It's Thursday! So it must be time for another curry-related slap to the chops for all members of the curry brotherhood. And this week is a very special week indeed as we take a currypedia look at something which is dear to all our hearts – the potato.

Why is it such an important element of Indian cuisine? Well, the non-violent philosophy of Ahimsa has a strong influence within the religions of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jain – so it's literally bad karma to slaughter animals. India is therefore a largely vegetarian country, with less than 30% of the population being regular meat eaters. But this was not always the case ...

The potato is not native to India nor – despite what the Irish would have you believe – Europe. Our favourite tuber actually originates in the Americas. First introduced to Europe in 1536, the potato is believed to have been first brought to India by the Portugese sometime around the year 1600 whereupon it changed its name to "aloo" ... and never looked back. Much like our very own Ewan.

Enough of the history lesson, though ... what about the tasty dishes? The Tramp's favourite pakora in the world are those crafted in the mighty Shish Mahal (the real one, mind), where the key ingredients are potato and (much to Trampy's chagrin) cauliflower. Described as "vegetable" on the menu (as opposed to the "ordinary" pakora), I'd highly recommend them to any starter fan. Mr Ali's very own special pakora secrets can be found in the must-have Shish Mahal Cook Book along with some awesome recipes for Bombay Potato and Methi Aloo.