Cockney curry

Sex up the curry8226; The chicken tikka masala, the curry that the Brits invented as their alternative national dish, ruled through the 199...

Sex up the curry
8226; The chicken tikka masala, the curry that the Brits invented as their alternative national dish, ruled through the 1990s. But gourmet restaurants are galloping ahead with ever more innovative recipes and the creative curry will have some perking up to do.

Earlier this week at a restaurant awards ceremony in central London. The country8217;s winning curry was announced. A little-known restaurant in Nottingham, called Geisha walked away with the award for chef Antony de Sousa8217;s Tempura lobster with creamy curry sauce and pink peppercorns, described by customers as 8216;8216;better than sex8217;8217;. So the judges of Restaurant Magazine8217;s inaugural Best Dishes Awards felt that this definitely had to be the sexiest curry in the country. De Sousa, 8216;8216;thrilled8217;8217; by the award, is now planning an even hotter version for Valentine8217;s Day next February. We8217;re wondering if a baby boom is in the making for Nottingham8230;

Cleansing action from Kama Sutra star
8226; Actress Indira Varma, who sizzled on screen several years ago in the racy Kama Sutra, where she played a dirty courtesan shows that she8217;s actually a clean-living girl. The north London-based actress who also had a role in Gurinder Chaddha8217;s Bride and Prejudice has openly revealed her beauty secrets 8212; cleanse, cleanse, cleanse. More intriguingly, though, her outspoken views on plastic surgery are apparently not shared by many in her profession. 8216;8216;My view on plastic surgery is that a lived-in face is far more expressive and interesting. If I had my nose daintified, it would probably make my chin look oversized so I would have to get that done. Then my head, shoulders, knees and toes. It8217;s a slippery slope8230;.8217;8217; Plastic surgeons in Mumbai are probably thanking their lucky stars 8212; and their hefty bank accounts 8212; that Bollywood doesn8217;t agree.

Cosmetic surgery? Liz lips sealed
8226; Liz Hurley has sometimes been mischievously accused of having some 8216;8216;work8217;8217; done on her face, in particular, artificial fillers in her lips to plump them up. So when I recently met her at a party at Kensington Palace to inaugurate Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I wanted to peer closely at her mouth to ascertain for myself. The reception hosted by Estee Lauder8217;s UK chairman together with Hurley, their ambassador for breast cancer charity, was held on the grounds on an evening so cold that many of the guests turned down the offer of champagne to drink the warmed cinnamon cider instead.

The cold night air, however, didn8217;t prevent Hurley from arriving in a pink silk strappy gown so thin a nightdress would have been warmer. Then came the endless posing for photographers and an outdoors speech.

Alas, when she and I spoke, the candlelight of the marquee meant that the shining lipgloss didn8217;t give away any evidence of medical intervention; merely that she has access to excellent make-up. The Indian boyfriend, Arun Nayar, however, elected to stay home warmly wrapped up.

Charity Ball to put kids in school
8226; Aiming to get every kid in India at school by 2010 is a pretty tall order but that8217;s Pratham8217;s goal. The charity8217;s UK arm recently held a major fundraiser at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane and raised more than 30,000 towards it on the night. Described as one of the highlights of the Indian social calendar, and the ball8217;s committee chairman, Surina Narula, as 8216;8216;the social queen of the Asian scene8217;8217;, the charity ball called Midnight Mantra saw more than 1,000 glittering guests. Lakshmi Mittal and the Hindujas were among the supporters of the event which had a sumptuous auction including dinner with Aamir Khan.

Robina Dam is Editor of Shoo Magazine. http://www.shoomagazine.com