Fancy a curry

When people say this, what are they referring to?

I’ve eaten plenty of Indian food, from different parts of the country (as well as Pakistan and Bangladesh), and know that there’s a HUGE range of food that can get called curry.

Are there takeaway ‘staples’ people are thinking about when they say they want a curry? If so, what are they/is it?

If I have an extra twenty burning a hole in my pocket and want to buy myself some food, I never even think about curry, so I don’t quite get it.

Please educate me.

Lager, primarily. You cannot “go for a curry” on your own 😂

I would guess that 90% of indian restaurants share 90% of their menu items.

So, that.

Was this a real question or some attempt to stir up something? If the former, I’m genuinely puzzled.

I think it would depend entirely on the individual and, to a large extent, where they live. Some people won’t look past a Chicken Madras after a night in ‘Spoons, whereas other people (especially those living in bigger towns and cities where there is more choice) may well have eaten a wider range of curries from different continents.

And I think people (and restaurants) and getting much more sophisticated with their tastes – I see more places now adding more dishes to the menu, either supplementing the core of rogan josh, korma, madras etc, or surplanting the old dishes altogether. There’s a great new place just opened in Harrogate that I am trying shortly – focussed solely on authentic South Indian food. https://illamrestaurant.co.uk/

“Was this a real question or some attempt to stir up something?“

Huh?

It was a question. I have never chosen to ‘go for a curry’ and therefore don’t know what people mean by saying they ‘fancy’ one. I’ve tried many over the years, and know it’s not the same as someone fancying a Nandos. So I’m asking.

Add me to the ‘no idea what you are asking’ pile. If you’re asking what’s the most common dish ordered when people say they they are ‘going for a curry’, then I’d guess chicken tikka masala. That’s not a genuine Indian dish so I think might be the kind of thing you mean.

Oh, sorry, when you said “from different parts of the country”, you meant from different parts of *India*.

<red face>

***then I’d guess chicken tikka masala. That’s not a genuine Indian dish so I think might be the kind of thing you mean.***
Well, no, the inventor of the dish was born in Lahore, Pakistan (although he grew up in Glasgow) so perhaps it should be classed as Scottish dish with Pakistani heritage?

don’t know what people mean by saying they ‘fancy’ one.

It simply means they like ‘curry’, and would quite enjoy eating one at that moment. Whatever ‘curry’ means to them – usually whatever is served in their local Indian restaurant.  I’m also struggling to understand what the question is, as it seems blindingly obvious to me?

Thanks for the clarification, @thecaptain.

@johndoh has answered with the sort of thing I mean, as has @timmys, despite not seeming to understand the question. I guess I didn’t know there were ‘standard’ dishes that people went for, and didn’t think to ask.

I’m thinking Indian takeaway when I say it (EDIT: anything but chicken tikka masala though) Plenty of people would be wanting a Thai Green curry or something else though.

Feels like you’re overthinking it. Would you be just as confused if someone said they fancied a burger? (And don’t you dare say burgers are a simpler foodstuff than curry!)

I think you are trying quite hard to not get what it means.

If i said I fancy burger you would know what i mean. You wouldn’t know whether i meant artisanal thrice aged beef or a McDonald’s but you’d know what i mean.

Oh god damn it.

Do you mean you don’t know what ‘fancy’ means in this context? I’m guessing you’re not from the UK? It simply means “I’d like” or in “I’m the mood for”

Are there takeaway ‘staples’ people are thinking about when they say they want a curry?

Mate, have you not ever ‘been for a curry’ ?

It means what is referred to as an ‘Indian restuarant’ however the food is often Bangladeshi or even British in origin. But no-one cares, it’s delicious.

Stay at home and make this:

Dishoom Black Dal aka Dal Makhani

I do love a Dhosa. Also a Biryani. I also like Anglo-Indian too.

For me “let’s have a curry” means going to an Indian restaurant. The point about how limited our choice is in the UK from one of the world’s great cuisines does stand.

Plenty of people would be wanting a Thai Green curry or something else though.

No, they wouldn’t. That would be “fancy a Thai?”.

If I say “fancy a curry” to anyone, it’s an invitation to socialize, usually with a couple of beers as an aperitif with the aim of ending up in a restaurant which sells food of an “Indian” persuasion (but in reality could have originated anywhere vaguely SE Asia).

