It is a muggy summer evening and a group of diners sit on benches to share pani puri shots and tuck into crunchy bhindi bhel.
The waiter serves a basket full of Romali rotis to have with minced lamb and chicken liver and there is not a poppadom or bowl of rice in sight.
This is not a restaurant in Delhi or Mumbai but Hankie’s in central London, one of a wave of new street food restaurants in Britain.
Experts say more Britons are moving away from fine dining to “casual dining” sharing dishes with friends, having more affordable meals – and eating with your hands without getting funny looks from other diners.
The change has been described by curry bosses as the biggest revolution the £4 billion industry has faced, with dozens of restaurants offering traditional street food opening in recent years around the country.
Speaking at Hankie’s, which opened in January, its patron chef Ani Arora told Eastern Eye: “I have been doing Indian food for 20 years.
“To do something fine [dining] is not in trend right now, people want more relaxed, casual, easy to eat, a fun place.
“India is so big, so much to pick out of it, there’s no limitations.”
And the boom is not limited to the capital, with Leeds hosting a restaurant week featuring street food eatery Bundobust and The Indian Streatery eatery set to open in Birmingham.
The Mowglis restaurant brand, run by former barrister Nisha Katona, is also planning to launch in Birmingham and Manchester after securing £3.5 million cash injection from private equity firm Foresight Group.
It has also spread to cookbooks with Chetna Makan, a contestant on BBC show The Great British Bake Off, focusing on street dishes for her latest collection of recipes called Chai, Chaat & Chutney released in August. And Zohra Khaku, who runs the Halal Gems restaurant website, hosted Britain’s biggest halal street food festival in Old Spitalfields market, east London, in July.
Some curry houses have been criticised for failing to change their menu from traditional meals like chicken tikka masala that first became popular in the UK in the 1970s.
But Delhi-born Arora, who came to the UK 17 years ago, said that label is no longer valid and the sector has revamped itself.
“If you asked me 10 years ago I would have said it is fair that they don’t change too much, but in the last decade, the change which is happening, the rising competition and the extent of innovation have all been phenomenal.
“Since 2007, iPad-armed customers have more information uploaded into everyone’s minds, they see a lot of things.
“Fifteen years ago, you go to a restaurant to try food. Now you can go on YouTube and blogs.”
Dishoom has been praised for sparking the trend in 2010 with its eateries paying homage to Mumbai cafes. It now has four branches in London and one in Edinburgh.
It has spawned other street food places including Kricket Soho, Gunpowder and Chit Chaat Chai.
Benares, an established restaurant in west London run by celebrity chef Atul Kochhar, also offers a street food sharing menu featuring pickled prawn pani puri, chicken tikka on crispy naan and a lamb kofta roll.
Kochhar, who was born in the Indian city of Jamshedpur, told Eastern Eye: “Growing up, street food was a speciality in my hometown, where dishes were typically eaten by hand.
“I often cook this style of food at home with my family, so it was really exciting to offer a causal and authentic dining experience with our customers, giving them a taste of the real Indian heritage, one that is still of Michelin starred standard.
“Every dish on the menu has been designed by each chef in the Benares kitchen and originates from a different region around India.
“As well as each region having their own recipes, they also have their own marinating techniques and valued tandoor traditions.”
Another new street food brand is Chai Naasto, which opened its third branch in Harrow, north London this summer.
Tilesh Chudasama, a founder of Chai Naasto, said street food is the biggest revolution the industry has seen.
He said: “One hundred per cent, everyone is on street food. Everyone is putting their own twist to it. It’s the best cuisine in England at the moment.”
Chudasama has gone from working as an IT university lecturer to launching Chai Naasto with his two brothers.
He said their food is inspired by their 75-year-old grandmother’s travels around Punjab, Kerala, Rajasthan and Hyderabad.
“She was born in Somalia and migrated to Yemen and makes the spices for us.
“Our nan looked after 14 grandkids. We love her food and used to take it as packed lunch for work.
