The International Indian Chef of the Year 2005 competition, founded by Edinburgh entrepeneur Tommy Miah to promote innovation and quality in Indian cuisine, was a success from its launch at the House of Commons in 1991 by Edwina Currie. She had just been forced to resign as a Conservative government minister by a raging
public controversy over her assertion that salmonella was rife among British-produced eggs. Finalists for this year's contest were announced by Alex Salmond M.P. at a reception in the Jubilee Room, House of Commons, Westminster.

The challenge of devising an ideal four-dish Indian meal - two meat, fish, or poultry, and two vegetarian -- attracted an immediate, expert, worldwide entry. No doubt the prospect of an expenses-paid trip to Edinburgh for eight finalists played a part but the number of hopeful entrants soared from 400 in 1991 to around 5,000 at present.

The competition is unique, with free entry worldwide open to both men and women, amateur or professional, without regard to ethnic origin or nationality. The oldest finalist so far was a 69-year-old Australian businessman, the youngest a 20-year-old Chinese woman from Malaysia.

Finalists have 2 1/2 hours in the training kitchen of Edinburgh's Telford College to prepare, cook and present their meal to table. Cooking is closely monitored by judges, who taste all the dishes before awarding the title and £1,000 prize. There is a new £250 prize this year -- the Lady Fraser Prize for the best vegetarian dish.

Richard Shepherd, head of Langan's Brasserie, is chairman of a distinguished panel that includes food trade experts, writers, and consumers such as Sir Tom Farmer, Lord Fraser of Carmyllie, and Scottish National Party M.P. Alex Salmond.

Entries open in July each year, with the final in the following February. The final is followed by Edinburgh's prestigious Curry Ball, at which the title is presented. Ball profits go to the Dhaka orphanage - Sreepur Village -- founded by former British Airways hostess Pat Kerr.

YEAR 2004 WINNER

The 2004 winner, Kapil Kaushik, is a chef at a top-class Edinburgh restaurant. He liked the Scottish capital so much during a short work placement from Delhi that he returned to a permanent job a year later. Earlier winners include an Englishman who made in-flight meals for first-class airline passengers, the head chef of Britain's oldest Indian restaurant, two housewives, a Birmingham college lecturer -- and a Bangladeshi cook whose deportation was delayed to allow him to compete!

YEAR 2005 FINALISTS

The finalists for 2005 are:

Janet Anderson (40) CPL, 11 Howard Place Shelton
Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 4NN Tel: 01782-204888

Mottakin Ali (37) Anise Restaurant 1 Smithfield Road,
Wrexham, LL13 8EN Tel: 01978-261273/ 07770985030

Wasim Aslam (28) Aagrah House, Saltaire Road
Shipley, BD 18 3HN Tel: 07812-682045/ 01274-530880

Shafi Hussain (31) 75 Stoney Lane,
Winchester , Hants Tel: 01962-859606/ 078662-78577

Junko Mackenzie ( 54) 18 Duddingston Park,
Edinburgh, EH15 1JX Tel: 0131-6575569/ 07796466418

Deepak Rohilla (24) Spice Route, 18a Thames Street,
Windsor, Berks, SL4 1PL Tel: 01753-860720/ 07843-423642

Fazal Said (39) 86 Anthony Road. Alum Rock
Birmingham, B8 3AA Tel: 01232-80355/ 07837748097

The eighth finalist won a preliminary contest in Bangladesh. He is:

Mohiuddin Howladar, 22/19. Khilji Road, Mohammadpur,
Dhaka-1207 Tel: 0088-02-9128351

The final cook-out takes place at Edinburgh's Telford College on Friday, 25 February 2005.

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