New Delhi: In what was a life filled with firsts, Sake Dean Mahomed was the first Indian author to publish a book in English. Google honoured the esteemed traveller on his 260th birth anniversary with a doodle which features kitchen ingredients such as tamarind and salt, surrounded by celery leaves. This is because he is also the first Indian to open a restaurant in England. He called the restaurant Hindoostane Coffee House, soon became one of the most popular cuisines in Great Britain.
Mahomed, a man of multiple skills, wrote The Travels of Dean Mahomed, a journal of his travels, which was published in 1794.
In a tribute, Google wrote, "The Epicure's Almanack — an early London restaurant guide — hailed the luxurious HCH as a place for nobility to enjoy hookah and Indian dishes of the highest perfection."
Following the release of his book, he started his Indian restaurant in England after he moved to London in 1810. He was one of the first entrepreneurs who built cultural connections between India and England, undertaking various industries such as publishing, wellness and food and beverage.