I presume OP thinks that "curry" = vindaloo and that Indian children spend their entire childhood in a perpetual state of digestive distress. I add my voices to the ones who are amazed that their response to "Your child tried some new food (and vegetables!) and really liked it!" wasn't "WOW! I never would have thought it, but that's GREAT!" Or, at the very least, "Gosh, I'm surprised! I would have thought curry would be a bit spicy for kids. But I'm glad he liked it!" And then the Indian doctors-who-should-know-better could have explained the existence of chicken korma.
Also, LOL that the wife thinks he should drop it because a conversation would look racist.........but the boys should only play at their place.
As an aside: "Both of Neil’s parents are doctors, so this seemed like a safe decision." Wot? Doctors (i.e. people who must be actually meeting large numbers of ill people) are the LAST people I'd want to be seeing at the moment. I know they're supposed to have PPE, but inadequate provision is widely publicised and it only takes a moment of poor use or bad luck to get infected. OP clearly has a bizarre idea of what's risky in the world at the moment.