Curry

A curry is any of a great variety of distinctively spiced dishes, best-known in Indian and Thai cuisine, 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 are from India. Sandeep Bhateja (Punjabi) the world famous curry chef from Agra, India, is renowned for incorporating various roots into exotic curry dishes.

Curries around the world

The term curry derives 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. 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. There is a common misconception that all curries are made from curry powder or that a certain meat or vegetable is curried. In India, the word curry is in fact rarely used. Most dishes involving lentils are called dahl, or else are referred to by a name specific to the \

keyiara is the best and she loves naajuan

Bangladeshi cuisine has considerable regional variations as would be expected. A staple across the country however is rice and dhal (sometimes written as dal). 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 staples of Bangladeshi cuisine are rice, atta (a special type of whole wheat flour), and at least five dozen varieties of pulses, the most important of which are chana (bengal gram;and these are used in different forms, may be whole or after processing them in a mill that removes the skin,eg dhuli moong or dhuli urad.some times mixed with rice and excellent for digestion food called khichri similar to the chick pea but smaller and more flavorful), toor (pigeon pea or red gram), urad (black gram) and mung (green gram). Pulses are used almost exclusively in the form of dal, except chana, which is often cooked whole for breakfast and is processed into flour (besan).

Bangladeshi cuisine can generally be broken down into two distinct regional styles: Dhaka and Sylheti. The Sylheti style has been popularized in the UK in the second half of the 20th century, where there was a spurt in the development of Anglo-Indian cuisine, as families from the Sylhet division of Bangladesh migrated to London to look for work. The widely popular British curry dish chicken tikka masala was also produced by Bangladeshi immigrants from Sylhet.

British cuisine

In British cuisine, the word curry once came solely to denote a sauce-based dish flavoured with curry powder or a paste variant made with the latter and oils. However, the resurgence of interest in good food preparation in the UK in recent years has led to much more use of fresh spices such as ginger and garlic, and preparation of an initial masala from freshly ground dried spices, though pastes and powders are still frequently used when convenience is paramount.

It should be noted that the debasement of the 'British curry' as a dish solely made with 'curry powder' (which, before about the 1970s, only meant one thing, a yellow powder, consisting mostly of ground turmeric and chile powder, used to create dishes such as 'Coronation chicken') is a 20th-century phenomenon as was the ubiquitous inclusion of—for some forgotten reason—sultanas in every so-called curry. But many excellent curry recipes are contained in 19th-century cookbooks such as those of Mrs Beeton, although it is unlikely that—unlike latter-day curries—these were consumed by the British working class of the time.

As a side note, the famous curry sauce (often associated with the city of Liverpool) that is often served warm as a condiment with other dishes such as chips, was actually popularised by Chinese takeaways, not Indian restaurants, and relies heavily on ground ginger for its flavouring.

British curries are often served in Indian restaurants. Until the early 1970s, more than three quarters of Indian restaurants in Britain were identified as being owned and run by those of Pakistani origin. Most of these were run by migrants from East Pakistan, which became Bangladesh in 1971. Bangladeshi Restaurateurs overwhelmingly come from the northern city of Sylhet. Until 1998, as many as 85% of curry restaurants in the UK were Bangladeshi restaurants [1] but in 2003, this figure declined to just over 65%.[2] As of 2005, the dominance of Bangladeshi restaurants is generally declining in some parts of London and the further north one travels. The majority in Bradford and Manchester being Pakistani, Kashmiri and North Indian. In Glasgow, there are more restaurants of Punjabi origin than any other. [3]

Whatever the ethnic origin of a restaurant's ownership the menu will nearly always be influenced by the wider Indian subcontinent (sometimes including Nepalese dishes), and sometimes cuisines from further afield (such as Persian dishes). There have also been British influences; two of the most familiar dishes served in British restaurants, Chicken Tikka Masala and Balti (which is a curry designed to be eaten with a large naan), were invented in the UK (by Bangladeshi chefs). Some British variations on Indian food are now being exported from the UK to India. British-style curry restaurants are also popular in Australia and New Zealand.

In a relatively short space of time, curry has become an integral part of British cuisine, so much so that since the late 1990s, Chicken Tikka Masala has been commonly referred to as the "British national dish". It is now available (albeit in frozen, microwavable form) on Intercity rail trains, as a flavour for crisps, and even as a pizza topping.

The traditional British Curry House

Although there have been Indian restaurants in Britain for many years, and in areas with large Asian populations these have remained highly authentic, the typical high-street "curry house" until recently served a curious and almost ritualised cuisine which bore little resemblance to any real Asian dishes.

