Herbs and spices could be grown in Kent or Lincolnshire as part of a government plan to meet Britain's insatiable taste for curries, according to a Whitehall report today.

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Travel challenge: A two-week tour in South India

Every week, we invite three companies to give us their best deal for a specific holiday. Today: a two-week trip to South India in early November. Prices are per person based on two sharing.

Takeaways can be dangerous, survey reveals

Many takeaways contain dangerous colourings, bogus meat and potentially lethal nuts, according to analysis of chicken tikka masala and sweet and sour chicken from 223 takeaways.

The 10 best chutneys

Whether it’s for a saucy sandwich, serving with a cheeseboard or taking the the bite out of a fearsome curry, we’ve got the perfect pickled condiment for the job.

Singh whips up a grand expansion

As the Cinnamon Club restaurant turns 10, Mark Leftly meets its founding chef who has growth plans for his curry house

US sitcom about Indian outsourcing is racist, say critics

A new US sit-com set in Mumbai and being shown on primetime US television has kicked up a dust-storm of controversy amid claims that it is insensitive and even racist about Indians.

The Ambrette 44 King Street, Margate, Kent

The Ambrette's take on modern Mumbai dining is just the latest sign of life returning to Margate's seaside strip

Anthony Rose: 'Curry can be an enemy of wine but it need not be, if the spicing is subtle

I'm not sure who decided that the only drink for curry is lager. It's true that chilli, like chocolate and vinaigrette, can be an enemy of wine. But if the spicing is subtle, as it often is in better Indian restaurants in the UK, or, dare I suggest, in ready-made Indian meals, a good choice of wine can be a thoroughly satisfying partner.

Album: K'Naan, Troubadour (Polydor)

K'Naan has generated plenty of interest of late, due to a backstory of struggle and survival in the Somali civil war and his "Wavin' Flag" being played during ITV's World Cup coverage.

It's a Wonderful Afterlife (12A)

From the director of Bend It Like Beckham, a painfully misjudged serial-killer comedy: Indian mother can't find husband for supposedly obese daughter, starts murdering people with food.

Vijay 49 Willesden Lane, London NW6

The décor is dire and the location nothing special. But everything else is making me feel so nice, says our critic

Healthy Indian food: Curry's healing powers

Forget mouth-scorching takeaways. Simon Usborne learns to cook with the delicate flavours and health-giving ingredients of genuine Indian cuisine

A spicy little vintage: Can wines tailor-made to suit Indian food persuade us to ditch the lager?

It's National Curry Week again next month, and aficionados of Indian restaurants may be startled to find themselves being coaxed to reconsider their choice of drinks by waiters newly appointed as sommeliers. For the reflex choices of old, lager and pinot grigio, are not necessarily the best accompaniments to fine food from the subcontinent. At least, that's the belief of two competing factions who say the ideal partner is a purpose-designed wine.

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The CIA whistleblower struck a blow for us all, but his 1970s predecessor showed how to win
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From Edinburgh to Hollywood (via the Home Counties): 10 comedic talents blowing up big

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Hugh Montgomery profiles the faces to watch, from the sitcom star to the surrealist
'Hello. I have cancer': When comedian Tig Notaro discovered she had a tumour she decided the show must go on

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The Last Word: Luis Suarez and Gareth Bale's art of manipulation

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