Trampy and The Tramp's Glasgow of Curry

Five Years Of TATTGOC: The Curry Clubbers Speak! (Part Two)

Five Years Of TATTGOC: Where Are They Headed For The Big Night?

trampyandthetramp@trampyandthetramp.com (Unknown) — Thu, 28 Nov 2013 00:30:00 GMT

This month, Trampy and the Tramp's Glasgow of Curry celebrates five years of continuous spicy operation, incorporating almost 50 legendary outings and countless weekly updates (this post is actually the 298th, due to some excitable double posting in the early years). A lot has happened since that first fateful visit to the Indian Orchard in Partick, and we're now almost at the end of our series of typically self-congratulatory posts during November.

In fact, tonight is the official TATTGOC five-year party – but to tell you where we're headed would spoil the surprise. Rest assured, there will be a full write-up in due course, but all you need to know is ... it's a biggie.

In the meantime, the Tramps contributed to the revamped STV app/blog, reflecting back on five years in the spicy saddle and recommending some unusual dishes and places. You can check it out HERE. And keep an ear out for a very special edition of the podcast, due to drop imminently ...

And if you've read, listened, shared or commented on anything TATTGOC-related in the past five years, the Tramps salute you.

SOME OTHER LEGENDARY TATTGOC POSTS

Five Years Of TATTGOC: The Curry Clubbers Speak! (Part One)
Five Years Of TATTGOC: We Asked Our Curryspondents To Wire In

Tastin' With The Vamps: The Mystery Of The Haunted Madras Lattice Curry Capital 2013 Result: The TATTGOC Breakdown

Our Keep Calm And Curry On Podcast: Episode 13 – Temple Of Bhuna

It's National Curry Week! And You Could Also Win A Holiday!

Tick, Tick, Tick, Bhuna ... Curry Capital 2013 Voting Deadline Imminent!!

Kenny McGovern Shares Brand New Curry Recipes With TATTGOC
Fringe Benefits: Khushi's Goes Mobile In Edinburgh

The Hot List: Every Curryhouse TATTGOC Has Reviewed Since 2008

Five Years Of TATTGOC: The Curry Clubbers Speak! (Part Two)

trampyandthetramp@trampyandthetramp.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 00:39:00 GMT

This month, Trampy and the Tramp's Glasgow of Curry celebrates five years of continuous spicy operation, incorporating almost 50 legendary outings and countless weekly updates. A lot has happened since that first fateful visit to the Indian Orchard in Partick, and we're now halfway through our series of typically self-congratulatory posts during November. Last week, some of our regular Curry Clubbers explained what TATTGOC meant to them ... and that was just part one! Here are more dispatches from our brave currynauts ...

We'll be back next Thursday with the last instalment of our TATTGOC 2008-2013 celebration.

Rogan Josh Homme

First outing: Indian Orchard, Nov 2008

I look around me, and I see a lot of men ...

It’s November 2008 and I’m perched between the Tramp and Trampy at the inaugural meeting of Curry Club – or what was then referred to (in redacted communiques of the time) as "Chris' Curry Club".

The venue is the Indian Orchard in Partick, a near empty establishment serving up ectoplasm-like mango chutney and curry as cheap as the chips the Orchard's only other patrons have ordered from the "European" section of the menu. Given that I remember that detail, I'm disappointed that I don't actually recall what I had at this nascent gathering (never mind whether it was any good or not). But I do remember a general feeling that something momentous was happening: a meeting of men, of minds and of stomachs hungry to try, if not always new things, at least familiar things in unfamiliar environs.

Looking back at this slightly skewed panorama shot – snapped on a primitive camera phone towards of the end of the night in the midst of the swiftly abandoned ritual known as the post-curry brandy – I'm surprised by how much of Curry Club was and wasn't in place on that first night. Copious lager consumption was very much in evidence, as were photographic skills that would make at least one member of Curry Club look as if they'd just watched the killer videotape from The Ring (sorry Trampy!). There was also plenty of passionate, contemplative, often pop-culture-tinged discourse (The Wire and the general crapness of Quantum of Solace were both rigorously debated with The Duke).

Beards, however, weren't quite as prominent as they'd later become. And nor were the curry-punning pseudonyms that would eventually set each of us free from the grind of our day-to-existence (at my next outing, I plumped for Rogan Josh Homme; Queens of the Stone Age being my favourite band at the time). Nevertheless, by the end of that first night, the tentative bonds that Trampy and the Tramp's grand experiment had been set up to forge felt like they were forming the basis of what might become a lasting brotherhood.

And so it proved. The strangely ghost-like image of Jalfrezi in the above shot may have anticipated the way in which some members would eventually fade from view – but definitely not from memory – as they moved on with their lives and careers, but what we've all come to affectionately know as TATTGOC (a love of acronyms is second only to a love of puns in Curry Club) has remained a constant: a constant source of great curry, great conversation and (*wait, I've got something in both my eyes*) great friendships.

But as we celebrate the fifth anniversary of TATTGOC (which, in a neat piece of synchronicity, has coincided with my own Curry Club namesake, Josh Homme, descending upon Glasgow to play The Hydro with Queens of the Stone Age), what will the future hold?

Who knows? Although, maybe, just maybe, a few of us Curry Clubbers attending the Cafe Noor outing earlier this year have already had an accidental, 12 Monkeys-style glimpse of our fates ...

If this is the future, I for one, am ready to embrace it.

Lime Pickle

First outing: Spice Garden, Dec 2008

Six years ago I betrayed gorgeous Glasvegas by moving to austere Auld Reekie. I wasn't sure if she had forgiven me when I returned for my first Curry Club outing to the Spice Garden in 2008. I needn't have fashed, Glasgow, as always, welcomed me with open arms on what has become a bi-annual visit to TATTGOC.

While I have particularly enjoyed the end of year TATTGOC meet-ups I have to be biased and say my favourite outing was at the Caledonian Brewery in Edinburgh. A well-kept secret right up until the big reveal the evening not only took in a tour of the brewery, some dandy baseball cap-style hardhats and a massive spread from the nearby Verandah restaurant, but also a mini lock-in at the tasting pub. Ravi and Rabbie particularly proved their worth as barkeeps.

A special mention also has to go to the coverage of the humongous spread by Bombay Blue at my nuptials. Their sneaking of whole green chilis into the side salads providing many eye-watering moments.

Good food, good pals and unbelievably good puns. TATTGOC has grown in numbers and reputation over the years. Awards, articles, podcasts, where will it end? Probably in the pub afterhand ...

Sir Spicy Lover

First outing: Mr India's Balti And Dosa House, March 2009

Thursday nights were getting a bit desperate. The Rotary Club, The Roundtable and The Masons had already knocked me back. Then I got the call. Like a spiced-up prequel to the Bourne movies I had to undergo a rigorous selection boot camp; pledging allegiance to the TATTGOC curry code and adopting a new name and identity. I was promised curry camaraderie, to imbibe the finest lagers in humanity and to be taught the secret behind the infamous "levitating duvet" trick, handed down by generations of Tramps. (Performed incorrectly, it has been the ruination of many a relationship.)

Like tucking into a leftover Peshwari naan for breakfast, the reality was much sweeter. Walking into my first Curry Club outing I was immediately welcomed by the hearty guffaws of jocular male laughter and comforted by the seemingly ubiquitous TATTGOC dress code of beard, spectacles and (slight) beer belly. In the company of men closely resembling a mash up between 1970s OU lecturers and the cast of Withnail and I, I felt at home. Under the steadfast leadership of the Tramps, Thursday nights were now a welcome escape from the safe comfort zone of the West End. No curryhouse or pub has so far been left unturned in the Tramps’ quest for curry perfection. Usually we have had most of the gaffs to ourselves, except when the intrepid currynauts gatecrashed the odd random Thursday night birthday celebration or quiet romantic liaison.

I recall fondly the cocktail sophistication of the Agra (Sex in Mumbai anyone?), the besuited Christmas pop quiz at the Killermont Polo Club (where I won a Chuckle Brothers DVD as part of the Tramps’ famous Stu-Pot style Christmas giveaway), and the takeaway combo madness of King Dosa (from Banana Leaf) and magic darts at Bulldosa’s.

My personal favourite is still that gem of the Southside, the Anarkali. I can’t even remember now what I ordered but, damn, it tasted good. I really need to go back there sometime.

I am also very proud of introducing the first curry cub to the world. The dinosaur obsessed "Pterotarkadhal" has never shied away from the Way of the Spice and happily devours lashings of homemade rice and dhal or chilli prawns. Since then, the ranks of curry cubs have swollen beyond belief. My second curry protégé, "Samosalyn" is also a dhal obsessive. Surely, it can’t be long till The Tramps organise a Curry Cub Camp ...

But for now, Tramps, I raise a glass of mango lassi in your general direction and thank you for your dedication to the cause, your hospitality and your ability to divvy out the bill at the end of an evening. To quote a greater curry sage than I:
“Curry on, curry on, as if nothing really Madras ...”

