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Monica Sharma
There was a time when the instant reaction of an Australian to the idea of having Indian food was “no way”; it was just too spicy for the palate. With the exponential increase in the number of Indian restaurants across Australia over the last two decades, the curiosity and mild adjustments to the recipes have made the food and curries hot favourites. It all started with the opening of Indian grocery stores, followed by eateries, restaurants and fast-food joints. Butter chicken and roganjosh soon became familiar names, and despite the difficulty in pronouncing these, the Australians developed a taste for the Indian delicacies. Chicken vindaloo, cheese naan, golgappas and samosas also caught the fancy of many.
Hailing from Jagraon, Kamal Sidhu, who came to Australia in 1995, recalls there were very few Indian restaurants in Sydney at that time but many more came up in the next 10 years. Sidhu landed a job at an Indian eatery and eventually bought an Indian restaurant in 2000, which he sold off later. He now runs an Indian restaurant, New Mantra, in Adelaide. “Indian cuisine was not much sought after and the dishes were prepared to taste mild. However, with the influx of students since 2005, the Indian population started growing and the number of eateries increased manifold,” he says.
Sidhu remembers it was not easy getting jobs in Australia back in 1995. A major problem for immigrants was the language barrier: the strong English accent of the natives made it difficult to get into customer dealing. But what restaurateurs like Sidhu had to really work on was quality control. The Australian hygiene standards are very strict and health inspectors regularly carry out checks. His restaurant, he confesses, got half a star out of the five stars marked for safety because of the low battery of the thermometer used to check the temperature of the meat. Cleanliness and hygiene have to be maintained at all times. Every fortnight floors are cleaned up with high-pressure water.
The failure to ensure clean and hygienic conditions, rusty pans, greasy drains and improper food storage have resulted in heavy penalties for the restaurants, including the ones specialising in Indian cuisine. They have been found falling short of complying with Food Act regulations.
An Indian restaurant in Perth was fined $25,000 for Food Act breaches in May this year. The restaurant was found lacking on different counts — unclean utensils, water leakage and filthy work conditions. Last year, another Indian restaurant in Perth was fined after pet food was found on the premises. Another Indian restaurant in Melbourne was fined $25,000 for not maintaining safe food practices. The utensils in the kitchen were oily and greased.
Khushi Mehra, a worker at an Indian restaurant, says they make all possible efforts to maintain cleanliness while cooking. “However, some of the recipes include deep frying and, as you know, a lot of spices are added to the gravy or curries. So, the cookware gets sticky,” she says.
Talking about the procedures, councillor Kim McAliney says that Wyndham City in Melbourne checks different food premises regularly and if the inspectors are not happy with any aspect, they work with the proprietors to achieve a positive resolution without the need for further action.
“If the restaurants do not comply with the council’s advice, the outlet is given a formal order and the council ensures the food safety issue is dealt with in a timely manner.”
City of Gosnells Chief Executive Officer Ian Cowie says the common issues encountered during routine inspections of all food premises relate to cleanliness, maintenance, food storage and handling. While there may be defaulters, there is a long list of successful Indian eateries in Australia, such as Cinnamon Club, Indian Temptations, Beyond India, Charminar, Cafe Chennai, Billu’s, to name a few.
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