Rick Stein's India

Rick Stein begins his Indian journey by exploring the regions that began Britain's love affair with curry: Bengal and Tamil Nadu. The British influence in Kolkata and Chennai remains strong to this day and Rick enjoys the prominence of fish and seafood in so many of their dishes. He’s then inspired to cook dishes like prawns in coconut milk and his mum's version of British Raj curry.

Rick Stein explores the melting pot that is Mumbai in search of the bombil, the fish that immortalized Bombay Duck. He also gets to enjoy Parsee hospitality and learns about their contribution to Indian cuisine. Further south in the town of Pondicherry his search for the perfect curry takes in fusion cooking as local residents cook up south Indian dishes with a French twist.

Rick Stein arrives in the southern town of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, the land of temples. He learns the art of temple cooking and perfects the knack of eating with his hands. He samples the famous south Indian sambar before taking a road trip across the spice laden Western Ghats to the land of coconuts, Kerala. There, he cooks south India's favorite dessert, payasam, and a traditional pork curry.

Rick Stein arrives in the cultural city of Lucknow, reputed to be the curry capital of India and possibly the world. He explores this former Moghul stronghold in search for the best chicken korma and learns the complexities of making the perfect pulao. Further north in the Punjab, he observes the age-old process of making jaggery and is recruited as a guest judge to find Punjab's new 'Star Chef'.

Rick Stein arrives in the royal state of Rajasthan, land of the kings, where he meets some serious meat eaters. He samples dishes such as Junglee Maas, a perfect combination of meat, chilies and spices. Then he travels to the state of Himachal Pradesh, nestled on the foothills of the Western Himalayas. He cooks a Biryani fit for a Rajput banquet and Rajma, a traditional bean dish from Himachal.

Rick Stein visits a five-star hotel in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, employing local housewives for genuine home-cooked dishes and samples chettinad chicken, a dish inspired by spices brought back from both East and West by merchants. In Lucknow, he meets India's first MasterChef winner, and Rick marks the end of his culinary journey by revealing the outcome of his search for the perfect curry.