Bawsaag/Aloo Aloo/The Bulldosa

First outing: Indian Orchard, Nov 2008

Back in 2008, when The Tramps were dishing out nicknames to the Curry Club brethren, for some reason I got the short end of the straw – Bawsaag was the first of my several monikers, Aloo Aloo was another. Apparently the latter was a reference to a sitcom with a similar sounding name and had something to do with the common misconception that I was always moaning (nothing could be further from the truth). It was a while before they actually let me have my current, less derogatory title, but it didn’t stop them from regularly attempting to bar me from official Club activities.

The Bullnosa: during that fateful visit to Madras Palace

But those days of pseudo-playground bullying are in the past, mostly because I now don’t reside in Glasgow, having fled to London to escape the "banter". As they say though, sticks'n'stones and all that, so quite frankly I don’t care what you call me these days – as long I can call you Betty, and Betty when you call me, you can call me Daal.

And so what was my favourite Curry Club memory? There are too many to list here, but most of them involved, Jalfezi and/or Rabbie Shankar and a few pints of Tennents. However, there was one Halloween that the Tramps allowed me to organise the Club’s monthly meeting – I decided to try to bend the rulebook a little and opted for a Friday night outing. The thinking behind this was that it might allow a greater number of members to attend, as they’d have the whole of Saturday to nurse any hangovers.

The concept was a massive failure however – Curry Clubbers stayed away in their droves. Apparently some people don’t like change. That said, the few who did manage to make it along to the Madras Palace that night, experienced what can only be described as the most well-organised Curry Club meeting ever.

I soon however, relinquished my control of the club back to the Tramps. I guess with them in charge it retains a certain shambolic charm, which I couldn’t replicate if I tried. Furthermore, there would be no one with the authority to attempt to bar me, and without that, it just wouldn’t be the same.

Jalfrezi

First outing: Indian Orchard, Nov 2008

Tramps, I wouldn't know where to start with TATTGOC memories ... somewhere through a cider haze from the Indian Orchard, surviving the excess of lassis in The Village and being huddled round a pole in Dennistoun getting involved in whatever can of ale they could muster up. Or maybe when the clubbers would smarten up for the annual birthday 'do ...

Walking into the fake Shish to find the Bulldosa – or was he still the Bawsaag back then? – proudly perched at the TATTGOC table dreaming of brandy substitutes.

But most importantly it was the Clubbers and for that, Trampy and the Tramp, we salute you ...

SOME OTHER LEGENDARY TATTGOC POSTS
Five Years Of TATTGOC: The Curry Clubbers Speak! (Part One)
Five Years Of TATTGOC: We Asked Our Curryspondents To Wire In

Tastin' With The Vamps: The Mystery Of The Haunted Madras Lattice Curry Capital 2013 Result: The TATTGOC Breakdown

Our Keep Calm And Curry On Podcast: Episode 13 – Temple Of Bhuna

It's National Curry Week! And You Could Also Win A Holiday!

Tick, Tick, Tick, Bhuna ... Curry Capital 2013 Voting Deadline Imminent!!

Kenny McGovern Shares Brand New Curry Recipes With TATTGOC
Fringe Benefits: Khushi's Goes Mobile In Edinburgh

The Hot List: Every Curryhouse TATTGOC Has Reviewed Since 2008

Moving Out With Rumpole ... And Dining In With Mother India

Five Years Of TATTGOC: The Curry Clubbers Speak! (Part One)

trampyandthetramp@trampyandthetramp.com (Unknown) — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 00:05:00 GMT

This month, Trampy and the Tramp's Glasgow of Curry celebrates five years of continuous spicy operation, incorporating almost 50 legendary outings and countless weekly updates. A lot has happened since that first fateful visit to the Indian Orchard in Partick, and we've got a series of typically self-congratulatory posts lined up for November before a very special Curry Club outing to mark the occasion. After our incredible curryspondents sent telegrams of goodwill last week, now its the turn of some of the regular Curry Clubbers to explain what TATTGOC means to them ... a rare opportunity, since it's usually the Tramps doing the reporting, the very definition of unreliable narrators.

Enjoy these frontline reminiscences, and we'll be back next Thursday with even more celebrations ... including a cameo from TATTGOC's own pantomime villain, The Bulldosa.

Ravi Peshwari

First outing: Indian Orchard, Nov 2008

Green grow the rashes , O;
Green grow the rashes , O;
The sweetest hours that e'er I spend,
Are spent amang the lassis, O.

Trampy And The Tramp's Glasgow Of Curry? I've always thought that was a bit of a mouthful. But maybe that's the point, because it certainly has been a mouthful – and a spicy one at that. I've never eaten so much curry in my life.

Trampy and The Tramp have shown me that curry is something worth celebrating. It seems to be the ultimate ubiquitous dish these days. I even heard a reference to Chicken Tikka Masala on The Archers the other day. But the Scottish curry really has matured over the years. We've come a long way from the foil container full of ghee, with a base of chicken and gravy, that I used to eat in my hometown of Coatbridge in the early 1980s.

One of the the most memorable monthly outings for me, was the big love-in at the Kama Sutra on Valentine's Night 2012. This was the day that the Tramps set out to dispel the myth that TATTGOC was some sort of misogynistic cult, with an open invitation to any female partners. It was a fine evening, as the blog entry for that outing testifies, with appearances from Mumbai Me A Pony, Naanbread Mouskouri, Tina Turmeric, Chaka Naan, Birhiani and my very own beautiful assistant, Vag Mahal. The female company was a welcome spicy addition to our manly curry club. But another couple of appearances made the evening a special one. First there was the presence of the self-confessed ghost of TATTGOC, Mahkni Knife, plus a delightful debut from curry cub Baby Bhuna. Now, having ticked all these boxes would have been enough to mark this as a legendary evening in TATTGOC history but those pesky tramps, being the masters of detail had one final trick up their sleeve – an eleventh hour arrival of the scottish pandas Tian Tian and Yang Guang. A fine evening indeed.

Thank you Trampy and The Tramp. It has been an honour to be part of your mighty celebration of curry for the past five years.

Chasni Hawkes

First outing: The Khyber, June 2011

When I think of Curry Club, the first thing that pops into my head isn't the spectacular array of establishments that have been visited, nor the Biblical quantities of spicy grub that have been consumed ...

It's the vibe, that buzz of excitement and anticipation, cultivated by the Tramps and emitted by each Curry Clubber as they join up of with the squad. Each of them thinking that tonight's going to be a good night. Oh yes, and the glance from Trampy to the Tramp and back again as they wrangle the naan/rice equation from the ether ... like Aristotle squaring up to Archimedes on the sands of Millport.

The Gheezer
First outing: Indian Orchard, Nov 2008

When doubting Londoners peer at me in horror and fascination when I tell them that, yes, Glasgow is a great city I tell them it’s the level of friendliness that sticks with me. Glaswegian wit might be dry as a karahi, the humour spicy as a madras, but underneath it all there’s ... a moist chewy centre like a succulent rogan josh. Look, I’m new to this writing game. And I’m writing this in haste on a chilly evening in London, pining a little for a warming trip to a curryhouse with the friendly brotherhood of TATTGOC.

For it is a brotherhood. A shady network of mainly bearded men, meaty tendrils extending across the globe. Once, as we headed to the Neelim in Scotstoun, a bemused bam was heard to ask “Are youse all brothers, aye?” Trampy stepped up to the open goal. “Yes. Yes we are.”

Admittedly, the entry criteria are strict and mysterious. Rumours abound that beardedness, short-sightedness and a certain thickness of middle are required. These are nonsense; though admittedly it would be hard to construct an entertaining Who’s Who board out of the members. But with TATTGOC, once you’re in, you’re in.

The geniality of the group means we’re extended a welcome even in the less immediately friendly corners of the city. A pre-curry visit to a pub in Tradeston filled with mad uncles playing fuming games of dominoes might have felt like a wrong turn without the aura of harmless cheeriness we projected. Instead, a few eyebrows were raised at our ambient hairiness and we were granted safe passage.

And as the popularity and ken of TATTGOC has grown, so the reception of restauranteurs has shifted from bemusement to – in some cases – near adulation. Trampy and the Tramp have deservedly established themselves as minor celebs in the admittedly niche world of curry. More importantly than that, they’ve created a brother-(and, sometimes, sister-)hood of which I’m proud to be a part, and memories that keep me eagerly awaiting my next trip back to the home of curry.

Bobo Balti

First outing: Punjabi, May 2011

As far back as I can remember I always wanted to eat curry.

I’d long heard of the famous "Curry Club", thanks to friends The Bulldosa and The Gheezer’s tales of spicy lamb chops and egg pakora, and one day hoped for an invite to sample one of these affairs for myself.

After a late night visit to watch Tron: Legacy in 3D at the IMAX, and running into Trampy, I was, not long after, invited to come along. My first ever TATTGOC outing was to the Punjabi on Paisley Road West. This was less than three weeks before my lovely assistant Debbie McGhee gave birth to our first curry cub. A period that meant I wasn’t back on duty for nearly six months.

Since then though, I’ve had a dozen outings to some of the strangest and greatest curryhouses in Glasgow. All of which have been an absolute pleasure. I even got to attend this year’s Scottish Curry Awards. A fantastic event, where before we even sat down, we had been given an eye test and gifted a device to check the tread on our car tyres.

