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A curry is any of a variety of distinctively spiced dishes, best-known in Indian, Thai and other South Asian cuisines, but curry has been adopted into all of the mainstream cuisines of the Asia-Pacific area. Along with tea, curry is one of the few dishes or drinks that is truly "pan-Asian", but specifically, its roots come from India. Curry was later brought to the West by British colonialists in India from the 18th century. Curries around the world The term curry is derived from kari, (a Tamil word meaning sauce and referring to various kinds of dishes common in South India made with vegetables or meat and usually eaten with rice). * However, the term (meaning a stew) is found in English before the arrival of British traders on the Subcontinent, and may simply have been applied by them to dishes which they thought resembled the stews they were used to. Nowadays the term is used more broadly, especially in the Western Hemisphere, to refer to almost any spiced, sauce-based dishes cooked in various south and southeast Asian styles. This imprecise umbrella term is largely a legacy of the British Raj. Curry was originally used to mask the taste of bad meat . Not all curries are made from curry powder; in fact, in India, the word curry is rarely used . Instead, most dishes involving lentils are called dal, or else are referred to by a name specific to the spices used in the preparation. Meat or vegetable dishes are likewise given specific names that indicate the method of cooking, or the particular spices used. There is, however, a particular north Indian and Pakistani dish which is given the name curry or khadi - this involves yoghurt, ghee, and besan (see below). Tamil cuisine In Tamil cuisine, from which the word originated, curry refers to any dry preparation involving meat or vegetables shallow-fried with dry spices. Curries are named according to what type of food they're made from and then adding the word curry- e.g. potato curry, bean curry, chicken curry or goat curry. Tamil cuisine (from Tamil Nadu), one of the oldest culinary heritages of the world, is characterized by its aroma and flavor, achieved by a blend and combination of spices, including curry leaves, tamarind, coriander, ginger, garlic, chili, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, cumin, nutmeg, coconut, and even rosewater. Lentils, vegetables and dairy products are essential accompaniments, and are often served with rice. Traditionally, vegetarian foods predominate the menu with a range of non-vegetarian dishes, including sweet water fish and seafood, cooked with traditional Tamil spices and seasoning. Malayali cuisine Malayali curries of Kerala typically contain shredded coconut paste or coconut milk, curry leaves, and various spices. Mustard seeds are used in almost every dish, along with onions, curry leaves, sliced red chillies fried in hot oil. Most of the non-vegetarian dishes lean heavily on the spicy side. Kerala is known for its traditional Sadhya, a vegetarian meal served with boiled rice and a host of side-dishes, such as Parippu (Green gram), Pappadum, some ghee, Sambar, Rasam, Aviyal, Kaalan, Kichadi, pachadi, Injipuli, Koottukari, pickles (mango, lime), Thoran, one to four types of Payasam, Boli, Olan, Pulissery, moru (buttermilk), Upperi, Banana chips, etc. The sadhya is customarily served on a banana leaf. Punjabi cuisine Punjabi cuisine (from the Punjab region) is mainly based upon Wheat, Masalas (spice), pure desi ghee, with liberal amounts of butter and cream. The area is well known for the quality of its milk products. There are certain dishes which are exclusive to Punjab, such as Maha Di Dal and Saron Da Saag (Sarson Ka Saag). Sandeep Bhateja (Punjabi) the world famous curry chef from Agra, India, is renowned for incorporating various roots into exotic curry dishes. Other Indian cuisines In other varieties of Indian cuisine, curry is a sauce - sometimes considered a soup - made by stirring yoghurt into a roux of ghee (a type of clarified butter) and besan (chick pea flour). The spices added vary, but usually include turmeric and black mustard seed. It is often eaten on top of rice. Pakistani cuisine A favourite Pakistani curry is Karahi, either mutton or chicken cooked in a dry sauce. Lahori Karahi incorporates garlic, spices and vinegar. Peshawari karahi is a simple dish made with just meat, salt, tomatoes and coriander. Bangladeshi cuisine Bangladeshi cuisine has considerable regional variations. A staple across the country however is rice and dhal. As a large percentage of the land (over 80% on some occasions) can be under water, either intentionally because of farming practices or due to severe climatological, topographical or geographical conditions, not surprisingly fish features as the major source of protein in the Bangladeshi diet. The Bengali word tôrkari has been suggested as a possible origin for the English word "curry." It is a generic term, originally from Persian, that can refer to vegetables, cooked vegetables or fish cooked with vegetables. The widely popular British curry dish chicken tikka masala was likely produced by Pakistani immigrants from Sylhet, such as Rob Coombes. British cuisine