“Our work colleagues tried it and said it was amazing. People used to buy it from us and said ‘you should buy a restaurant’ so me and my brothers got some money together.”
The casual trend has attracted the eye of international chefs.
Indian Accent, the award-winning Delhi restaurant led by Manish Mehrotra, is opening a branch in west London later this year.
Asma Khan launched restaurant Darjeeling Express in central London this summer single-handedly.
It offers street cuisine from Bengal, Bihar, Hyderabad and Western Uttar Pradesh where her father hails from including mutton kebab cakes and beef stew.
Khan said her most popular street snack is puchka.
“I think it’s the theatre of filling water in a fragile shell and trying to eat it without the shell exploding. People love it.”
Syed Ahmed, editor of Curry Life Magazine, said: “People are more adventurous now so restaurants are focusing on varieties on their menu.
“Here it is served in an environment where there is a no risk factor so you have the best of both worlds – the flavours of India in a posh restaurant like Dishoom.”
Four informal eateries to try:
HANKIES
The starters include bhindi bhel with a crunchy mix of okra, tomatoes, rice, mint and tamarind and a side dish of healthy kale, spinach and lotus puff. Mains include a large portion of sea bream and a lighter option of minced lamb with chicken liver, which goes well with the restaurant’s centrepiece of romali rotis, including a truffle variety with butter and cheddar.
CHAI NAASTO
The pav bhaji has a creamy sauce and soft bread in a fondue while the bite-sized paneer mirch pieces are addictive. The lamb chops are tender and smothered in a plentiful helping of sauce while the pani puri shots are traditional with plenty of pomegranate and chickpeas.
DARJEELING EXPRESS
The mutton shikampuri kebabs are flavoursome with a fluffy texture inside, while the chilli garlic prawns are in a home-cooked style with a spicy kick. The mains consist of a saucy beef stew and a drier goat Bengali curry. Its unique selling point of alternative dishes extends to the desserts with stewed apricots and cream.
BENARES
The five-course sharing menu includes a crispy spinach and onion bhajia and quinoa salad, a different take on prawn pani puri and a crispy naan that goes well with the chicken tikka. Also fried mackerel and salad, which has a strong smell and acquired taste; and a flavoursome lamb kofta roll, a Lucknow speciality.
INDIA is committed to efforts to develop Jammu and Kashmir, prime minister Narendra Modi said last Friday (6), accusing Pakistan of seeking to destroy livelihoods there with April's deadly attack on tourists.
He was speaking on his first visit to the Himalayan region since Islamist attackers targeted Hindu tourists in the popular Pahalgam area, killing 26 men, triggering hostilities between the countries that ended in a ceasefire last month.
"The atmosphere of development that emerged in Jammu and Kashmir will not be hindered by the attack ... I will not let development stop here," Modi said in remarks after inaugurating infrastructure projects.
Key among these was a $5-billion rail link between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of India, which has been more than 40 years in the making and features the world's highest railway arch bridge.
Others include highways, city roads and a new medical college.
"Pakistan will never forget... its shameful loss," the prime minister told crowds.
"Friends, today's event is a grand festival of India's unity and firm resolve," Modi said after striding across the soaring bridge to formally launch it for rail traffic.
"This is a symbol and celebration of rising India," he said of the Chenab Bridge, which connects two mountains.
New Delhi calls the Chenab span the "world's highest railway arch bridge", sitting 359 metres (1,117 feet) above a river.
While several road and pipeline bridges are higher, Guinness World Records confirmed that Chenab trumps the previous highest railway bridge, the Najiehe in China.
Modi said the railway was "an extraordinary feat of architecture" that "will improve connectivity" by providing the first rail link from the Indian plains up to mountainous Kashmir.
With 36 tunnels and 943 bridges, the new railway runs for 272 km (169 miles) and connects Udhampur, Srinagar and Baramulla.
It is expected to halve the travel time between the town of Katra in the Hindu-majority Jammu region and Srinagar, the main city in Kashmir, to around three hours.
