Hoshiarpur dish drives Aussies crazy

HOSHIARPUR: It''s no cock-and-bull story: Down Under, ''Hoshiarpur-da-Kukkarh'' is creating waves. The Aussies seem to like it more than ''Chicken Tikka Masala'', Britain''s favourite dish. If it was G K Noon. who introduced ''Chicken Tikka Masala'' to the Brits, the husband-wife duo of Ashok and Ritu Sikand has hooked Eltham, a high income suburb of Melbourne, to ''Hoshiarpur-da-Kukkarh''.
The couple runs a restaurant called Ginger Garlic.''Best of the rest'' is how the Herald Sun has described the restaurant while the Age Good Food Guide 2004 virtually certified Ginger Garlic as an original take on Indian food. No wonder, four years on the trot the restaurant has been voted as the best restaurant under the Small Business Award category in Victoria state. ''Hoshiarpur-da-Kukkarh'' is a rage among people who visit Ginger Garlic, says Ashok, who was in India recently.
He says, "I had always associated Hoshiarpur with ''kukkar-shukkar''. You see, I had these cousins from Hoshiarpur who were always trying new chicken recipes. When I went to Australia and opened this restaurant in 1992, my childhood memories inspired me to invent ''Hoshiarpur-da-Kukkarh''.
"The dish that costs Australian $11 is made of boneless marinated chicken cooked in a yoghurt-based curry sauce with methi, tomatoes, ginger and garlic.
"The Aussies pronounce it ''Hooshiarpore-da-Kookar'' says the suave Ritu. It beats ''Chicken Tikka Masala'' on each given day as we have both the dishes on our menu," she adds.
Ginger Garlic, through its different menus — ''Nakhas Ki Boti'', ''Balti food'' (every Wednesday) and ''Dum Pukht'' — has truly introduced Indian traditional cuisine. And for those who like to eat Punjabi style, ''Bevde De Kebab'' are there for the asking.
Here is a sample of guestspeak. "Well, here we are again for the second meal in three days! We know this will have to stop but we don''t have the will power! If there were a Nobel Prize for food, you would get it!" writes Graham, Kathy, Niobi and Peter Barnett, Wattle Glen & Greensborough.