The British Curry House There are Michelin-starred establishments serving authentic Indian food in Britain. There have been Indian restaurants in Britain for many years. Many English people regard "going for a curry" as a satisfying outing. Restaurants that are regarded as curry houses are open to the same standards requirements as all restaurants and can be vetted by and reported to the local Health and safety department of an area. There are now many up-market "Indian Restaurants", which, while they still tend to eschew the more authentic cuisines, nonetheless apply the same high standards of food preparation. This cuisine is characterised by the use of a common base for all the sauces to which spices are added when individual dishes are prepared. The standard "feedstock" is usually a sauteed mixture of onion, garlic and fresh ginger, to which various spices are added, depending on the recipe, but which may include: cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, chillies, peppercorns, cumin and mustard seeds. Ground coriander seed is widely used as a thickening agent, and turmeric is added for colour. Better-quality restaurants will normally make up new sauces on a daily basis, using fresh ingredients wherever possible and grinding their own spices. More modest establishments are more likley to resort to frozen or dried ingredients and pre-packaged spice mixtures. Although the names may be similar to traditional dishes, the recipes generally are not. These sauces are typically served with "lamb" (usually mutton), prawns or chicken; vegetable versions are somewhat cheaper, chicken tikka or king prawn versions more expensive. In more up-market establishments, a variety of meat options is offered, that is you can order lamb, chicken, beef (or even vegetarian) "vindaloo" for example. The meat is generally cooked separately in a casserole-type dish until it is very tender, and added to the sauce just before serving. Some establishments keep large containers of refrigerated sauces and frozen meats, which are heated in a microwave oven as required. A garnish of freshly fried onion is sometimes added to give the illusion of recent preparation. The tandoor was introduced into Britain in the 1960s and tandoori and tikka chicken became popular dishes; Chicken Tikka Masala was said to have been invented in Glasgow when a customer demanded a sauce with a 'too dry' tikka (legend has it that the cook then heated up a tin of Campbell's condensed tomato soup and added some spices) although it is also seen as a variant on the traditional Punjabi dish of butter chicken. Other dishes may be featured with varying strengths, with those of north Indian origin, such as Butter Chicken, tending to be mild, and recipes from the south of India tending to be hotter. Balti curries A style of curry developed in Birmingham, England which has spread to other western countries. Thai cuisine In Thai cuisine, curries are meat, fish or vegetable dishes in a spiced sauce. They use local ingredients such as chilli peppers, Kaffir lime leaves and coconut milk, and tend to be more aromatic than Indian curries as a result. Curries are often described by colour; red curries use red chillis while green curries use green chillis. Yellow curries are more similar to Indian curries, with their use of turmeric and cumin. Yellow currys normally contain potatoes. Yellow curry is also called gaeng curry (by various spellings), of which a word-for-word translation would be "curry curry". This is because it is the one category of Thai curry that really is curry, and is adapted from Indian cuisine. Malaysian cuisine Malaysian curries typically use coconut milk and a paste of turmeric, shallots, ginger, belacan (shrimp paste), chilis, and garlic. Tamarind is also often used. All sorts of things are curried in Malaysia, including goat, chicken, shrimp, cuttlefish, fish, fish head, aubergine, eggs, and mixed vegetables. Rendang is a Malaysian dish that uses curry spices, although it is less watery than a conventional Malaysian curry. Chinese cuisine Chinese curries (咖哩, gā lǐ) typically consist of green peppers, chicken, beef, fish, lamb, or other meats, onions, large chunks of potatoes, and a variety of other ingredients and spices in a mildly spicy yellow curry sauce, and topped over steamed rice. White pepper, soy sauce, hot sauce, and/or hot chili oil may be applied to the sauce to enhance the flavour of