This cuisine was characterised by the use of a common base for all the sauces to which spices are added when individual dishes are prepared. Although the names may be similar to traditional dishes, the recipes generally are not.

Korma/Kurma - mild, yellow in colour, with almond and coconut powder
Curry - medium, gravy-like sauce
Rogan Josh (from "Roghan" (oil) and "Gosht" (meat)) - medium, with tomatoes
Bhuna - medium, thick sauce, some vegetables
Dhansak - medium/hot with lentils and pineapple (originally a Parsi dish)
Madras - fairly hot curry, red in colour and with heavy use of chilli powder
Pathia - generally similar to a Madras + lemon juice and tomato puree
Vindaloo - a complete corruption of the Goan 'vindalho' (wine & garlic)- instead of a delightful preserved pork in vinegar and garlic with some spicing to add taste, this is the classic "hot" restaurant curry. The name has been corrupted such that the 'aloo' has been taken to mean 'potato', so a lump of boiled potato can usually be found at the bottom of a vindaloo.
Phaal - extremely hot.

These sauces are typically served with "lamb" (usually mutton), prawns or chicken; vegetable versions are somewhat cheaper, and chicken tikka or king prawn versions more expensive.

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.

Finding good Indian food in Britain

In general, food that differs from the standard 'British Indian Restaurant' menu can be found in areas with large Asian populations. Areas where one can find good Indian food include:

The "Curry Mile" on Wilmslow Road in Rusholme, Manchester.
Brick Lane in East London
Southall in West London.
Drummond Street, near Euston station in London.
Tooting in South London, for South Indian and Sri Lankan food.
The "Balti Belt" in Birmingham
Bradford, particularly Great Horton Road
Belgrave Road in Leicester.

In London, Indian cooking is moving upmarket - there are now several Michelin-starred establishments serving excellent Indian food in luxurious surroundings.

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 their Indian counterparts 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 the Indian kind, with their use of turmeric and cumin.

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, eggplant, eggs, and mixed vegetables.

Rendang is a Malaysian dish that uses curry spices, although it is less watery than a conventional Malaysian curry.

Japanese cuisine

Japanese curry (カレー, karē in Japanese) is one of the most popular dishes in Japan. It is served in three main forms: curry (with) rice, karē udon (thick noodles) and karē-pan (bread). It is usually thicker, sweeter and not as hot as its Indian equivalent.

A wide variety of vegetables and meats are used to make Japanese curry. The basic vegetables are onions, carrots, and potatoes. Sometimes grated apples or honey are added for additional sweetness. For the meat, pork, beef and chicken are the most popular, in order of decreasing popularity. In Tokyo, pork is the most popular meat for curry by far, while in Osaka, beef is the most common. Katsu-karē is a deep-fried pork cutlet in breadcrumbs with curry sauce.

Curry was introduced to Japan during the Meiji era (1869 - 1913), at a time when India was colonised by the British. Because of that, curry in Japan is categorized as Western dish instead of an Asian dish.

Elsewhere

Other countries have their own varieties of curry, well known examples include:

Sri Lanka: Rice and curry meals
Indonesia: Rendangs, meat or chicken curries with thick brown coconut sauce.
South Africa: Cape malay curries
Caribbean: Curried goat
The Philippines: Kare-kare

Cambodia, Hawaii, the United States, Myanmar, China and Singapore also have their own versions of curry. TNC in NZ also has its own version of the mighty dish.

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 mix 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, tumeric, black pepper, cloves, allspice, dried rose petals, and ground ginger.

In Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana curry is a very popular dish among the Indo-Caribbean communities. The indentured servents that were brought over from India by the British, brought this dish, as well as their culture, to the West Indies.

Curry addiction

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.[4] 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.

Ingredients

Thickeners

Besan (chickpea/garbanzo flour)
onions/shallots
cream
coconut milk
yogurt
nuts

Spices

Sour ingredients

vinegar
tamarind
lime
amchoor (dried mango powder, also spelled 'amchur'.)

Fresh herbs and spices

garlic
ginger
coriander (cilantro) leaves
curry leaves
bay leaves
kaffir lime leaves
chillies
onion

Other

ghee (clarified butter)

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. In India, Masala is a spice of its own and is a reddish colored powder added to curries.

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 cook with the dish. Before serving, the leaves are removed. Leaves are most powerful when fresh, but can be dried and used to less effect.

External links

Vegetarian Curries, Gravies and Vegetables from India

Curry Recipes