Asda plans to make curry a truly British dish by growing the ingredients for a chicken tikka masala in the UK.

To establish its green credentials, Asda will test new growing techniques and set aside land to produce the UK's first commercial crop of plants and spices normally found in hotter climates.

Initial trials will concentrate on growing Doodhi, Mooli, baby aubergines and Karela in temperature-controlled glass houses in Lancashire and Lincolnshire.

Asda said the move would cut food imports and reduce the impact of transporting products from India, although it could not say how much energy would be used in heating British greenhouses.

Chris Wibberley, Asda's fresh produce technologist, said he hoped every element of the dish would be produced in the UK within the next three years."Developing home-grown ingredients makes economic sense. It would give us ownership of our food and help create new flavours," he added.