Spicing up the standard curry

He has cooked for the Queen, John F Kennedy, Tito and the Shah of Iran. Now Bangladeshi master chef Haji Subrat Ali Mia could be adding spice to your dinner.

Mr Mia, 60, whose father and grandfather were master chefs before him, is the main ingredient in a campaign to end the dominance of mainstream British curry house fare like masala, madras, and vindaloo, and replace them with authentic, traditionally prepared dishes.

Mr Mia is one of three celebrity chefs who have been flown in from the Indian sub-continent to show their counterparts in the UK how it should be done. The Eastern equivalent of Europe's Michelin-rated stars, they are guests at a curry festival in Brick Lane, east London, this month, and are showing off their skills for diners at selected restaurants in the street.

They arrive as a quiet revolution is underway in Brick Lane with restaurateurs seeking a more upmarket image and the real taste of Bangladesh about to enjoy a renaissance.

Mr Mia said: "The West is now more adventurous than it has ever been and I am confident that people will enjoy the authenticity of these dishes."

Typical ingredients include ginger, garlic, cardamom and the spice jalfran. Dishes being prepared this month include sweet chicken korma, and grilled lamb chop curry cooked in garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cardamon and cloves.

On behalf of its readers, the Evening Standard sampled the chicken korma and the lamb chop curry. Both were delicious; lighter than the usual Brick Lane fare, and full of the taste of herbs and spices. The flavour and authentic style is made easier to attain because of the greater availability of fresh ingredients, which are flown in from the sub-continent four times a week.

"People are looking for the real thing now; they are ready," said Sheraj Haque, 43, owner of the City Spice and Shampan restaurants in Brick Lane, and festival organiser. "We want people to think of Brick Lane as more than just somewhere to go to fill their stomachs."

Things are changing in what has become known as Bangla Town: although flock wallpaper and swirly carpets still rule, increasing numbers of curry houses are turning to more contemporary decor.

Stripped wooden floors and stylish furniture have in many establishments become the special of the day.