COMING SOON IN 2023

In this autobiography, Enam Ali MBE a culinary historian and migrant whose fascinating life-story, from the colourful spice markets of Bangladesh to the UK’s provincial towns and cities, entwines with the development and evolution of British curry. He tells the fascinating story of the nation’s favourite dish from the perspective of one of its most ardent backers. In telling his story, Enam revealed how British curry was invented by immigrants with no catering experience and adapted from British staples for the English palate. He documents the life of the UK’s first curry pioneers, detailing the surprising origin stories of dishes such as onion bhaji and chicken tikka masala. He charts his journey from kitchen hand to curry king, revealing for the first time the incredible lengths he’s taken to protect the reputation of British curry.

He revealed how curry became so successful it is now exported back to India by entrepreneurial Bangladeshis and how his influence as the official spokesman and global champion of curry spread to politics and public policy.

This book also reveals the secrets of the curry trade, from curry economics to spice secrets. It reveals how the British curry industry has left an indelible mark on both British and Bangladeshi culture, funding the majority of community mosques in the UK and raising a generation of doctors and politicians here while financing hospitals and infrastructure in Bangladesh. Full of insights, recipes and fascinating stories from the curry business, the book tells the life story of one of the UK’s most respected restauranteurs and lifts the lid on the melting pot that is UK’s best-loved but most misunderstood food. Enam Ali, the father of the curry industry is not just the fascinating story of the Curry King of Britain, or a history of the nation’s favourite food, it’s also a love letter to that great British institution, the curry house.