The new route will facilitate the movement of people and goods, as well as troops, that was previously possible only via treacherous mountain roads and by air.
Trains run in the Kashmir valley, but the new link is its first to the wider Indian railway network. Apart from boosting the regional economy, it is expected to help revive tourism, which plummeted after the April attack.
Pakistan's foreign ministry, in a statement, said India's "claims of development... ring hollow against the backdrop of an unprecedented military presence, suppression of fundamental freedoms, arbitrary arrests, and a concerted effort to alter the region's demography".
Around 150 people protested against the project on the outskirts of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani Kashmir.
"We want to tell India that building bridges and laying roads in the name of development will not make the people of Kashmir give up their demand for freedom," said Azir Ahmad Ghazali, who organised the rally attended by Kashmiris who fled unrest on the Indian side in the 1990s.
"In clear and unequivocal terms, we want to say to the Indian government that the people of Kashmir have never accepted India's forced rule."
More than 70 people were killed in missile, drone and artillery fire during last month's conflict.
Modi also announced further government financial support for families whose relatives were killed, or whose homes were damaged, during the brief conflict – mainly in shelling along the heavily militarised de facto border with Pakistan, known as the Line of Control.
"Their troubles are our troubles," Modi said.
Pakistan aimed to disrupt the livelihoods of the poor in Kashmir, who rely heavily on tourism, Modi said, adding that he would face down any obstacle to regional development.
Last month, Islamabad said a just and peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute was essential to ensure lasting peace in the region, known for its snow-topped mountains, scenic lakes, lush meadows, and tulip gardens.
The region drew more than three million visitors last year.
By clicking the 'Subscribe’, you agree to receive our newsletter, marketing communications and industry
partners/sponsors sharing promotional product information via email and print communication from Garavi Gujarat
Publications Ltd and subsidiaries. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the
unsubscribe link in our emails. We will use your email address to personalize our communications and send you
relevant offers. Your data will be stored up to 30 days after unsubscribing.
Contact us at data@amg.biz to see how we manage and store your data.
Chief adviser to the government of Bangladesh Professor Muhammed Yunus speaks during a live interview at Chatham House on June 11, 2025 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
BANGLADESH interim leader Muhammad Yunus said on Wednesday (11) that there was "no way" he wanted to continue in power after elections he has announced for April, the first since a mass uprising overthrew the government.
The South Asian nation of around 180 million people has been in political turmoil since a student-led revolt ousted then prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, ending her 15-year rule.
Speaking in London, Yunus, asked if he himself was seeking any political post, the 84-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner said there was "no way", waving his hands in the air for emphasis.
"I think none of our cabinet members would like to do that, not only me", he said.
Yunus was answering questions after speaking at London's foreign policy thinktank Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs.
He also said he wanted to unveil a "big package" of proposals next month that he dubbed a "July Charter" -- one year on since the students launched the demonstrations that toppled Hasina.
"We want to say goodbye to the old Bangladesh and create a new Bangladesh", Yunus said.
The charter is being drafted by a government "consensus commission", talking to political parties to "find that which are the recommendations they will accept", he added.
Yunus has long said elections will be held before June 2026, but says the more time the interim administration had to enact reforms, the better.
But after political parties jostling for power repeatedly demanded he fix a timetable, he said earlier this month that elections would be held in April 2026.
"Our job is to make sure that the transition is managed well, and that people are happy when we hand over power to the elected government," he said.
"So we want to make sure that the election is right, that is a very critical factor for us. If the election is wrong, this thing will never be solved again".
Yunus is also expected to meet in London with Tarique Rahman, acting chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which is widely seen as likely to sweep the elections.
Rahman, 59, the son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, has lived in London since 2008 after being sentenced in absentia under Hasina -- convictions since quashed.
He is widely expected to return to Dhaka to lead the party in polls.
(AFP)
Keep ReadingShow less
The proposed reorganisation could save £43m a year, say council leaders, but critics question the figure
RESIDENTS can now have their say on a plan which would see the number of local councils in Leicestershire drop from eight to two.
