In 1903, for the first time, Indian railways accommodated restaurant carriages. The duration of the trip requires on-board catering services to satisfy affluent British clients who travel first class. A train called “Frontier Mail” which, since 1928, had connected Bombay (now Mumbai) to Peshawar, in present-day Pakistan (renamed Golden Temple Mail after independence in homage to Amitzar’s Golden Temple) offered its travelers an excellent dining experience. most comfortable car.

Its mobile kitchen is renowned for creating delicious and innovative dishes. Operated by Western Railway, the train was an extraordinary luxury for its time. On board, travelers will find showers, comfortable lounges, restaurants, well-stocked bars and even a hammam! The restaurant’s mobile brigade serves unrivaled cuisine, creating real “fusion” cuisine ahead of its time, creating a culinary bridge between British culture and Indian culture. At that time, the wealthy colonizers liked to take advantage of the luxuries offered by the railroad companies. This is where the famous Mutton Curry Train was born. It quickly became a huge success.

Since its creation, it has come a long way and has even been served on the tables of Oberoi, a major Delhi hotel. Above all, it has become in India, but also in Great Britain, a nostalgic dish for the splendor of the British Raj, the legacy of its colonial past. According to legend, a drunk and hungry British officer arrived at the train kitchen looking for snacks for the night. Service finished, the cooks improvised the dish for him. He asked them to add yogurt to the very spicy recipe, Calcutta Mangsho Jhol, to keep his stomach down. The clerk then ordered this new dish every time he boarded the train and affectionately referred to it as ‘Rail Goat Curry’. Thus was born the famous railroad dish.

This curry is traditionally cooked with mutton, but nowadays the use of lamb is widespread.

Whatever the meat, this dish is always synonymous with a meal eaten on a white tablecloth in a luxurious dining car whose occupants traverse India in tuxedos and evening gowns.