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By Srimoyee Chowdhury 7 September 2025
The British brought ledgers, laws, and recipes. But in Indian kitchens, those neat recipes were spiced, simmered, and transformed into unforgettable dishes.
1. Chicken vindaloo Once a Portuguese meat stew with wine and garlic, Goa gave it vinegar, red chillies, and a fiery spirit. Vindaloo became the life of every Goan feast.
Ingredients: Chicken, vinegar, garlic, red chillies Best place to have it: Goa’s homely taverns, where Sundays are incomplete without it.
2. Railway mutton curry Born in swaying train kitchens, this dish balanced sahib-friendly mildness with Indian spice. It became the taste of long, smoky railway journeys.
Ingredients: Mutton, yoghurt, coconut milk, garam masala Best place to have it: Kolkata’s heritage restaurants that still serve it hot.
3. Kedgeree Khichdi put on a British accent under the Raj. With fish and eggs added, it travelled from Indian kitchens to English breakfast tables.
Ingredients: Rice, lentils, smoked fish, boiled eggs Best place to have it: Anglo-Indian homes of Chennai and Bengaluru.
4. Cutlet In colonial clubs, it was dainty and proper, but in Indian streets, the humble cutlet grew spiced, golden, and served with chai. A true crossover star.
Ingredients: Minced meat or fish, potatoes, bread crumbs, onions Best place to have it: Kolkata’s Park Street, where cutlets define teatime.
5. Mulligatawny soup From Tamil pepper water to Anglo-Indian broth, this soup blended fire with finesse. A colonial ballroom classic with roots in Madras kitchens.
Ingredients: Lentils, curry leaves, pepper, chicken or lamb Best place to have it: Chennai’s heritage hotels still ladling it with pride.