Cookery writer Helen Peacocke reviews the offerings of curry competition winner Arzoo Miah

The fusion of British and Indian cuisines is becoming more and more pronounced and this is particularly evident in the dishes prepared and cooked by Oxford's number one curry chef Arzoo Miah.

Arzoo created the winning dish in the Oxford Curry Chef of the Year 2000 competition, organised by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, which took place in the training kitchens of the Oxford College of Further Education.

It was his Millennium 2000 Pigeon dish which won him this award for the second year running. It's a dish his mother used to cook when he was a young child in Bangladesh.

Pigeon is a difficult bird to cook as the flesh often dries and turns tough if only lightly grilled or roasted.

Arzoo overcomes this problem by allowing whole pigeons to cook in a lightly spiced sauce for long enough to soften the flesh and allow the spices to infuse their subtle flavours into the bird. But it was his use of strawberries which impressed the judges. By taking a seasonal English fruit and allowing it to feature as the main garnish in this dish, he has enriched a classic Bangladesh sauce with a fusion of both fresh and dried coriander and strawberries.

The result is positive. The strawberries act as a cleansing agent for the palate, allowing each mouthful to be a fresh taste experience.

His curry sauce was not hot - gone are the days when Indian meals have to be fiery and pungent to win praise, and subtle flavourings are in vogue now. This dish celebrates that fact.

Arzoo serves his pigeon with a Gujarati Cheese Pilau, containing the merest hint of spices, and garnished with grated Cheddar cheese - another Western touch which would have been out of the question a few years ago.

Last year Arzoo won with a dish garnished with lychee, mango and water melon. Next year he says he will probably use even more British fruits.