There are so many aspects of Curry Club I could talk about – the ritual of selecting your nickname, The Tramps’ Christmas party gifts, the rice/naan equation are just a few. Anyway, one final thing to say is that food is, of course, a big part of the Curry Club, but the company at the table is far bigger. As always, I can’t wait for the next one. Here’s to the next five years ...

SOME OTHER RECENT TATTGOC POSTS
Five Years Of TATTGOC: We Asked Our Curryspondents To Wire In
Tastin' With The Vamps: The Mystery Of The Haunted Madras Lattice Curry Capital 2013 Result: The TATTGOC Breakdown
Our Keep Calm And Curry On Podcast: Episode 13 – Temple Of Bhuna
It's National Curry Week! And You Could Also Win A Holiday!

Tick, Tick, Tick, Bhuna ... Curry Capital 2013 Voting Deadline Imminent!!

Kenny McGovern Shares Brand New Curry Recipes With TATTGOC
Fringe Benefits: Khushi's Goes Mobile In Edinburgh

The Hot List: Every Curryhouse TATTGOC Has Reviewed Since 2008

Moving Out With Rumpole ... And Dining In With Mother India

Five Years Of TATTGOC: We Asked Our Curryspondents To Wire In

trampyandthetramp@trampyandthetramp.com (Unknown) — Thu, 7 Nov 2013 00:08:00 GMT

This month, Trampy and the Tramp's Glasgow of Curry celebrates five years of continuous spicy operation, incorporating almost 50 legendary outings and countless weekly updates. A lot has happened since that first fateful visit to the Indian Orchard in Partick, and we've got a series of typically self-congratulatory posts lined up for November before a very special Curry Club outing to mark the occasion. First up, the Tramps wanted to ask their highly dedicated team of Foreign Curryspondents to offer up their thoughts and opinions on five years of TATTGOC. What must it be like to sort of be part of the brotherhood, but rarely able to enjoy the actual outings (like Schrödinger's Chaat)? Their views might surprise and arouse you ...

Enjoy, and we'll be back next Thursday with more TATTGOC 2008-2013 celebrations.

Tikka Mabaws

Notable Curryspondence: That vindaloo in La Paz

I’m surely not the only Foreign Curryspondent who believed the emotional fallout from his departure from Glasgow was a key driving force in the foundation of TATTGOC. “Look at them! See how they struggle without me!” is more or less what I thought in late 2008 as I paraded myself around in Dubai during the early days of my new life in the sun.

I had left the grey drudgery of Glasgow behind; where once I had staggered home with tikka-tinged lips, now I nodded appreciatively when someone handed me another oyster at a cocktail party. This is living, I kept telling myself as I urgently sought evidence of the rightness of my decision to leave Scotland behind. Mercifully, this abominable wanker attitude didn’t last long.

Within a few months, I no longer regarded TATTGOC with pity. Looking at the unfocused pictures of grinning, usually bearded faces in the gloom of curry houses around Glasgow, the whole thing didn’t seem dumb. In fact, if I looked close enough and held on tight through Trampy’s rampant verbosity, it seemed like people were having a great time. Better, even, than when I was on the scene.

That was around four years ago, and while I have seen and done some fairly extraordinary things in that time, I cannot suppress growing feelings of envy. No matter how far I travel or how high I climb, no matter who I meet or where I eat, there is always a lingering sense somewhere in the back of my bulbous cranium that on certain nights in Glasgow, I’m badly missing out.

If anything, my work as a Foreign Curryspondent has been a fairly desperate attempt to stay in touch with something that, for now, remains infuriatingly out of reach. TATTGOC has become the holographic Al to my Dr Sam Beckett – a link to another world and the monthly outings leave me hoping each time that my next leap will be the leap home.

Lord of the Dhansak

Notable Curryspondence: The stars align in Bath (2009)

Since taking up the post of foreign curryspondent for the Tramps' esteemed blog, oh, more years ago than I care to count, my reviewing career has been full of memorable incidents. In Goa, there was the battle with the street performer's monkey over who would get to eay my garlic naan: I won in the end, of course, but the wee blighter was annoyingly tenacious. There was the flirtatious waitress in Bangkok who turned out better equipped than I expected: I was livid at the time, but now I can look back on it and laugh, or at least force a sort of grimace.

And a few occasions when, finding myself a tad short of the local currency to cover a ludicrously inflated bill, I opted to fling the readies at a passing tuk-tuk or taxi driver to make a quick getaway: a tactic that only failed me that time the cabbie turned out to be the chef's cousin. Don't waste your time searching the curryspondence archives for these stories, though, as all too often my prose has proved too spicy for the Tramps' tastes and my words have ended up on the editor's spike. (Not entirely true. The only paperwork that Dhansak filed from Goa or Bankgkok were expenses claims, not review copy. And he has always claimed to have paid his restaurant bills in full. – The Tramps)

If you run into me in some tatty hotel bar at some point, I'll be happy to tell you the anecdotes in full, plus some others – even more hair-raising – that won't see print until my memoirs are published. Still, they're good lads on the whole, although one could wish that they were less tardy in honouring expense claims. (We have explained to Dhansak on more than one occasion that TATTGOC never has and never will pay expenses. – The Tramps) They've gathered a fine community of curry enthusiasts, at home and around the world.

And although the camaraderie of the Glasgow outings sounds braw, I wouldn't swap it for the exciting life of the intrepid curryspondent, ever ready to dive into some misbegotten attempt at a curryhouse in a far-flung city, putting my tastebuds (and backside) on the line to bring you the truth about the curry experience around the globe. Or, er, in Bath. For giving me the chance to participate in this noble endeavour, TATTGOC, I salute you.

(PS I did ask my reviewing partner the Thali Ho if she wanted to add any reminiscences of her own, but after reading my contribution she just rolled her eyes and shook her head.)

Martin Jalfrezi

Notable Curryspondence: Brickin' it in NYC (2010)

When I lived in Glasgow, in the last days of the 20th century, I didn’t really think of it as a great curry city, even though I was sharing a flat with Trampy at the time. This was long before he had been crowned a Curry Lover of the Year, and for the most part, we stuck to the same old reliables on Gibson Street and in the city centre. As long as it was cheap, spicy and bring your own, that was fine by us.

If someone had asked me where to get a great curry in Britain, I would have said Bradford or Birmingham, in complete ignorance. TATTGOC has been a revelation and a reason to kick myself for missing out. It’s made me angry that most curryhouses in New York are so bland, greasy and uninspiring. On a couple of occasions, it’s made me seek out something better here. In fact, it’s making me want to eat a Lamb Madras right now.

As a foreign curryspondent, my personal holy grail is to eat at an Indian restaurant in Rio de Janeiro. For the time being, at least, there isn’t one. I’ve been visiting regularly for the last eight years and for one reason or another have never managed to get to the city’s one curryhouse, an establishment that’s been open in Botafogo since the 1980s, put off by the bad reviews and astronomical prices (in this, it’s not unusual – eating out anywhere in Rio is painfully expensive). When I finally resolved to go this April, to write about it for the blog, I discovered it had closed down.

Congratulations to the Tramps on five years of ceaseless exploration. When Glasgow finally reclaims the title of Curry Capital in 2014, I will raise a Kingfisher, wherever I am.

Makhni Knife

Notable Curryspondence: The first ever, from Kanazawa, Japan (2009)

Every member knows the origin story of Curry Club. It begins in the autumn of 2008, when Trampy and The Tramp shared a dish, and a kiss, in a busy Glasgow bar and restaurant. It is less well known that they had met to console each other over my recent departure, and that my very absence was the spur to their whole enterprise. Crying turned to conspiring, and they founded Curry Club as a defensive wall around their hearts, from which I would forever be excluded.

In the years since, I have become the ghost at every feast, watching from a great distance as the regular membership eats its way through curryhouses old and new in the city that I love. On occasion, I am permitted to write dispatches from generally inferior Indian restaurants in various remote global outposts, though this only tends to emphasise my isolation. And on those rare occasions when I return home, I find my former brothers a little aloof, and always ready to remind me that I eat only by their leave.

The four official TATTGOC meals that I have attended were each a live demonstration of Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle – if the very act of observing something somehow changes it, then how am I to know that Curry Club is not a profoundly different affair whenever I am not present? How can I be sure that the food is not hotter, the hooting more ribald, the whole experience somehow more “authentic” when I am not a guest? These are the thoughts that trouble me even while I break naan bread with those pricks.

I am forced to concede, however, that Curry Club has proved more enduring and inspiring than anyone would have expected – a polestar over distant Glasgow. Once a month, on the appointed Thursday night, I turn from wherever I’m standing to face that personal Mecca and raise two fingers in tribute to Trampy and The Tramp. Then I turn and walk on, as the wind dries my tears and wipes away my footprints.

SOME OTHER LEGENDARY FOREIGN CURRYSPONDENCE

Dateline: Brooklyn!

Dateline: Tokushima!

Dateline: Islay!

Dateline: Moscow!

Dateline: Brisbane!
Dateline: Barcelona!
Dateline: Hong Kong!
Tikka MaBaws Versus "The World's Most Dangerous Vindaloo"
Dateline: Buenos Aires!
Dateline: Birmingham Backlash!

