Curry in the United Kingdom

Curry, a spicy dish derived from Indian cooking by way of British Raj–era Anglo-Indian cuisine, is popular in the United Kingdom. Curry recipes have been printed in Britain since 1747, when Hannah Glasse gave a recipe for a chicken "currey the India way". Curry powder was first advertised in 1784. In the 19th century, many more recipes appeared in the popular cookery books of the time. Curries in Britain are widely described with Indian terms, not necessarily used for the same dishes or even known in India. For example, korma is a mild sauce with almond and coconut; Madras has a hot, slightly sour sauce; phall denotes an extra hot sauce, and pasanda means a mild sauce with cream and coconut milk. One type of curry, chicken tikka masala, has become widespread enough to be described as a national dish.

The first curry house opened in London in 1810. More followed early in the 20th century; Veeraswamy, founded in 1926, is the oldest surviving Indian restaurant in Britain. By the 1970s, over three-quarters of the Indian restaurants in the country were owned and run by people of Bangladeshi origin, mainly from the Sylhet area. That has since changed, with more restaurants offering South Indian or Punjabi cuisines. Several cities acquired areas known for their many curry restaurants, including Birmingham's Balti Triangle, London's Brick Lane and Drummond Street, and Manchester's Curry Mile. By 2016, the number of curry houses reached a peak of some 12,000, declining to around 8,000 by 2023. Causes of the decline include a shortage of Indian cooks, and the availability of high quality curry sauces and ready-made meals in supermarkets.