Instead, they have been forced to spend extra time and money training staff from within the EU who have little or no knowledge of Indian cuisine.

Mr Chowdhury, whose four chefs are all Indian nationals, said it had become increasingly difficult to recruit staff trained in traditional curry making.

“We now have to look for most of our staff within the EU and it can be difficult because many of the chefs who come for interviews have no real experience of an Indian kitchen, which is quite different to a European or a Mediterranean one.

“We have had a number of bad experiences with people we spent time training leaving after a few weeks because they couldn’t cope.

“I am worried that the new rules will badly affect the Indian food industry, which is very popular in Scotland and here in Dundee.”

In a bid to forestall future problems, Mr Chowdhury said he had become committed to teaching all his staff the basics of Indian food.

“I make sure that even my front-of-house staff spend time in the kitchen so they see first hand how each dish is prepared,” he said.

“It is important that they understand each ingredient so that they can answer questions from customers and it also gives them much more passion about their work.”

Mr Hameed said that now more than ever he relied on being able to bring in staff from abroad.

“We’ve definitely been finding it harder and harder to find skilled staff,” he said.

“Youngsters are not aspiring to work with their family in the curry industry so we’re not getting new blood into the business.

“The family tradition is not being upheld, as the job entails hard work, long hours and the pay isn’t great, so there is a real shortage,” he added.

Just a year ago, Enam Ali, founder of the British Curry Awards, told First Minister Alex Salmond that unless Indian restaurants were given help to fill job vacancies in their kitchens the shortage of skilled staff threatened the future of the £3.2 billion industry.

He explained that not only would the skill level go down, but the price of meals could increase quite substantially.

“Where once we were able to turn to the subcontinent to find talented chefs brought up with the spices and cooking methods that make a great curry, we now have to try to fill all the vacancies from within the EU countries,” he said.

Mr Hameed said the points system to gain entry into the country meant it was very difficult to bring in people from abroad.

“We end up employing eastern European guys who have no previous experience on how to create Indian dishes.

“It’s not something they’ve eaten all their life, so creating and using their imagination with spices doesn’t come naturally.

“In time, I’m sure there will be courses that people can study on cooking Indian food but until then we, as an industry, are bearing the full brunt of these tough laws on immigration.

“The public will have to pay the increased wages that those with the necessary skills in creating Indian dishes can demand. The price of everything will go up to afford good staff. A typical meal of say £5 could end up costing £10 to cover costs.”

A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said today, “The Scottish Government welcomed the Migration Advisory Committee including skilled chefs on its Shortage Occupation List.

“This results in skilled chefs receiving extra points under the Home Office’s new points-based immigration system, meaning it should be easier for employers to recruit such individuals from overseas.

“We would encourage employers to make representation to the Home Office on any difficulties they are experiencing in negotiating the new system.”