Tastin' With The Vamps: The Mystery Of The Haunted Madras Lattice

trampyandthetramp@trampyandthetramp.com (Unknown) — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 00:05:00 GMT

It's Halloween! OooooOOOOoooOOOoooh! And since it's pretty rare that Halloween falls on a Thursday, the traditional day when the TATTGOC blog updates, the Tramps thought they'd do something suitably creeptastic. There are few things more special than a short-term special promotional item from Greggs, and in the run-up to winter's most spine-chilling holiday, the uber-popular pasty-pusher has a range of spooktacular products to tempt passing trade, as well as a (frankly bewildering) soc-med campaign called Invasion of the Zombie Bakers. After looking at the dedicated website for almost a quarter of an hour, the Tramps still didn't have a clue what's happening, although noted there were some cool zombie pics from Scotland.

Then they turned their attention to Tastin' With The Tramps, a TATTGOC format that had been rather neglected in recent months. The Tramp had noticed that Greggs was doing a special Chicken Madras Lattice throughout October, which seemed like a suitably scary idea, since a lot of people remain too intimidated to order madras from the menu when visiting a curryhouse. Trampy picked one of the golden lattices for the official tasting, and judging by the first official photograph, it looked pretty good.

But just as the Tramps were poised to take their first bite, dictaphone at the ready to record their first impressions, the temperature seemed to drop in Trampy's kitchen. The doughty bloggers suppressed an involuntary shiver. It felt like there was another presence in the room, too subtle too perceive directly but hovering at the edges of their vision. There was a sudden CRASH from the window, and the Tramps spun around in unison to confront the threat. A false alarm. Merely a precarious stack of Bluetones promotional CDs that had tumbled to the floor, like a jangle-pop mudslide. Our burly heroes slowly released a breath they didn't even realise they were holding. But when they turned back to the lattice, something uncanny had happened – it had been bisected, and a quarter was missing.

Of course, both Trampy and the Tramp's first instinct was to assume the other had scoffed the first morsel during all the business with the scattered CDs. Trampy raised his most accusing eyebrow and the Tramp unconsciously bunched his fingers into fists, ready to take whatever action was required to secure the next bite. Then: a loud thump from the ceiling above, followed by a peal of high-pitched mocking laughter. Trampy's furrowed brow resolved itself. "It's cool," he said. "It's the students upstairs. One of them is always dropping their Wii Fit board." Relieved, they returned to the task at hand. Oh no!

Another full half of the lattice had inexplicably vanished, and while a certain amount of pungent spicy fumes had escaped from the pastry casing, neither of the Tramps had actually had an opportunity to try the madras filling, and now there was barely a quarter left. The right thing to do, obviously, would be to half the remaining lattice and extrapolate their tasting impressions from that tiny morsel. Instead, both Tramps shot out their favoured hand to secure the prize. After a few seconds of struggle they reached a physical detente, a creditable stalemate of brute strength – in silent agreement, they withdrew their hands, only to discover ... the final piece of lattice had dematerialised too.

"There must be some rational explanation," said Trampy.

"I think it's pretty clear that lattice was haunted," said the Tramp.

"We didn't even get to taste it, though," said Trampy. "What will we put on the blog?"

"Dude," said the Tramp. "You'll think of something. It's Halloween. Just make it diabolical."

SOME OTHER RECENT TATTGOC POSTS
Curry Capital 2013 Result: The TATTGOC Breakdown Our Keep Calm And Curry On Podcast: Episode 13 – Temple Of Bhuna
It's National Curry Week! And You Could Also Win A Holiday!

Tick, Tick, Tick, Bhuna ... Curry Capital 2013 Voting Deadline Imminent!!

Kenny McGovern Shares Brand New Curry Recipes With TATTGOC
Fringe Benefits: Khushi's Goes Mobile In Edinburgh

The Hot List: Every Curryhouse TATTGOC Has Reviewed Since 2008

Moving Out With Rumpole ... And Dining In With Mother India

First Phase Of Typically Epic Curry Capital 2013 Nears Completion

From Our Foreign Curryspondent ... Dateline: Brooklyn!

trampyandthetramp@trampyandthetramp.com (Unknown) — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 00:22:00 +0100

(The TATTGOC brotherhood extends around the globe, and we welcome reports of curry expeditions beyond Glasgow – in this bulletin, our man in NYC Martin Jalfrezi files a spicy dispatch from one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world ...)

MashAllah Sweets and Restaurant, Brooklyn

In September, the authors of a book about the New York Police Department’s Demographics Unit leaked one of their key primary sources to the press to gin up publicity. The “Sports Venue Report” listed “South Asian Sports Locations” and “Arab Sports Locations” all over the five boroughs, and helpfully provided a map of the best places to watch cricket, football and Muslims watching cricket and football.

This was immediately denounced as racial profiling and an outrageous assault on civil liberties because, y’know, it is, but it did also occur to me that the NYPD had unwittingly compiled the very curry guide that the city was sorely lacking. I had pretty much given up on curry, partly because my wife, the Girl from Ipan-Keema, is averse to spicy food, and partly because the "Indian" restaurants in my neighbourhood are so mediocre.

There are apparently fantastic curry houses in the Bangladeshi quarter of Jackson Heights, in Queens, but that’s a three-hour round trip. The offerings on Murray "Curry" Hill in Manhattan are variable and expensive. The NYPD’s dossier promised better. I’d cycled and run along the Pakistani stretch of Coney Island Avenue a few times without ever thinking to stop and investigate the food, which with hindsight seems stupid. After doing a bit of research on Yelp – the cops make no mention of whether the food is any good – we (myself, Chapati Smith and Vindaloo Reed) picked a block with three restaurants and resolved to eat at whichever looked best.

Punjab Restaurant resembled a 1980s airport lounge, Shandar Sweet and Restaurant a Pakistani Wendy’s. In the end, we went for Mashallah Sweets and Restaurant, which also had a neon-lit, fast food vibe, but somehow appeared a little more welcoming. Chapati Smith and Vindaloo Reed are both born fast bowlers, a whippy six-foot plus, and as English as gooseberry jam. Your correspondent Martin Jalfrezi, his Scottish ancestry notwithstanding, hails from Oxford. We may as well have been aliens.

When Vindaloo Reed wondered aloud whether we should order some Aloo Gobi, the man behind the counter gave us a shy smile, his eyes like saucers. How do they know? The deal was canteen. We asked for Chicken Jalfrezi, which wasn’t on. “Everyone likes Butter Chicken,” he said. We ordered Fish Masala, Lamb “Champ Curry” and Aloo Gobi, and embarrassed ourselves by not knowing the difference between bhaji and pakora. Two rice, two perfect fluffy naans.

The Mashallah was clearly a no booze establishment, so we ordered a Coke, a Pepsi and a glass of water, resolving to have a couple after to make up for it. Our waiter brought the first dishes. “I think I know where you are from,” he told us. A beat. “Russia.” We explained that, no, we are English, dropped into the magic curry at birth. “That colour? English?” He wasn’t convinced. I asked if it was a Pakistani restaurant. “Yes,” he said, “and the food is good because we are all Muslims.” I made a mental note to report him to the police.

Some of the sweets from MashAllah, according to the excellent Ditmas Park Corner blog

It was the best curry I’ve had in New York. All three main dishes were spicy, but not over the top, with extra whole chillies for the hardcore. The fish masala, in particular, was absolutely delicious, probably the best fish curry I’ve ever had. At the cash register, they asked for $31. For all of it. We went to a bar that is a flower shop by day – this is Brooklyn – and spent almost as much on two gin and tonics and a pint of bitter. I’m already planning to cycle back with a rucksack and some Tupperware. Next time I may even buy some of their sweets.

Heavy petal: that flower shop-stroke-speakeasy nearby ...

A few days after filing this, I had a good reason to return to the neighbourhood and stop in at Mashallah. I explained that my wife was of the pasanda persuasion and asked if any of the dishes could be considered mild. "All the meat dishes are spicy," the man told me. "The vegetables, not spicy." I bought a large meal to take home: lamb and chicken curries, mixed vegetable curry, daal and some pakora.

The Girl From Ipan-Keema took one bite of the pakora, dipped in raita, and immediately started gesturing as if her throat was on fire. She tried the daal and the vegetable curry and began to sweat. Both were, even for me, seriously spicy. So she warmed up yesterday's lasagne and I looked forward to a whole week of eating curry for lunch. Alright!

SOME PREVIOUS FOREIGN CURRYSPONDENCE

Dateline: Tokushima!

Dateline: Islay!

Dateline: Moscow!

Dateline: Brisbane!
Dateline: Barcelona!
Dateline: Hong Kong!
Tikka MaBaws Versus "The World's Most Dangerous Vindaloo"
Dateline: Buenos Aires!
Dateline: Birmingham Backlash!
Dateline: Kerala!