The proposal is one of three put forward for the political re-organisation of Leicestershire after the government told local leaders it wanted areas with two tiers of councils – such as the county – to reduce it to a single-tier set up.
That does not mean just one authority for Leicestershire, however, with the eight district and borough councils, along with Rutland County Council, believing residents would be better served if Leicestershire was split in two. They are proposing one new council for the north of Leicestershire and Rutland, and a second covering the south and the city to remain separate.
Their proposal is at odds with the options put forward by Leicester City Council and Leicestershire County Council, both of which believe one ‘doughnut’ authority, taking in all of the county but leaving Rutland and the city separate, is a better approach.
Leicester mayor Sir Peter Soulsby also believes that city borders should expand to take in parts of Leicestershire, something the remaining council leaders and many county residents all say they oppose.
Now, the district and borough councils are seeking residents’ opinions on their “North, City, South” proposal.
Under the plan, the areas currently served by Charnwood, North West Leicestershire and Melton district and borough councils, and Rutland County Council, would be served by one authority, called the “North Leicestershire and Rutland” council.
Those under the control of Blaby, Harborough, Hinckley and Bosworth, and Oadby and Wigston district and borough councils would be served by the second authority, called “South Leicestershire” council. District and borough leaders believe this would allow councils to stay “connected and accountable” to the communities they serve, while still simplifying services and saving money, as the government has demanded.
The leaders said this approach could save nearly £43 million a year. However, this figure was disputed by the previous leaders of the county council who put the figure closer to £17 million.
Speaking on behalf of the eight authorities, leader of Melton Borough Council Pip Allnatt said: “Councils in the area are facing the biggest change in over 50 years and it is vital our communities are involved in helping to shape the future of local government. We encourage people, businesses and organisations to take part in the survey and tell us their views on our plans.
“This is the second time we have asked for views, and earlier this year more than 4,600 people and organisations responded to our original survey to help inform our interim plan… we will continue to make strenuous efforts to gather views from our communities and partners. Please have your say.”
The survey asks residents whether they agree with the principle of replacing the two-tier system with a single council structure, if they agree with the North, City, South approach put forward by the districts and boroughs, and if they agree with the areas proposed to be joined together under that plan.
The survey can be found on the North City South website with residents able to respond until Sunday, July 20. An explainer of all of the proposed changes and their impact on residents is also available there.
(Local Democracy Reporting Service)
Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump and Narendra Modi shake hands as they attend a joint press conference at the White House on February 13, 2025.
INDIAN and US negotiators reported progress after four days of closed-door meetings in New Delhi on Tuesday, focusing on market access for industrial and some agricultural goods, tariff cuts and non-tariff barriers, according to Indian government sources.
"The negotiations held with the US side were productive and helped in making progress towards crafting a mutually beneficial and balanced agreement including through achievement of early wins," one of the sources said to Reuters.
The US delegation, led by senior officials from the Office of the US Trade Representative, met Indian trade ministry officials headed by chief negotiator Rajesh Agrawal.
Both sides also considered ways to expand bilateral digital trade through improved customs and trade-facilitation measures, the sources added, noting that “negotiations will continue” with an eye on a quick conclusion of the initial tranche.
Interim pact expected soon
president Donald Trump and prime minister Narendra Modi agreed in February to finalise a bilateral trade agreement by autumn 2025 and to more than double two-way trade to $500 billion by 2030. Officials now expect to seal an interim deal by the end of this month, before Trump’s 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs expires, including a possible 26 per cent levy on Indian goods.
Commerce minister Piyush Goyal, who is in Switzerland for talks with European counterparts, said India is ready to settle “simpler issues” first. Subsequent rounds could handle more complex matters, with the goal of signing the first tranche by September or October, the officials said.
India turned down US requests for wider access to wheat, dairy and corn while offering lower tariffs on US almonds, pistachios and walnuts. New Delhi also asked Washington to remove its 10 per cent baseline tariff, a step the US side opposed, pointing out that Britain accepted the same duty in its recent deal. India further sought relief from a 50 per cent duty on steel exports.
