About this season
Join Keith Floyd on a vibrant journey through India, where bustling cities, ancient traditions, and extraordinary landscapes provide the setting for an unforgettable culinary adventure. From crowded markets and roadside stalls to royal kitchens and family homes, every destination offers new flavours, aromas, and stories. Guided by curiosity and a passion for good food, Floyd explores the rich regional diversity that makes Indian cuisine one of the world's most celebrated culinary traditions.
Episodes (8)
1. Jaipur
Aired 29 October 2001 • 23 min
The passage through India begins in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, and home to the nation’s once-famously wealthy Maharajas. Keith sets up his stove for the first time to cook a biryani. Before bathing this rice-based dish in coconut milk, Keith introduces the essence of all Indian food, the masala: "ground herbs and spices to flavour the dish we’re preparing."
2. Goa
Aired 5 November 2001 • 23 min
The Indian state of Goa, which boasts gorgeous beaches and a tropical climate, has become renowned as a party destination for backpackers. And as Keith discovers, this former Portuguese colony has a lot more to offer, as a home of fine cuisine. He visits the state capital Panjim, a port which specialises in fish dishes – and, with mobile kitchen to hand, he sets to work.
3. Mumbai
Aired 12 November 2001 • 23 min
Keith hits Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay). Here he samples freshly-made samosas, onion fritters and masala dhosas, and becomes a stallholder for the day, creating his own delicious Indian snacks.
4. Kerala
Aired 19 November 2001 • 23 min
Keith keeps his culinary cool in the sweltering heat of exotic Kerala. He starts the show enjoying local specialities as he cruises down one of the regions cooling rivers.
5. Chennai
Aired 26 November 2001 • 23 min
Keith's culinary tour of India takes him to the state of Tamil Nadu, on the south-eastern coast of India. His first stop is Chennai, formerly known as Madras. In this vibrant, sprawling city, he discovers that the hot "Madras" curry the Brits are familiar with is almost unheard of: the curry powder used in that dish is made purely for export.
6. Amritsar
Aired 3 December 2001 • 23 min
Keith's culinary tour of India reaches its northernmost point in the Punjab, one of the most affluent states in the country. His base is the city of Amritsar. Tandoors are the ovens of choice in this part of the world, and Keith is on a mission to find out how they are made.
7. Calcutta
Aired 10 December 2001 • 23 min
Keith's culinary tour of India takes him to West Bengal and the former capital of British India, Calcutta. He quickly establishes that mustard-seed oil and mustard-seed paste form the core of most Bengali dishes.
8. Udaipur
Aired 17 December 2001 • 23 min
Keith ends his oriental odyssey where he began – in Rajasthan. This time, he visits the City of Lakes, Udaipur, and finds what he feels is the best food of the tour.