It was my first real outing since undergoing a hip replacement at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre and I was excited. I had been reluctant to accept at first, assuming that someone entering a student training restaurant using walking sticks might prove a bit of a bother, but I needn't have worried. The talented young catering students looking after the 60 guests assembled at Oxford and Cherwell Valley College's Waterside Restaurant couldn't have been more helpful. They did everything possible to make me comfortable.

The aim of the evening was to show us all how skilfully they could cook and serve an authentic Indian meal, with all the trimmings. Chefs and cooks of my generation, who were trained at the Oxford Catering College in the 1960s, will remember that the curriculum revolved around the classic cuisine of master chefs from the 19th century such as Augustus Escoffier and Antonin Carme, with a few of the economical recipes which had evolved during the Second World War thrown in for good measure.

Although we were given a token introduction to other cuisines, and curries were included on our menus from time to time, we weren't taught to cook them according to classic techniques and we were certainly not introduced to the glorious aromatic spices required to create an authentic curry. In those days, our store cupboard contained just three types of premixed curry powder mild, hot and very hot.

Fresh ginger, saffron and coriander leaves were unheard of. Our flavours were enhanced with handfuls of sultanas, sliced apple and desiccated coconut and (I'm ashamed to admit) tasted more like a peppery stew than a curry. The hard-boiled eggs and sliced bananas served with them in little side dishes did nothing to improve the flavour.

Thanks to Amjed Ali, the owner of Saffron, a popular Indian restaurant in the Banbury Road, today's trainee chefs at the Oxford and Cherwell Valley College, in the Oxpens, are getting a chance to create the real thing, using all the authentic Indian spices and herbs. The dinner I attended was proof they knew how to handle these ingredients and master the basics of Indian cookery.

Amjed has visited the college many times and is now looking to develop a long-term partnership with the lecturers there. He aims to encourage the trainee chefs to expand their horizons and gain the skills required to create authentic spiced dishes, such as the ones cooked in his restaurant, and is prepared to give them the training that will make this possible.

He believes that it's vital for today's young trainees to understand how food is cooked in other countries, which is why he and his head chef Junab Ali supervised the entire event that I attended. Besides, he is conscious that businesses such as his, which rely on highly skilled staff, should put something into their training.

As he explained: "By becoming involved with the catering students at the college I feel we are putting something back and, in doing so, helping to train the chefs and waiters of tomorrow."

The event began with the traditional pappadoms and chutney mixes, followed by a mix of chicken tikka, onion bhajis and a suffiyanni kebab. The main course consisted of chicken tikka massala, the Anglicised Indian dish which some now consider Britain's national dish, lamb bhuna, which makes much of green peppers and tomatoes, vegetable rogan josh, and a dish of aromatic spiced spinach and potatoes. Halwa, a delightfully sweet dish created from semolina, was served for dessert.

Catering studies at the Oxford and Cherwell Valley College cover a wide range of skills, including specialist kitchen and larder and pastry courses. But this is the first time that a group selected from the 130 students training there has been able to work with an Indian chef from one of Oxford's leading restaurants.

Their response was positive. They all felt it gave them a taste of how things were in the real world where chefs called on for far more seasonings than salt and pepper to transform the raw ingredients into a gourmet feast. Some students went as far as to suggest this event, and their introduction to the Indian cuisine, was the best thing that had happened to them since they began their training.

I was particularly impressed by the enthusiasm shown by student Martin Williams, who is profoundly deaf. In my day, a student with a disability such as this wouldn't have stood a chance of gaining a place at a catering college and being trained as a chef. Today, Martin's dream of becoming a chef is becoming a reality.

Now in his final year, he has been assigned an interpreter who works alongside him during his training sessions, providing one-to-one tuition throughout. While he accepts that he will continue to face more difficulties than his fellow students, everyone who has worked with Martin during his time at the college is convinced he will cope well once he has graduated.

Kate Howes, his interpreter, sees Martin's success as a positive example of the way things can work for students who are profoundly deaf these days. She said: "Despite his hearing difficulties, his enthusiasm and willingness to learn will see him through. He is a great example of how much can be gained by a student who is given the right help and encouragement to further their talents."

The Indian meal I enjoyed was another example of what students can achieve with a little encouragement. In September a specially designed state-of-the-art training kitchen will be opening on the campus, giving the students even more to look forward to.

If you would like to enjoy a meal at the training restaurant, phone 01865 551549 for details.