Curry Capital 2013 Result: The TATTGOC Breakdown

trampyandthetramp@trampyandthetramp.com (Unknown) — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 00:29:00 +0100

First things first: well done Bradford for retaining the Curry Capital title in 2013. The final result was announced on Tuesday morning, and while it might have meant disappointment for Glasgow, our own fair No Mean City did still place second, just like in 2012. In fact, the top five places in Curry Capital 2013 almost mirrored the result of 2012: Bradford, Glasgow, Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Leicester.

Twenty-one cities took part in Curry Capital 2013, and the rest of the top ten was rounded out by London East, London South, London Central, Manchester and Sheffield. (Whither Edinburgh, who placed at number five last year?)

Peter Grove, long-standing organiser of Curry Capital had this to say about Glasgow's bid. "It was so very close," he said. "The effort from Glasgow was, as always, absolutely amazing and has given Glasgow quite a reputation amongst the competing cities." Supporters of our city can hold their heads up high as for the third year running, the team of restaurants representing Glasgow – Ashoka Southside, KoolBa, Mister Singh's India and Mother India – raised the most money for the Curry Tree charitable fund.

Lord Provost Sadie Docherty and the Glasgow 2013 curryhouse team

What did Lord Provost Sadie Docherty have to say? "Congratulations to Bradford," she said. "Glasgow has enjoyed its many triumphs and we hope Bradford enjoy their success this year. The ultimate winners in this competition are the charities and once again we have come out top for our fundraising efforts. I must also pay tribute to our four nominated restaurants who continue to make Glasgow what it is – an all-time curry great."

Apparently Bradford won by two clear points, compared to the extremely close 2012 result, but it also means that both Glasgow and Bradford have won four times each in the competition's history, which means 2015 will be the ultimate smackdown between these curry heavyweights.

In all honesty, the Tramps were caught a little on the hop by the announcement – we had got a little mixed up and thought the result wouldn't be revealed until the "official" ceremony on October 27. Even though Curry Capital is sponsored by hungryhouse.co.uk, it was 5pm who were quickest to bam up TATTGOC for a quote, so we poured our hearts out to their takeaway blog. Apologies if it sounds a little strident. Everything was still so raw ...

SOME OTHER RECENT TATTGOC POSTS
Our Keep Calm And Curry On Podcast: Episode 13 – Temple Of Bhuna

It's National Curry Week! And You Could Also Win A Holiday!

Tick, Tick, Tick, Bhuna ... Curry Capital 2013 Voting Deadline Imminent!!

Kenny McGovern Shares Brand New Curry Recipes With TATTGOC
Fringe Benefits: Khushi's Goes Mobile In Edinburgh

The Hot List: Every Curryhouse TATTGOC Has Reviewed Since 2008

Moving Out With Rumpole ... And Dining In With Mother India

First Phase Of Typically Epic Curry Capital 2013 Nears Completion

We Love Curry. We Love Moustaches. The Urban Rajah Does Both ...

Our Keep Calm And Curry On Podcast: Episode 13 – Temple Of Bhuna

trampyandthetramp@trampyandthetramp.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 Oct 2013 00:03:00 +0100

"So I said, 'Egyptian Mail, morning edition'. Then I punched him."

National Curry Week is now in full swing, so it seems appropriate that TATTGOC do our bit by releasing the latest episode of our irregular, irreverent podcast Keep Calm And Curry On, a spicy laugh-riot that features lots of interesting chat about Curry Capital 2013 ... but is also a teensy bit out of date since we discuss the original closing date for public voting (which was Friday September 13).

What else can you hear the Tramps banter about? They recently attended a pakora masterclass at Mr Singh's India, so go deep on deep-fried treats. And after a surprise reggae singalong in the new "final thoughts" section, Trampy reveals his turbulent love affair with a cauliflower while The Tramp unveils the secret of the 6000-year-old curry. All in a relatively slimline half-hour package! You can listen to KCACO Episode 13 in the Mixcloud player below:

Keep Calm And Curry On – Episode 13: Temple Of Bhuna by Keep Calm And Curry On on Mixcloud

You can also download the MP3: HERE!

Or listen though the Mixcloud site: HERE!

And here are the shownotes of pics'n'links:

– keep track of Curry Capital news at www.currycapitalofbritain.org.uk

– get details of the pakora masterclass over at www.mistersinghsindia.com

– here's a pic of the masterclass in action:

– get the recipe for the Urban Rajah's Chili-Blistered Cauliflower HERE.

– and here's Trampy's attempt:

– and here's that New Scientist article about 6000-year-old spicy food

Tune in next Thursday on the blog for some Foreign Curryspondence from Martin Jalfrezi, our man in NYC. (Here's one of his previous reports from NYC if you cannae wait.)

SOME OTHER RECENT TATTGOC POSTS
It's National Curry Week! And You Could Also Win A Holiday!

Tick, Tick, Tick, Bhuna ... Curry Capital 2013 Voting Deadline Imminent!!

Kenny McGovern Shares Brand New Curry Recipes With TATTGOC
Fringe Benefits: Khushi's Goes Mobile In Edinburgh

The Hot List: Every Curryhouse TATTGOC Has Reviewed Since 2008

Moving Out With Rumpole ... And Dining In With Mother India

First Phase Of Typically Epic Curry Capital 2013 Nears Completion

We Love Curry. We Love Moustaches. The Urban Rajah Does Both ...

Tick, Tick, Tick, Bhuna ... Curry Capital 2013 Voting Deadline Imminent!!

It's National Curry Week! And You Could Also Win A Holiday!

trampyandthetramp@trampyandthetramp.com (Unknown) — Mon, 7 Oct 2013 10:02:00 +0100

Any chance of the Spice Girls' guide to the Hairy Bikers?

Every week is curry week here at TATTGOC, but this week is also the official National Curry Week, which runs nationwide from Oct 7-13. For full details of "the haps", head on over to the official National Curry Week 2013 website where, among other things, you can download a PDF of a spice guide by those Hairy Bikers, who – like the Tramp – appear to fans of asafoetida. You can also show your support by following the organisers on Twitter at @supportcurry.

To coincide with this countrywide celebration of the greatest foodstuff known to mankind, there's also a competition running over on the hungryhouse.co.uk blog with the chance to win a holiday to one of the three "homes of curry": India, Malaysia and Thailand. The holiday includes flights, accommodation and a one-day cooking course, so there's no excuse for not being able to rustle up a cracking dish on your return.

It's a great prize so there's a slightly finicky entry process: you need to order a meal on hungryhouse.co.uk and keep a note of your order number, then enter it as a comment on their blog post about the competition. To sweeten the deal, they're offering a 15% discount on orders placed during National Curry Week (you can access this discount by entering "curryweek" into the gift voucher box at checkout). The closing date for entries is October 14, and hopefully the Tramps are eligible to win.

National Curry Week will get even better this Thursday, when the latest – and only slightly out-of-date – episode of TATTGOC's Keep Calm And Curry On podcast will go live on the blog. (Although you can hear it now on Mixcloud.)

Have a great curry week!

SOME OTHER RECENT TATTGOC POSTS

Kenny McGovern Shares Brand New Curry Recipes With TATTGOC
Fringe Benefits: Khushi's Goes Mobile In Edinburgh

The Hot List: Every Curryhouse TATTGOC Has Reviewed Since 2008

Moving Out With Rumpole ... And Dining In With Mother India

First Phase Of Typically Epic Curry Capital 2013 Nears Completion

We Love Curry. We Love Moustaches. The Urban Rajah Does Both ...

Hallo Spiceboy: Tony Singh Is A Turn-On This Summer

REVIEW: Mama's Rasoi, Howard Street

trampyandthetramp@trampyandthetramp.com (Unknown) — Thu, 3 Oct 2013 00:43:00 +0100

Mama's Rasoi, Howard Street

How late is was, how late ... this TATTGOC outing took place way back in the sunny days of August but it has taken til now for the Tramps to properly formulate their thoughts about the experience. Although to be honest, they could have summed it up quite succinctly: how great it was, how great.

If you're not aware of Mama's Rasoi, it is a relatively informal but excellent curryhouse tucked around the back of the St Enoch Centre. The Tramps first visited it months ago for one of their irregular strategy lunches, and were highly impressed by the food and service. Since then, it has become a favourite of recent TATTGOC inductee The KingFisher King, who raved about it so much, the Tramps decided it was time to head back en masse. The fact that it was BYOB made it a particularly easy decision.

A lot of yellow soldiers on parade

For whatever reason, this hastily organised trip turned out to be particularly well-subscribed. In a classic pincer movement, Trampy and the Tramp each assembled some of the squad to march on Howard Street. Trampy began in the relaxed environs of The Laurieston, where there were not one but two longtime TATTGOCers returning to the fold: the hard-working but still mischievous Bulldosa and the recently hitched Gheezer, who wowed everyone in the Laurieston with his sparkler. (The ring looked lovely too.) The Tramp – a busy professional pushed for time – hurtled toward Mama's Rasoi from a mystery location with Rabbie Shanker+1 and a slab of Tennent's in tow, plus a few fancier beers to help slake Curry Club's oft-unquenchable thirst.

Mama's Rasoi is a cosy rather than enormous restaurant, but Ravi Peshwari had been there before as part of a massive group, and with a few tables pushed together in the middle of the room, there was certainly space for TATTGOC's Ocean's 11 of attendees without interfering with the tables and booths round the edge of the restaurant. The KingFisher King was clearly such a regular since he was recognised and warmly greeted by the owner. The entire brotherhood raised a toast to the Bulldosa and the Gheezer before getting wired into the poppadoms.

