A Tadcaster chef could be accused of currying favour when he was crowned the first district Curry Chef of the Year by a panel of judges.

Jamil Hussein of The Aagrah Restaurant at Steeton, near Tadcaster, tingled the tastebuds of the judging trio in the competition run by Selby District Council.

Coun Chris Metcalfe, chef Adrian Cooling and environmental health officer James McCrory selected the winner at a "cook-off" at Hazlewood Castle, assessing the two finalists on both the quality of the food and their standards of hygiene.

Mr Hussein, 34, of Bradford, said he was delighted to win the competition after ten years as a chef, but admitted that he had been very nervous beforehand.

Both chefs had just one hour to produce a main dish, rice or bread, and a supplementary side dish.

While Tariq Mahmood, of The Palace Balti at Eggborough cooked a daal-icious feast, it was Mr Hussein who was crowned king of the kormas thanks to his speciality dish of lesen chicken with pilau rice and bindi baaji.

Mr Hussein, who has worked at The Aagrah Restaurant since leaving school, will now compete in the National Curry Chef finals at the BBC Good Food Show in Birmingham on November 27.

Updated: 10:27 Thursday, July 03, 2003