Finger licking good: British city to host National Samosa Week

LONDON:The ubiquity of samosa in Indian life is reflected in one of the most famous quotes in contemporary politics: “Jab tak samosa mein rahega aloo, Bihar mein rahega Lalu” (as long as the samosa has potatoes, Bihar will have Lalu).

Lalu Prasad Yadav is facing new legal challenges, but the humble samosa has crossed the seas to become as prominent in Britain as the burger. To honour its stature, a National Samosa Week will be organised to draw attention to the culture and food heritage of South Asia.

Supported by the local police and charity organisations, samosa lovers in Leicester — which has a large population of Indian origin — have announced the event from April 9 to 13, when people will be encouraged to buy, eat and sell as many samosas as they can.

Money raised through the sales at pop-up centres during the week will go to two local charity organisations.

Romail Gulzar, founder of Leicester Curry Awards, said: “There’s a national food event for everything from burgers to beer, so why not samosas?”

The samosa has become intrinsic to the discourse of “going for an Indian”, an increasingly prominent phrase in British social, economic, and cultural life since the 1960s — it means going for an Indian meal after weekend bouts in pubs and other occasions.

Leicester’s lovers of samosa are keen that it acquires a similar stature as the chicken tikka masala.