The quality of Mama Rasoi's lamb chops was a matter of record, so from the 11 Curry Clubbers, the starter order leaned heavily toward what must surely be the dish most ordered by TATTGOC. Even after five years, there are still the flickers of a spirit of adventure, though, so some souls opted for lamb or chicken seekh kebab, and even some haggis pakora. When they arrived, the chops were excellent, and the KingFisher King recounted a story of a friend who had enjoyed them so much, he had engaged in a long discussion with the owner to see if it was possible to forego the traditional starter/main course paradigm of ordering and simply get a massive plate of chops (with some sauce on the side). To the establishment's great credit, they were happy to comply with this request.

As ever when the Curry Club convenes, there was a lively cultural discussion between draughts of ale and heaped forkfuls of delicious curry. In what now seems like rather a quaint debate, there was an awful lot of Breaking Bad chat (no spoilers in the comments, please). A rather more circuitous but no less enjoyable discussion centred around the character of Kima from The Wire, sparked by the Tramp's suddenly insatiable appetite for keema – you don't get those kind of pop brain-leaps on The Culture Show. And a little later, it looked as if the ranks might even swell to a dirty dozen as a slightly confused chap wandered in to have a chat, perhaps attracted – Bisto-style – by the mouth-watering aromas of the main courses being cooked up in the open kitchen.

Can you spot the Gheezer's ring?

If most Clubbers had been relatively unadventurous with thei starters, the roll call of mains was an eclectic lot. A few folk all opted for lamb bhuna, but there was also lamb kadia (with peppers and crushed spices), lamb neelgiri (more coconutty) as well as desi chicken on the bone, a murch masala, a traditional veg curry and even some tamarind soup. The rice/naan equation was more equal than previous outings, although the rice portions were generous – for a return visit, the Tramps might trim their sails toward more naans. That said, there was certainly plenty to go around, the curries served in sturdy karahi pots and the pre-cut naan easily distributed around the table.

A flotilla of naans ... and rapidly cleared plates

It was a fine feast, worthy of returning heroes the Bulldosa and the Gheezer, and marking out Mama's Rasoi as one of TATTGOC's most agreeably relaxed outings, with top-notch service and excellent food. Combined with the bill-ameliorating BYOB, it also represented excellent value – so if you need a break from Hamley's or it looks like your other half is dragging you to nearby Nando's, bear in mind that there's a wonderful curry experience waiting for you if you just scoot round the back of the St Enoch's Centre. It's just a shame that the intimate apparel store Tramp that used to be a few doors down the way has closed its doors. The Tramps will have to find another shop to source the traditional TATTGOC stocking-fillers ...

TATTGOC visited Mama's Rasoi in August 2013

Mama's Rasoi

61 Howard Street, G1 4EE

ph: 0141 222 2632

www.mamasrasoi.co.uk

SOME OTHER RECENT TATTGOC OUTINGS

Rishi's Indian Aroma, Bath Street

Cafe Noor, Shawlands

Masala Twist, Hope Street

Kebabish, Victoria Road

Mister Singh's India, Elderslie Street
Akbar's, Charing Cross
Authentic(?) Curryhouse, Partick
Assam's Cafe, Edinburgh
Shezan, Cathcart Road
Charcoals, City Centre

Tick, Tick, Tick, Bhuna ... Curry Capital 2013 Voting Deadline Imminent!!

trampyandthetramp@trampyandthetramp.com (Unknown) — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 00:59:00 +0100

It has already been the most epic of journeys. But we're now moving into the last three or four phases of the Curry Capital 2013 competition, and the most important thing to note at this point is that the ultimate deadline for public voting is Friday September 27. If you still don't appreciate the gravity of the situation, make a note: we used two exclamation marks in the post title. Shish. Just. Got. Real.

We've said it before, but since the way that we have been led to believe time works suggests that we won't actually have a chance to say it again – at least, not on this weekly update schedule – let us be ABSOLUTELY CLEAR: the only way that Glasgow will win is if we all band together and make our voices heard in the public vote. And if you do it through the official Curry Capital website, you could even win some Hungry House vouchers. Think of it as both carrot and Sikh (kebab).

Like the grunts in Starship Troopers, the Tramps have been doing their part, despite technical snafus and all sorts. Over on the Hungry House blog, we recently profiled the restaurants that make up Glasgow's Curry Capital team. Amazingly, no-one has Pinterested this particular article yet. C'mon guys!

A right pair of mugs etc

But this is bigger than all of us, it's almost as big as Bradford's infernal bhaji. Spread the word to your friends, workmates, relatives, employees, Twitter followers, pupils or patients under your care: VOTE GLASGOW! And we shall wear the Curry Capital crown in the year of the Commonwealth Games ...

SOME OTHER RECENT TATTGOC POSTS

Kenny McGovern Shares Brand New Curry Recipes With TATTGOC
Fringe Benefits: Khushi's Goes Mobile In Edinburgh

The Hot List: Every Curryhouse TATTGOC Has Reviewed Since 2008

Moving Out With Rumpole ... And Dining In With Mother India

First Phase Of Typically Epic Curry Capital 2013 Nears Completion

We Love Curry. We Love Moustaches. The Urban Rajah Does Both ...

Hallo Spiceboy: Tony Singh Is A Turn-On This Summer

First Phase Of Typically Epic Curry Capital 2013 Nears Completion

Disaster Strikes At TATTGOC Towers

trampyandthetramp@trampyandthetramp.com (The Tramp) — Thu, 19 Sep 2013 00:30:00 +0100

Disaster struck last night in TATTGOC Towers. With Trampy currently out of action on the island of Jura (I think whisky may be involved in that caper) I had been entrusted with the update this week. Since both us have been flat out with work commitments it seemed fair enough to slip out a little teaser of something we have planned for the future, nothing too taxing ... what could possibly go wrong?

At first all was going well. My reasonably shabby Illustrator and Photoshop skills were being tested as I put together a little glimpse of the future feature. Mere moments away from a final click of the save button my good lady wife, Mumbai Me A Pony, leaned across the screen to helpfully point out a spot where a small improvement could be made and BLAM ... fresh glass of gin and tonic knocked across the laptop. "Not the G'n'T!" I hear you cry. It's OK, we managed to save almost half the glass. The laptop, however, das ist kaput. Before it fully packed in, I did manage to get a snap of what I was working on – complete with weird LCD bleed colour action. Oh well, I've got another gin poured now so things aren't too bad. We'll be back next week with a proper piece for you if, that is, I manage to resurrect the laptop ... and if Trampy ever makes it back from Jura.

SOME OTHER RECENT TATTGOC POSTS
The Hot List: Every Curryhouse TATTGOC Has Reviewed Since 2008
Kenny McGovern Shares Brand New Curry Recipes With TATTGOC
Fringe Benefits: Khushi's Goes Mobile In Edinburgh
Moving Out With Rumpole ... And Dining In With Mother India

We Love Curry. We Love Moustaches. The Urban Rajah Does Both ...

Hallo Spiceboy: Tony Singh Is A Turn-On This Summer

Dateline: Brisbane!
Dateline: Barcelona!
Dateline: Hong Kong!
Tikka MaBaws Versus "The World's Most Dangerous Vindaloo"
Dateline: Buenos Aires!
Dateline: Birmingham Backlash!
Dateline: Kerala!

Postcard From Nagaland, Home Of The Hottest Chilis In The World

trampyandthetramp@trampyandthetramp.com (Unknown) — Thu, 12 Sep 2013 00:12:00 +0100

Portrait of a Kohima stallholder, one of many great pictures by Aaron Joel Santos

Although this blog is called Trampy and The Tramp's GLASGOW of Curry, from the very start in 2008, we've cast our net wider, thanks to a network of foreign curryspondents from all four corners of the globe. The ever-reliable Tikka Mabaws recently filed from a remote corner of Japan, while before that Makhni Knife took us to the heart of curry in Moscow and didn't even make a "red heat" joke.

So we're always impressed by other curry-related reportage from the wider world, and Mary Roach travelled to Nagaland in north-east India to report from a chili-eating competition that features Bhut Jolokias, bagpipes and a member of Parliament from Myanmar. Things start off innocently enough but soon the chilis assert their dominance over most of the contestants.

The whole affair is beginning to seem like an anticlimax when I look up from my notes to see Pu Zozam headed my way. I have seen people stagger in movies, but never for real directly in my sightline. Zozam’s legs buckle as he tries to keep walking. He goes down onto one knee and collapses sideways onto the floor. He rolls onto his back, arms splayed and palms up. He’s making sounds that are hard to transcribe. Mostly vowels. After a minute he rolls back onto his side and raises his head to retch. A doctor prepares a hypodermic of dicyclomine.

Even better, one of the contestants is a woman from Liverpool. Even compared to the continuing legend of the Kismot Killer, this seems to be a cut above. You can read this whole story over at the Smithsonian Magazine website.

SOME PREVIOUS FOREIGN CURRYSPONDENCE

Dateline: Tokushima!

