There is no doubting the popularity of Indian food across the world, but the Middle East seems to have a special relationship with the cuisine. Jamie Knights finds out why

According to Japanese scientist Masamichi Yamashita, Indian food is perfect for space travel. Working on the premise that induction heating would be used in future space exploration, he told a committee on space research, food should not only be used for nutrition, but also serve as medicine.

“For this, it should contain ginger and garlic, such as used by Indian food, which can warm up the body and enhance metabolism,” he said.

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It would appear that Indian food has a future then, but it also has an incredibly popular present, and nowhere more so than in the Middle East.

“Over time Indian food has been refined and it has become synonymous with dining out in the Middle East,” says Zafran brand chef Ankur Chakraborty.

“The demand for Indian restaurants is growing every year in the Middle East; the UAE already has over 30,000 Indian restaurants and eateries.”

This love affair with Indian food didn’t happen overnight, however – it grew out of a long history of trade and relationships between the two regions.

While Indian food has been readily available for many years, MAHEC restaurant manager, Sumit Sachdeva asserts that “in recent times, plenty of upscale restaurants have opened up and this trend will continue”.

“There is a new breed of Indian chef moving here and this is bound to bring in drastic changes in how Indian food is prepared and served,” he continues. “Investors can see the potential of investing in such large restaurants.”

It is little wonder investors are taking note. De Thali chef – Aftab Ahmed explains on a Friday and Saturday “we do about 300-400 covers and, in the week, about 120-150”, while Ritz-Carlton Bahrain executive Indian chef Mahipal Singh confirms the Indian restaurant Nirvana has on average around 100 covers a day.

Chakraborty explains he oversees two restaurants in Dubai and on an average weekend “we do close to 300 covers in Zafran Mirdif and around 165-175 covers in Zafran Marina (lunch and dinner)”.

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