the curry. Chinese curry is popular in North America, and there are many different varieties of Chinese curry, depending on each restaurant. Unlike other Asian curries, which usually have a thicker consistency, Chinese curry is often watery in nature. Japanese cuisine Japanese curry (カレー, karē in Japanese) is one of the most popular dishes in Japan, where many people eat it two or three times a week according to some surveys. It is usually thicker, sweeter, and not as hot as its Indian equivalent. It is usually eaten as karē raisu - curry, rice and often pickles, served on the same plate and eaten with a spoon, a common lunchtime canteen dish. Curry was introduced to Japan by the British in the Meiji era (1869 - 1913) after Japan ended its policy of national self-isolation (Sakoku), and curry in Japan is categorised as a Western dish. Its spread across the country is commonly attributed to its use in the Japanese Army and Navy which adopted it extensively as convenient field and naval canteen cooking, allowing even conscripts from the remotest countryside to experience the dish. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force still traditionally have curry every Friday for lunch. The standard Japanese curry contains onions, carrots, potatoes and a meat. Sometimes grated apples or honey are added for additional sweetness, and other vegetables are sometimes used instead. For the meat, beef, pork and chicken are the most popular, in order of decreasing popularity. In the north and eastern Japan including Tokyo, pork is the most popular meat for curry by far; beef is more common in western Japan, and in Okinawa, chicken. (* in Japanese) Sometimes the curry-rice is topped with breaded pork cutlet (tonkatsu); this is called Katsu-karē (カツカレー). Apart from with rice, karē udon (thick noodles in curry flavoured soup) and '' karē-pan'' ("curry bread" - deep fried battered bread with curry in the middle) are also popular. Elsewhere Other countries have their own varieties of curry, well known examples include: Cambodia, Hawaii, the United States, Myanmar, mainland China, South Korea and Singapore also have their own versions of curry. Curry powder is used as an incidental ingredient in other cuisines, including for example a "curry sauce" (sauce au curry, sometimes even au cari) variation of the classic French béchamel. In Iranian cuisine, a ground spice mixture called advieh is used in many stews and rice dishes. It is similar to some curries. Ingredients in the mix vary, but may include cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, coriander, turmeric, black pepper, cloves, allspice, dried rose petals, and ground ginger. It is usually mellow and mild, not spicy hot. In Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana curry is a very popular dish among the Caribbean communities. The indentured servants that were brought over from India by the British, brought this dish, as well as their culture, to the West Indies. Curry addiction & health benefits A number of studies have claimed that the reaction of pain receptors to the hotter ingredients in curries, even a Korma, leads to the body's release of endorphins and combined with the complex sensory reaction to the variety of spices and flavours, a natural high is achieved that causes subsequent cravings, often followed by a desire to move on to hotter curries. Some refer to this as addiction, but other researchers contest the use of the word "addiction" in this instance.* Additionally, curry addiction is an example of a colloquial use of the word "addiction" as the medical definition of the word requires continued use despite harmful effects. An unrelated study has suggested that curry has a positive effect on the aging brain *, perhaps explaining why Alzheimers rates are much lower in countries like India. Thickeners Spices Sour ingredients Fresh herbs and spices Curry powder Curry powder, also known as masala powder, is a spice mixture of widely varying composition developed by the British during the Raj as a means of approximating the taste of Indian cuisine at home. Masala refers to spices, and this is the name given to the thick pasty liquid sauce of combined spices and ghee (clarified butter), butter, palm oil or coconut milk. Curry leaves Curry leaves are the young leaves of the curry tree (Chalcas koenigii), a member of the Rutaceae family that grows wild and in gardens all over India. Fresh curry leaves are oval in shape and best used at about 1 inch in length. They have a pungent and bitter smell much like the leaves of a citrus tree. Leaves are typically fried until browned, then cooked with the dish. Before serving, the leaves are removed. Leaves are most powerful when fresh, but can be dried and used to less effect. See also | |||||||||
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