Dateline: Islay!

Dateline: Moscow!

The Hot List: Every Curryhouse TATTGOC Has Reviewed Since 2008

trampyandthetramp@trampyandthetramp.com (Unknown) — Thu, 5 Sep 2013 00:26:00 +0100

TATTGOC has visited a whole load of curryhouses in Glasgow, and then written about them. The "Hot List" is intended to be a handy guide to where we've been, and will be updated periodically.

Mama's Rasoi
Rishi's Indian Aroma
Cafe Noor
Masala Twist
Kebabish
Mister Singh's India
Akbar's
Authentic(?) Curryhouse [Partick Pop-Up]
Assam's Cafe, Edinburgh
Shezan
Charcoals
Cafe Darna
Kama Sutra
Yadgar
Killermont Polo Club
Nakodar
Cafe Serena
Punjabi Charing Cross
The Khyber
Punjabi
Rasoi
Agra
Cafe Salma
Kabana
The Shenaz
Madras Palace
The Viceroy
Thali
Alishan Tandoori
Chillies West End
The Neelim
Spice Of The City
The New Anand
Caledonian Brewery!!
Dubai Grill
Shimla Pinks
The Koh-i-Noor
Rawalpindi
Sibbo's Delhi Dhabba
The Asmaan
Anarkali
The Banana Leaf
Cafe Spice
Mr India's Balti And Dosa House
(A) Shish Mahal
The Village
Spice Garden
Indian Orchard

Guys, We've Got A Bit Longer To Vote For Glasgow In Curry Capital 2013

trampyandthetramp@trampyandthetramp.com (Unknown) — Thu, 29 Aug 2013 00:09:00 +0100

The TATTGOC team recently went to an excellent Glasgow curryhouse, but with the deadline for Curry Capital 2013 approaching, that vital write-up will just have to wait. Due to overwhelming interest, the last call for public votes in the 2013 competition has been pushed back from the potentially unlucky Friday September 13 all the way to Friday September 27 – so one month to go, troops.

Lord Provost Sadie Docherty has also been interviewed on the official Curry Capital 2013 website, and talks with great eloquence about the strong history of Glasgow and its generous spirit. (She could also have chucked in a reference to a certain award-winning curry blog as one of Glasgow's USPs but, y'know, all the charity stuff is extremely important too.)

As previously reported on this very blog, if you vote through the official Curry Capital site and enter your email address, you could be in with the chance of winning Hungryhouse.co.uk vouchers worth £300. But the main thing is to vote for Glasgow – we very narrowly missed the top spot last year, so it's vital that we mobilise every single possible person. Tell your Facebook friends, your Twitter pals and your Bebo homeboys ... who wouldn't want to see Glasgow hold the Curry Capital crown during the Commonwealth Games?

To make your vote count, click HERE.

SOME OTHER RECENT TATTGOC POSTS
Kenny McGovern Shares Brand New Curry Recipes With TATTGOC

Fringe Benefits: Khushi's Goes Mobile In Edinburgh

Moving Out With Rumpole ... And Dining In With Mother India

First Phase Of Typically Epic Curry Capital 2013 Nears Completion

We Love Curry. We Love Moustaches. The Urban Rajah Does Both ...

Hallo Spiceboy: Tony Singh Is A Turn-On This Summer

Fringe Benefits: Khushi's Goes Mobile In Edinburgh

The Takeaway Secret Takeover: Kenny McGovern Shares Brand New Curry Recipes With TATTGOC

trampyandthetramp@trampyandthetramp.com (Unknown) — Thu, 22 Aug 2013 00:03:00 +0100

TATTGOC is an ongoing quest to seeking out the best curryhouses Glasgow has to offer – but the Tramps have certainly been known to order up a takeaway or two. So when they heard Kenny McGovern, author of a series of books about takeaway secrets, discussing his methods on BBC Radio Scotland, they decided then and there to get in touch and ask Kenny about his own quest. McGovern promptly offered to share some of his brand-new research into recreating that distinctive takeaway curry base and we're delighted – in what you could probably call a world exclusive – to present the results. See below for our chinwag with this exceptionally dedicated and interesting currynaut, and scroll even further down for his curry gravy recipe – and also how to use that base to create a classic sweet and sour patia. TATTGOC salutes you, Kenny!

Kenny, you've been writing books about recreating takeaway-style food at home since 2010 – how did the idea originally come about?
The books began life after I was diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder and found myself struggling to get out and about to visit restaurants and enjoy the food I'd previously been able to obtain. After successfully recreating the chargrilled chicken sandwich sold at Greggs, I soon moved on to recreating other dishes and quickly became addicted to trying to recreate things at home.

Obviously here at TATTGOC we're most interested in curry – what were some of the trickiest dishes to work out? Did you require inside info from restaurateurs/takeaway owners?
In many cases the method of cooking was more difficult to discover and replicate than the ingredients themselves. Most mainstream fast food chains list ingredients on their websites or menus and where that's not the case it's often easy to taste and work out what might be in a particular dish. Putting those ingredients together in a way which faithfully recreates the takeaway experience is a little more complicated however, particularly where equipment such as pizza ovens or tandoor ovens are used.

I hope that the recipes and cooking methods I've come up with do a good job of recreating those dishes as closely as is possible in a domestic kitchen. Although I did try to obtain secrets and information from restaurateurs and takeaway owners, the best piece of advice I was given along the journey was much more simple but hugely important: "If it's expensive or it takes a long time, that's not how they do it."

Cheap as chips

In the vast majority of cases, that's absolutely true. Even simple things such as choosing "value" tomato ketchup from the supermarket for your sweet and sour sauce or spiced onions can make a huge difference to how authentic your homemade takeaway tastes.

If you owned a takeaway, would you spend more than £1 on Heinz sauce when a bottle of value ketchup can be had for 30p?! To recreate a takeaway you have to think like a takeaway – the results will be all the better, and more authentic, for it, believe me!

Have you come across any regional variations in curry cooking?
Absolutely. Whilst of course big chains such as McDonald's and Pizza Hut are very methodic and taste the same regardless of what city you're in, smaller takeaway restaurants which are typically family-owned vary hugely, not just from city to city but even from street to street. As TATTGOC readers will know, it's possible to experience hundreds of different South Indian Garlic Chilli Chicken Curry dishes in Glasgow alone – and each one, although perhaps equally delicious, will vary hugely in terms of heat, colour, ingredients etc. It's one of my favourite things about Indian and Chinese takeaways that you can try your favourite dish one hundred different ways simply by trying another restaurant's take on it.

You've become skilled at making takeaway food at home, but what are some of your favourite Indian takeaways to order from – and do you still manage to get to curryhouses?
I grew up on Ashoka curries before the chain was sold to new owners. Since then, I have yet to find a regular go-to takeaway curryhouse to be honest. I'm still struggling at times with Social Anxiety Disorder, so my experiences of eating out are still reasonably limited.

TATTGOC's Shezan visit from yonks ago

In takeaway terms, I've enjoyed some excellent curry dishes in Glasgow from Shezan on Cathcart Road and I know many people who have a lot of good things to say about the Anarkali in Victoria Road. More recently I've had some nice dishes too from Kebab City on Riverford Road in Newlands. Going further afield, Masala Grill in Dunfermline does a very nice Chicken Puri.

Curries aside, a special mention should go to Morello's, a hugely popular and famous kebab shop which used to be located on Battlefield Road but sadly closed down some years ago after a fire in the restaurant. The owner, who used to make the best chicken kebabs and the most amazing pizzas I've ever had from a kebab shop, moved back to Turkey. He's very sadly missed.

Mmmm, kebabs. The Tramps have been known to enjoy a kebab or two – is it really possible to recreate them at home? Or should we buy the books to find out?
You should absolutely buy the books to find out! It's certainly possible to recreate the kebab experience at home, even if using methods which vary a little from those used by takeaway owners. Without the "spit" or rotating grill, we have to rely on other cooking methods.

The lamb doner kebab recipe included in my first book, The Takeaway Secret, uses an oven bake to create something of a meatloaf – sliced thin and stuffed in a pitta bread, I think it has all the authentic flavour of donner meat, with the added bonus of containing 100% lamb and a few healthy herbs and spices.

Chicken kebabs at home are another dish which we can very authentically recreate, particularly during the summer barbecue season. In my opinion, at least 50% of the flavour of a good chicken kebab comes from the charcoal and the marinades used in takeaway dishes can be very easily replicated at home.

Before we get to the recipes you're about to share with TATTGOC readers ... what's next for you?
I'm still obsessed with takeaway food and food in general and spend most of my waking life thinking about recipes and trying things out. I've joined the blogging world in order to keep in touch with readers and share new ideas, recipes and reviews. I try to respond to recipe requests on Twitter too – I'm on there as @takeawaysecret. I'm always delighted when people tweet pictures of dishes they've cooked using my recipes.

I have a host of new recipes that I'd love to put together for a third takeaway secret book in the near future. I've also got plans to write two separate books based solely on Chinese and Indian cooking so that I can go really in-depth and cover as many menu items as possible.