A 26 per cent tariff on Indian rice, shrimp, textiles and footwear—about one-fifth of India’s merchandise exports—could dent shipments and weigh on foreign investment, the sources warned. India has pledged to increase purchases of American liquefied natural gas, crude oil, coal and defence equipment.
India’s exports to the US climbed 28 per cent to $37.7 billion in the first four months of 2025, while imports rose to $14.4 billion, widening India’s surplus, US data showed.
US voices backing on terrorism fight
Separately, the State Department said the US “reaffirmed its strong support” for India’s fight against terrorism during last week’s visit to Washington by an Indian all-party parliamentary delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.
Deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau met the group as part of New Delhi’s outreach following Operation Sindoor, launched after the 22 April Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters that a Pakistani parliamentary team headed by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also met officials, including under secretary for political affairs Allison Hooker. “So that meeting occurred,” Bruce said.
Hooker reiterated US support for the current “– as you might imagine, thank God – between India and Pakistan,” Bruce added, referring to the cessation of on-ground hostilities.
Asked about possible Pakistani assurances on action against militants, Bruce declined to share details. On whether Trump might “mediate” on Kashmir, she said: “Well, I – obviously, I can't speak to what's on the mind or the plans of the President. What I do know is that I think we all recognise that President Trump in each step that he takes, it's made to solve generational differences between countries, generational war."
“So, while I can't speak to his plans, the world knows his nature, and I can't speak to any details of what he might have in that regard… But it is an exciting time that if we can get to a point in that particular conflict..,” Bruce said, adding that it is a “very interesting time.”
India has maintained that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are an “integral” part of the country and has rejected any outside mediation.
(With inputs from agencies)
Keep ReadingShow less
Jaishankar, who is currently in Europe a month after India launched Operation Sindoor, said Pakistan was training 'thousands' of terrorists 'in the open' and 'unleashing' them on India. (Photo: Getty Images)
INDIA's external affairs minister S Jaishankar has said India would strike deep into Pakistan if provoked by terrorist attacks, and warned of retribution against terrorist organisations and their leaders in response to incidents like the Pahalgam attack.
Speaking to Politico on Monday, Jaishankar, who is currently in Europe a month after India launched Operation Sindoor, said Pakistan was training “thousands” of terrorists “in the open” and “unleashing” them on India.
“We are not going to live with it. So our message to them is that if you continue to do the kind of barbaric acts which they did in April, then there is going to be retribution, and that retribution will be against the terrorist organisations and the terrorist leadership,” he said.
“We don't care where they are. If they are deep in Pakistan, we will go deep into Pakistan,” he added.
Tensions between India and Pakistan rose after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people. India responded with precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7.
The hostilities lasted four days and ended on May 10 following talks between the directors general of military operations.
Causes and consequences
Jaishankar said the root causes of the conflict remain.
“It (Pakistan) is a country very steeped in its use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy. That is the whole issue,” he told Politico.
Asked if the conditions that led to last month’s war-like situation still existed, he said, “If you call the commitment to terrorism a source of tension, absolutely, it is.”
On losses, he said relevant authorities would communicate details when ready.
Jaishankar said India’s fighter aircraft and missiles inflicted greater damage on the Pakistani Air Force than the other way around, and that this forced Pakistan to seek peace.
“As far I'm concerned, how effective the Rafale was or frankly, how effective other systems were — to me the proof of the pudding are the destroyed and disabled airfields on the Pakistani side,” he said.
“The fighting stopped on the 10th for one reason and one reason only, which was that on the 10th morning, we hit these eight Pakistani, the main eight Pakistani airfields and disabled them,” he added, noting that satellite images are available on Google showing damaged runways and hangars.
Jaishankar is on a week-long visit to Europe, during which he will meet leaders in the European Union, Belgium and France to strengthen bilateral ties and reiterate India’s zero-tolerance policy on terrorism.