Visitbirmingham.com hosted New Delhi TV as part of its strategy to promote Birmingham’s food offer internationally.
Birmingham is set to have its culinary credentials showcased in India this autumn. New Delhi TV – which has an audience of 59 million people – visited the city on 7th – 9th September to film two episodes of its award-winning culinary show, Zaika India Ka. The theme of the shows was the metamorphosis of Indian food in Britain. New Delhi TV and its celebrity host Vinod Dua were hosted by Visitbirmingham.com.
NDTV sampled food in many of Birmingham’s fantastic Indian eateries – including Imrans, Mushtaq, Jyoti’s, Chennai Dosa, Lasan, Pushkar, Asha’s and Chandni Chowk – and filmed in iconic places such as The Balti Triangle, Selfridges, Bullring and Brindleyplace. The crew were even given a tour of Soho Road by Handsworth-born Brit Asia star, Apache Indian.
Asked about his impressions of Indian food in Birmingham, and how it differed from that in India, Vinod Dua commented:
“The basic concept remains the same, but the style of cooking and the volume of spices are distinctly different. In India, most of the cooking is undertaken using vegetable oil, clarified butter or mustard oil. Here I have discovered that much of the cooking is done in olive oil, which does alter the taste of the food.”
Mr Dua also complimented the innovative cooking methods in the city:
“I’m a purist. Innovation is welcome, but I believe in experimenting only if you are able to improve upon the original. In Lasan, for example, I loved their Baghara Chappa, a cod dish in which they used red chillies as a kind of skin on the loin of cod - I haven't seen that before and it was something I would recommend.”
The show will be broadcast at primetime in India, and will also be available via the channel’s website: www.ndtv.com.
Mike Whitby, Leader of Birmingham City Council, commented: “I was delighted to welcome New Delhi TV to Birmingham. The fact that they filmed two episodes of their award winning culinary show is testament not only to Birmingham’s fantastic food offering but also to the city’s strong and vibrant Indian community. With those of Indian origin in the West Midlands running to hundreds of thousands and the love of Indian food across the region – regardless of ethnicity – the city has plenty to offer, from confectionary and to high end Indian restaurants and everything in between. The opportunity presented by the visit cannot be underestimated, with the city showcased to one of the most powerful emerging markets in the world.”
New Delhi Television is recognised as a pioneer in India’s news television. It is the most watched and the most respected news network in India. The channel is designed for the global Indian, and is the only English News Channel which is broadcast in the UK, USA, Canada, South Africa, Middle East , Australia, New Zealand, Mauritius and most of the SAARC Countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka).
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