All Aboard the Gravy Train: The Return of First-Class Railway Curry

 

The iconic First-Class Railway Curry started life in colonial India, created to suit the milder taste of English passengers on Indian trains. Top chef Asma Khan refers to its origins as a beef or mutton curry made with coconut, which railway cooks adapted by softening the traditional fiery spices with coconut milk to suit British tastes.

 

A further famous variant, the Railway Mutton Curry, was developed on the legendary Frontier Mail train, which blended Indian spices and English herbs like cloves and bay leaves to produce a delicately balanced taste and digestibility. The curry was a hallmark of luxury train travel, served in first-class dining cars, and remains a favorite in Kolkata's restaurants to this day.

 

For those who are hungry for a taste of the past, recipes and slow-cooker adaptations bring this mild, aromatic curry within reach of the modern kitchen, combining rich spice with tender meat for a comforting meal.

 

Sources: The Telegraph, Great Curry Recipes, Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway, SBS Food