Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family. Meanwhile, make the dip. Place the crumbled feta in a bowl, add the Greek yoghurt and stir in gently. Add the olive oil, chilli flakes and puréed red pepper and set aside. Whenever I hear the word curry, I'm filled with a longing for spicy hot food with the fragrance of cumin, cloves and cinnamon. I see deep red colours from lots of Kashmiri chillis, tinged with a suggestion of yellow from turmeric. I think of the tandoor oven, and slightly scorched naan shining with ghee and garlic.When Indians talk of their food, they talk about their life. To understand this country, you need to understand curry.

Feasts with Purpose: Charity Lunches at Rick Stein Restaurants

You can look forward to trying some of the dishes from India on our menus – including Pondicherry cod curry, breakfast bhaji, Amritsari fish, pau bhaji, vegetable makhanwala, kachumber salad and more. Choose a restaurant here. Learn to cook the recipes Veggie suppers: Vegetable bourguignon with dumplings, Spaghetti with courgettes, rosemary and ricotta Read more Details

I saw the BBC series that launched this book. I loved the colourful photography and production of the films, even though I find Mr Stein to be a bit of a pompous, arrogant prat. This, however, is not unusual in TV chefs of a certain age, and I know from my participation on cooking forums that he appeals to a certain sector of the viewing public. However, despite my dislike of his TV persona (it's obvious in a couple of episodes that he is about to explode at his longsuffering team, and treasures a lot of idiotic memes about the India that never was), the recipes looked good enough to want the book. As a person who lives on a fixed pension, I was wise enough to wait until I could find the book secondhand for a fraction of the original price. Did you discover any essential cookware or kitchen gadgets on your travels? Have you brought any home with you? Recipes are doable and tasty. His pakora recipe is inspiring; most others are heavy on veggies as Stein tries to expand the importance of vegetarianism & Indian tradition to BBC viewers. (This is a change from his previous work as he's a 'seafood and meat guy'.

Anybody who has done business in India will know that the bureaucracy is present in every transaction. The number of permissions we needed to do anything, anywhere were mind boggling. In Calcutta, for example, we had permission to film in the streets but only if we didn’t film cows. Getting permission to visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar took months, but when we arrived at the gates they told us we couldn’t bring in our tripod as we had only obtained permission for the camera. With over 100 Spanish recipes and location photographs, this is an essential cookbook for food-lovers as well as a stunning culinary guide to a diverse country.

Whenever I hear the word curry, I’m filled with a longing for spicy hot food with the fragrance of cumin, cloves and cinnamon. I see deep red colours from lots of Kashmiri chillis, tinged with a suggestion of yellow from turmeric. I think of the tandoor oven, and slightly scorched naan shining with ghee and garlic.When Indians talk of their food, they talk about their life. To understand this country, you need to understand curry.

Someone who I was signing a book for the other day said their slogan was “you can’t hurry curry”and I think that, having experienced how Indians cook, I’ve now become even more aware of taking the time to cook something like a stew when I’m not in a hurry. It always makes such a difference. That said, the recipes are eminently useable by anyone with any experience cooking their own food from scratch. (If you're a member of the microwave readymeal generation, start with any of Anjum Anand's books and work your way up.) These recipes are simple, delicious, and they work if you know which side of a saucepan to put the food in. Serve the vegetables and the broth in warmed bowls, topped with chunks of meat and sprinkled with the chopped parsley or celery leaves.

Thankfully, not all Brits will fall for the hype. Some British chefs do an excellent job of documenting their Indian food journey (see Gordon Ramsey's show). If you need someone to make Indian food more accessible for the Western palate, try Madhur Jaffery who does a good job. At least she knows what she is talking about! For those with a sweet tooth, it was time for a dessert dish this week with the inclusion of payasam, a sweet milk pudding with vermicelli. This one is a typical Tamil dessert and is apparently always served at local weddings. With plenty of milk, ghee and sugar this dish, like most Indian desserts, is best enjoyed in small portions! Add a layer of the chilled apple purée to 4 glasses, followed by a layer of the toasted nuts and breadcrumbs. Add another layer each of apple and breadcrumbs/nuts and then top with the whipped cream and the remaining toasted hazelnuts. Everyone you met in India spoke with such passion and pride of their food. Was there one person who stood out to you most as embodying the spirit of Indian cooking? Some of us in Britain are probably also a little guilty of finding curries made with goat meat a little off-putting. Whereas Indians much prefer goat to lamb, and use it in what they call mutton curry. The Cochin first-class railway mutton curry that featured tonight is actually made using lamb shanks, but is full of flavour and fragrance from marinating over night and cooking long and slow.Heat the oven to 140°C/gas 1. Process the slices of bread to crumbs in a food processor. Spread over a large baking tray and bake for 12- 15 minutes, stirring halfway through, until uniformly dried but not browned. Trim the meat and remove any excess fat, then place in a large pan, cover with the water and bring slowly to the boil, skimming away any froth that rises to the surface. Lower the heat and simmer gently, with a lid on the pan, for 35 minutes. Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.