Typically, it will involve poppadoms, rice and a meat based main course with some spicy sauce and some naan bread. Everyone joining me will invariably order their own choice of meat/sauce combo with their own preferred  spiciness. Does that help the OP??

Fancy a curry, to me, usually means a few lads, some spicy food and a few beers in an informal setting, often with a decent amount of food sharing going on.  The latter only really occurs with curry and tapas.

Stay at home

 I have never chosen to ‘go for a curry’ and therefore don’t know what people mean by saying they ‘fancy’ one. I

Bloody foreigners….

You really need to try and integrate a bit more.

^^ That Dishoom Makhani is lovely – I also love the Biryani.

That helps, @Kramer.

If I said that I felt like getting a “Mexican”, that could mean a whole number of things, but clearly most people would think of tacos, or burritos, or whatever. I doubt that most people – in the UK at least – would think of chicken mole on rice with a corn tortilla base, for example. Nothing wrong with that; I would just expect there to be simpler ‘staples’ when it comes to takeaways.

As I suggested, in 20+ years here, I’ve never gone to an Indian takeaway, and so don’t know what people would commonly order. Then, someone mentioned ‘an Indian’ on the recent ‘Glasgow on a Friday night’ thread, and I wondered what that might entail, food-wise. Hence the question.

EDIT: “Does that help the OP??”

Yep.

@zilog6128 –  forgot to say stay at home, make this – drink Asahi Dry and eat it. (It’s too good to share with friends)

For me it would involve me choosing several dishes (starter, main, side(s), rice, bread) from the following menu, paying for it and somebody delivering it. I would eat it in front of the telly.

https://www.achaari.co.uk/

Not really complicated, you’re over thinking of it.

^^ That Dishoom Makhani is lovely

First had that one in the Dishoom in Shoreditch and would agree it was ace, had it again recently in the Dishoom in Manchester and it was shite.

OH bought the Dishoom cookbook after our Shoreditch experience. Not made the Makhani yet but will be interesting to see how it turns out.

In terms of what food people in the UK are talking about when they say “curry”, then it’s got pretty much sod all to do with the food served in India apart from ancestry.

British Indian restaurant cuisine was developed in the UK throughout the 20th century by immigrants from India, their descendants, and others.

I once asked an Indian visitor what he would call the lunch he’d just (somewhat) enjoyed in our staff canteen – it was billed as a rogan Josh. He replied “tomato curry, but mild”.

that’s weird ‘cos I had it the other way around. Went to Shoreditch with guys from work a while ago and it was average.

I went to Manchester last month and it was fab (apart from being London prices/expensive)

Some people go for a Ruby.

Fancy a drink?

Plenty of people would be wanting a Thai Green curry or something else though.

But they’re idiots.

Diashoom in Shoreditch is always worth a visit, but book a table as the wait can be long.

OH bought the Dishoom cookbook

Which reminds me…. Mate sent it to me as a PDF.

Was going to make a veg biryani for the GF this week. Might take a look at the cookbook and see what else I could do.

Dishoom is on my places to visit.

We have Mowgli due to open in Newcastle this year. That said there are some excellent curry houses already, serving a variety of curries, from BIR to traditional Indian, Sri Lanka and Pakistan style.

Current favourites in Newcastle for me are Khai Khai, My Delhi and Dabawalla.

Tharavadu in Leeds is another fantastic place (Keralan)

Lager, primarily. You cannot “go for a curry” on your own

Cobra lager, specificaly 😀

Does that mean @Drac has a Cobra Khai Khai ?

Watch “James may ‘our man in india'”

I forget what conclusion he came to exactly, but it was something along the lines that ‘Curry’ is such a vague term, it basicaly just means a stew type dish with meat or vegies, or both, probably but not neccesarily with a variety of herbs and spices in it…

That’s as about as accurate as you can get by saying ‘curry’.

For us, fancy a curry usually suggests Indian restaurant or takeaway. My favourite in Newcastle used to be Leelas. I’m assuming, mainly cos I so rarely go out, and no one talks about it, it’s not there anymore. I have taken @Drac’s on board however!

2 best curries I ever had were a place I think called the Shabina in Bradford (apparently long since gone though I am talking 30 years ago 😂) and a place, who’s name I can’t remember, in Leicester when I was a student there – also 30 years ago.

I’ve got the Dishoom cook book and their Chicken Ruby is absolutely incredible. As good as any restaurant curry I’ve had.