My food obsession covers everyday food and cooking styles too however and so I'm eager to branch out and perhaps share some more home-cooking style recipes in a book as well. I recently began working with the Student Pocket Guide, contributing recipes to their website and to the latest issue of their magazine, due out this September. I'm looking forward to continuing to work with them and others.

I've done some work with BBC Radio Scotland over the last 12 months too which has been very different, hugely enjoyable and a massive boost to my confidence where Social Anxiety is concerned. Food writing in general is something I didn't realise I had such a passion for. I can't get enough of it now and hope to be lucky enough to share my recipes and ramblings with people for a long time to come!

Masala Spices Curry Gravy (for Scottish-style Indian Curries)

Ingredients (makes 8-10 curries):
4 teaspoons turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons mild chilli powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
3 teaspoons dried fenugreek leaves
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
3kg onion, peeled and halved
1 small carrot, peeled and sliced
1 salad tomato, quartered
1 teaspoon english mustard powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seed
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
300ml vegetable oil
3 teaspoons garlic and ginger paste
4 teaspoons tomato puree
1 sachet creamed coconut (Patak's)

Kenny's curry gravy – all your base are belong to us

Method:
In a bowl, combine turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala, dried fenugreek, salt and sugar. Mix well and set aside.

In a large stock pot, add onions, carrot, tomato, mustard powder, coriander seeds and cumin seeds. Add cold water until the contents are half covered. Cover the pan with a lid, bring to the boil over a high heat, lower the heat to medium-low and cook for around 1 hour.

Add the vegetable oil, garlic and ginger paste, tomato puree and creamed coconut. Add the prepared bowl of spices and mix well. Return the lid and continue to cook for a further 1 hour.

Blend the curry gravy with a stick blender until smooth. Return the pan to a low heat and continue to simmer for a further 30 minutes or until some oil separation occurs. At this stage the gravy will spit furiously so be sure to almost fully cover with a lid and be careful!

Allow the curry gravy to cool and portion into 250-300ml batches for future use in curry dishes.

Traditional Curry Sauce/Sweet And Sour Patia Curry Sauce

Ingredients:
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon garlic and ginger paste
1 teaspoon tomato puree
1/2 teaspoon mild chilli powder
1 small handful fresh coriander, finely chopped
1 large pinch dried fenugreek leaves
5-6 pieces cooked chicken tikka/lamb/prawns as desired
250-300ml Masala Spices Curry Gravy

Fair play to Kenny and his research – it does look authentic

Method:
In a frying pan, add salt, garlic and ginger paste, tomato puree, chilli powder, fresh coriander and dried fenugreek.

Switch the heat on to medium low. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the curry gravy, mix well and cook for 2 minutes or until hot. Add cooked chicken/lamb/prawns as desired.

Add half of the remaining curry gravy and mix well once again. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.

Add the remaining curry gravy. For a Sweet and Sour Patia Curry Sauce, add 2 tablespoons mango chutney, 1 teaspoon tomato ketchup and 3-4 drops lemon juice at this stage. Increase the heat to medium and cook for a further 2-3 minutes or until the sauce reaches the desired consistency.

Pour the curry into a foil tray and garnish with a little extra fresh coriander. Serve with rice, poppadoms and chapatis.

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Your Curry Capital 2013 Vote Could Also Bag You £300 Of Curry

trampyandthetramp@trampyandthetramp.com (Unknown) — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 00:03:00 +0100

It might be hard to believe since TATTGOC radiates such a pervasive air of professionalism, but the Tramps were caught a little on the hop last week. Glasgow City Council announced the team of restaurants that would be representing our fair city in the Curry Capital 2013 competition a few days earlier than advertised, awkwardly clashing with our attempt to celebrate curry over in Edinburgh. No matter – the team is confirmed, and we're definitely on board. If you missed the newsflash, here's the squad:

Ashoka Southside
Koolba (who also have a special event with Hardeep Singh Kohli on Aug 27)
Mother India
Mr Singh's India

There have been changes at the competition too – the dozens of listeners to our irregular Keep Calm And Curry On chatcasts will know the Tramps have long groused that the Curry Capital website was a little hard to navigate and decipher. This year – in association with event sponsor Hungryhouse.co.uk – they've launched a brand new Curry Capital 2013 site. It includes a very thorough guide to how the competition works, a timeline of important dates, details of past winners and profiles of each participating city (including a mention of "Hampton Park" in Glasgow). It looks like they will also be updating the site with extra content as the contest continues towards the October climax – they've already posted an interview with the canny masterminds behind the campaign of third place veterans Wolverhampton. (Although they haven't asked the most pressing question: how come Wolverhampton seem to have five restaurants in their squad?)

Hungry Like The Wolves ... and admittedly, those do look like excellent samosas

But, appropriately, the main focus is on gathering public votes ahead of the September 12 deadline, and to sweeten the deal, Hungryhouse.co.uk have added a very special incentive – vote through the official site and you'll be entered into a prize draw, with the chance of winning Hungryhouse vouchers worth £300. You don't have to spend it on Indian takeaways in your area, but we'd hope the eventual winner would feel compelled to do just that.

To make your vote count, click HERE.

And over on the Hungryhouse.co.uk blog, there's also an entertaining rundown of some of the hottest curries in the world, including the Phall Challenge at the Brick Lane Curry House in New York – already covered by our Foreign Curryspondent Martin Jalfrezi – though surprisingly, there's no mention of Edinburgh's own widowmaker, the Kismot Killer.)

We'll keep you posted as Curry Capital 2013 continues ...

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trampyandthetramp@trampyandthetramp.com (Unknown) — Thu, 8 Aug 2013 00:16:00 +0100

First up, a bit of TATTGOC housekeeping. The Curry Capital 2013 – previously discussed HERE – has entered its second phase. That means the four restaurants representing Glasgow have been chosen (we didn't actually think they would be announced until tomorrow). So a big TATTGOC salute to KoolBa, Mr Singh's India, Mother India and the Ashoka Southside, a quality team-up that looks like giving Glasgow a great chance in the 2013 event. (Those not-so-secret curry lovers over at STV have a full report.)

Back to today's business. If you remember, last August TATTGOC went a little Edinburgh crazy, casting an eye over the city's popular curry Tardis and asking various notable 'Burghers to tell us a bit about their favourite capital curry experiences. This year, there will be far less Edinburgh content, but when Trampy found himself spodding around the opening few days of the Fringe festival, dozens of people felt compelled to direct him toward the Khushi's On The Move foodie van parked up in the University of Edinburgh's George Square.

Dishing up pakora, chana aloo, tikka wraps and a decent-sounding "meal deal" of chicken curry, rice, pakora and a can for £7.95, it was impossible for this battle-hardened Fringe veteran to resist. (For an extra quid, they'll thrown in a lassi.) Khushi's, of course, can claim to be the oldest curry restaurant in Edinburgh, tracing its lineage back to nearby Potterrow in 1947. As well as the current incarnation at the top of Leith Walk, the family are also behind the lauded Mithas down the other end of Leith – a restaurant rated by both Trampy and The Tramp that can't seem to stop winning awards for its food. And if that doesn't sound tempting already, they've just installed a cocktail bar.

One pakora had already been consumed by the time this picture was taken

Khushi's On The Move is a slightly different offering, an distinctive airstream trailer with fast, friendly service with a steady stream of customers. It was only after wandering away from the trailer that I realised I'd got vegetable pakora instead of the requested chicken, but in hindsight maybe doubling up on the chicken would have been a bit much. The veg pakora was good, especially when doused in a chilli dip with a notable kick. The curry itself had a distinctly homemade taste, and along with a generous portion of rice made for a filling meal. A visit to the actual restaurant would always be preferable, but for any self-appointed member of Scotland's young media elite looking for Fringe sustenance on the go, this was excellent festival fare. Four stars!

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Moving Out With Rumpole ... And Dining In With Mother India

trampyandthetramp@trampyandthetramp.com (Unknown) — Thu, 1 Aug 2013 00:12:00 +0100

It feels like a fair few weeks since the last official TATTGOC outing (although the Tramps recently managed to fit in an informative trip to Mister Singh's India). Things get a bit tricky in summer, with folk going on holiday or preferring cocktails in the early evening sunshine rather than an enormous curry. But Curry Club isn't just about going to the pub, then a curryhouse and the back to the pub. Like Martini Bianco, it can happen anytime, anyplace, anywhere ... It's a state of mind.

The "One-Man Wolf Pack" moves in for the kill, right under the nose of Chasni Hawkes

So when TATTGOC's official legal counsel Rumpole Of The Balti and his fair lady Naanbread Mouskouri were preparing to move house, they sent up a flare to some strapping Curry Club members, including the legendary Tramps, Ravi Peshwari and the one and only Chasni Hawkes. Who better to shift roughly four metric tons of Balearic vinyl than these curry veterans? And at the end of their toil, a magical prize ... a massive carryout from the mighty Mother India's Dining In including a wide selection of spicy dishes and delicious daal. Rumpole even threw in some appropriate IPAs ...

So while it may not have been an official TATTGOC outing – there were rather a lot of women present – it was a highly enjoyable meal in what will surely become a lovely home. Congratulations to the happy couple!

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