The Lancashire Telegraph is on the hunt to find the county's "Best Curry House".

The area has some of the best curry houses in the country rivalling Manchester and Bradford and Birmingham.

They are visited by diners from across the North West but who do you want to see crowned the "king or queen of curry?"

It could be a restaurant that regularly serves up some tasty dishes every time you visit, a takeaway that has a "legendary" status, or a restaurateur who knows their customers by name and always go above and beyond for diners.

Nominations open today (Monday, October 14) and close on Sunday, October 20. You have one week to submit your vote.

We will then unveil the top 10 who will be featured in the Lancashire Telegraph. 

Nominate your favourite curry house online by visiting www.surveymonkey.com/r/LTBEST

The competition is open to businesses based in Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn, Pendle, Burnley, Rossendale and the Ribble Valley boroughs.

The first curry takeaways opened in East Lancashire back in the 1960s. The Khyber on Victoria Street is believed to be one of the first to open.

In the 1970s a growing number began to cater to the wider community and became licensed. Throughout the 80s and 90s the nation fell in love with the curry, with many classing the chicken tikka masala as the most popular dish on the menu.

At the turn of the century a growing number of "curry brands" were born and soon launched in towns and cities across the county. During the past 20 years, Blackburn has seen the biggest growth with plush restaurants taking up prime locations in the town.

Alongside these, fusion restaurants have aimed to bring a touch of Indian street food to the country.

While fast-food takeaways have seen the biggest growth, the humble curry house remains a firm favourite.

Thankfully, some of the longest-running eat-in takeaways are still around and serving up some of the most mouth-watering curries.

Richard Duggan, Newsquest’s Regional Editor North West and Editor of the Lancashire Telegraph said: "This is a brilliant opportunity to celebrate local businesses.

"With so many curry restaurants across East Lancashire, this is your chance to champion the best out there."