When Mohammed Iqbal Tabassum first arrived in Britain, he came across many hurdles – but he overcame them all and went on to open the largest Indian restaurant in the country.

Now aged 67, this inspirational man recently came out of retirement to open a new venture, Karahi Haven in Bradford’s Duckworth Lane, which he is co-managing with his son Majid.

The contemporary interior of the two-floor restaurant – which has attracted a flood of customers since it opened last month – is home to a traditional Asian method of cooking that takes its name from the wok-like vessel in which dishes are made.

The 60-cover restaurant takes its name from a karahi, the round, two-handled pan widely used in Pakistan and India to prepare Balti dishes. “It is cooked in a special way and has a distinctive taste,” says Mohammed.

Dishes created by the three-strong team of chefs include many varieties of karahi, as well as traditional Asian fare including masala, korma and jalfrezi.

A former supervisor in the construction industry, Mohammed arrived in England in 1963, aged 21, but could not find work in the same trade.

“I had a work visa for building work but I could not get the sort of job I was doing in Pakistan,” he recalls. “And I could not speak much English, which made getting a job harder.”

Determined, he found work as a weaver in a textile mill in Heckmondwike. “I’d never done that type of work before,” he says. “It was dusty and busy.”

Looking for further opportunities, he applied for a Hackney carriage licence and became the first Asian driver in Kirklees to hold one. He went on to build up two successful taxi companies which he sold in the late 1970s.

Mohammed pooled his talents with his brother Parvaiz, who had opened an Indian restaurant in Dewsbury, but carried on seeking business opportunities, opening a grocer’s shop in Bradford, and driving a taxi in the city.

But he felt there was something missing within the restaurant trade, and wanted to create “something very special.” That something was the spectacular, 860-cover Aakash restaurant created from the former Providence Chapel in Cleckheaton. The pinnacle of his career came in 2001when the premises were opened by the Duke of Kent.

“It was such a wonderful feeling when it opened,” says Mohammed, who has four grown-up children and seven grandchildren, “It is such a beautiful building.”

Information technology expert Majid, 38, also worked at the Aakash, in the offices. Six months ago, they were chatting and decided they would like to go back into business. “We thought we would open a small restaurant together. We thought we could pool our experience to manage the business.”

Mohammed, who lives in Bradford, is pleased to be involved once again in the restaurant trade. “Even though I’ve done it before, it is exciting to be starting again with my son. We hope it will be a success.”