A Sunderland husband and wife team have recently launched their very own national curry club business, on the back of their lockdown success.
Kam and Nedhi Chera set up the Funky IndianWali at their Roker home, and offer an authentic Indian food delivery service along with their own special spice mixes to food lovers across the region. From requests locally to further afield, as clients testimonials and repeat orders kept flooding in, Kam and Nedhi decided to take the success of the venture and offer it nationally. They are now offering a curry club subscription service, with monthly deliveries of spice mixes, snacks and easy-to-follow recipes. Kam, who has had a number of successful restaurants in the city, including Amore and the Funky Indian, before he was forced to give them up due to ill health, is excited with this latest venture and loves the fact that he can work with his wife on this project. Kam told us: “Nedhi has always been a great cook but the recipes she uses are ones that are passed down from generation to generation so they are all authentic as well as healthy. The food that we create is healthy Indian food, nothing like some of the heavy, oily dishes that are often associated with this Indian cuisine.” The couple realised the potential after Nedhi took part in a food festival a couple of years ago, where her masterclass gained her a huge audience and people asking her for her recipes. Being trapped at home for most of the past year meant that the couple were able to really work on their unique spice packs and recipes, as well as offering an at home delivery service. The Funky IndianWali Curry Club, which costs £40 for a three month subscription, including free postage has been a great success, with subscribers receiving a box each month, with options for vegetarian choices, all of which include a main course curry spices, a recipe and two kinds of Indian snacks. Dishes that subscribers can make range from Lamb Railway Curry to Nedhi’s Butter Chicken to nonmeat creations such as Masala Gobhi – a whole cauliflower baked in a spice sauce. Nedhi concluded: “What we’re offering is the kind of food that we would eat at home, genuine Indian food that is cooked with passion and authenticity. All that needs adding is some staple ingredients that, if people haven’t already got them at home, can easily be bought on the high street. We believe this is a great way for people to have a great experience with us, improve their cooking skills and learn about real Indian cookery using gluten free, vegan friendly and 100 per cent natural products