Getting spicy for Santa

How about your mince pie and Christmas pudding for a slice of gateau, and your whole roast turkey dinner with all the trimmings for a traditional Bangladeshi curry once served to royalty?

If you do, you’re in luck as that’s what’s on offer at Bangla Lounge in Birstall.

The restaurant, which specialises in Bangladeshi cuisine, is celebrating its first Christmas by opening its doors on December 25 and offering customers a unique dining experience.

Owner Abdul Kaher said: “I know turkey is the traditional food for Christmas day, but that’s becoming old-fashioned. We’ve decided to open on Christmas day to offer something different to those who want to celebrate with us.”

And Abdul is offering something very different indeed.

Straying from his regular menu, he is offering a chicken breast and minced lamb dish with medium spices which was served to Bangladeshi royals in the old days.

The menu will also boast a traditional boneless lamb dish which will have been prepared four hours in advance with a mix of spices and flavours.

“You won’t come across these dishes in most Indian restaurants because they take too long to prepare,” he said. “But we thought at Christmas we would make the exception and put in the extra effort to offer more choice to our customers.”

And the festive menu has already whetted the appetite of a group of English diners who have booked themselves in for a Christmas day curry.

Abdul added: “It’s good news that we already have a table booked in, and a table of 14 at that. We just hope more people think of us as a way to celebrate Christmas a little bit differently this year.”