good Indian restaurants!