Pilau rice, cucumber
raita and Chicken Tikka Jalfrezi.
Commercially packaged curry leaves
Curry (from Tamil: கறி) is the English description of any of a general variety
of spicy dishes, best-known in Indian, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Nepali, Indonesian, Malaysian, Pakistani, Thai, and other South Asian and Southeast Asian cuisines, though curry has been adopted into all of the mainstream cuisines of the
Asia-Pacific region. Along with tea, curry is one of the few
dishes or drinks that is truly "Pan-Asian", but specifically, its roots come from
India. The concept of curry was later brought to the West by British colonialists in India from
the 18th century. Dishes that are often classified as curries in Europe and America are rarely considered curries in their native
countries.
Curries around the world
The term curry is most likely an anglicized name for the Kari derived from the usage of "Kari" in the South
Indian language Tamil to connotate any secondary dish eaten with rice[citation needed]. In addition, curry leaves, known by the Tamil word 'Karuvapillai' (literally
meaning black/dark leaf) which is an aberration of 'kari-veppilai' in Tamil is used in various kinds of dishes common in
Tamil Nadu, South India made with vegetables or meat and usually eaten with rice.[1] The term curry
(meaning a stew) was 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. The
term is now used more broadly, especially in the Western world, to refer to almost any
spiced, sauce-based dishes cooked in various south and southeast Asian styles. In Kerala, though each curry has a specific name,
generically any side dish is historically referred to as a 'curry'--especially those yellow, Indian-inspired powders and sauces
with high proportions of turmeric. Not all curries are made from curry powder; in India the word curry is heavily used in the southern part of India in languages like
Tamil. The term is rarely used in the north; commercial spice mixes analagous to curry
powder are called Garam masala in Hindi, Nepali and probably other North Indian
languages. Most dishes involving lentils or dried beans are called dal, or 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 a particular north Indian and Pakistani dish which is given the name
curry or kadi and utilizes yoghurt, ghee, and besan. Ironically, this particular dish is not well-known outside of Pakistan and India.[citation needed]. In Northern India and Pakistan, the
word "curry" usually means "gravy," likely because it sounds similar to the word "tari" (which means "gravy" in many North Indian
and Pakistani languages)[2]. Bengali dishes called
"Torkari" or vegetables stewed or dry in gravy is another potential source for the anglicized "curry" since the British
occupation of India started in Bengal before Madras. Another theory is the root word for curry is "Kadahi" or Karahi," denoting the cooking vessel used in Indian kitchens.
Andhra or Telugu Cuisine
-
Andhra Pradesh, one of the four states of south India, has its own cuisine which is called Andhra Curry. In fact, the main
dish of Andhra/Telugu cuisine is called "Koora" in Telugu. There are again regional variations in Andhra pradesh cuisine.
Telangana, which is in the west Andhra Pradesh, has dishes like Ambali, jonna rotte (Jowar Bread), Sajja Rotte (bread from sajja
grains), and biryani (which is mainly influenced by Islamic culture). Coastal districts have their variations such as Gongura
koora, chepala pulusu (fish soup), and bandhar laddu (sweet dish). But there are certain dishes which are popular in all regions
of Andhra pradesh like biryani, upma, uppudi pindi, idli, vada, dosa, sambar, minapa attlu and appadam, which is more commonly
known as Poppadam in the west.
Bengali cuisine
-
Bengali cuisine includes a plethora of curries that are little known to the outside world. They are known for their extreme
spicyness. Authentic Bengali recipes are difficult to find outside of Bengali kitchens, although certain dishes are popular, for
example, the jhalfrezis and the prawn malai curry. Seafood and fresh fish are a great favourite with Bengalis, and a dazzling
array of curries have been devised to cook these meats. Mustard seeds are added to many recipes, so are poppy seeds, and these
are flavours highly unique to the Bengali curries. Unlike other Indian curries, Bengali curries differ from the later derived
recipes in depending on the addition of spices and herbs, as well as fresh ginger and garlic during different stages of cooking
to bring out the final flavour. In contrast, the use of prepared curry pastes cover only a small part of the flavour added.
Kannada cuisine
-
The curries of Karnataka typically have a lot more dal compared to curries of other parts of India. Some typical curry dishes
include Saaru, Gojju, Thovve, Huli, Majjige Huli, Sagu or Kootu which is eaten mixed with hot
rice.
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 are heavily spiced. 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), Papadum, 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 is mainly based upon Wheat,
masalas (spice blends), pure desi ghee, with liberal amounts of butter and cream.
There are certain dishes which are exclusive to Punjab, such as Maha Di Dal and Saron Da Saag (Sarson Ka Saag). Sandeep Bhateja,
the world famous curry chef from Agra, India, is renowned for incorporating various roots
into exotic curry dishes.
Tamil cuisine
-
Tamil cuisine's distinctive flavor and aroma is achieved by a blend and combination of
spices, including curry leaves, tamarind, coriander, ginger,
garlic, chili, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, cumin, fennel or anise seeds, fenugreek seeds, nutmeg,
coconut, turmeric root or powder, and rosewater. Lentils, vegetables and
dairy products are essential accompaniments, and are often served with rice. Traditionally,
vegetarian foods dominate the menu with a range of non-vegetarian dishes, including freshwater fish and seafood, cooked with
traditional Tamil spices and seasoning.
Other Indian cuisines
-
In other varieties of Indian cuisine, kadhi is a gravy - made by stirring yoghurt into a roux of
ghee and besan. The spices added vary, but usually include
turmeric and black mustard seed. It is often eaten with
rice.
Other South Asian cuisines
Pakistani cuisine
-
- Further information: Punjabi 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
-
- Further information: Bengali cuisine
Bangladeshi cuisine has considerable regional variations. It includes lots of Bengals cuisine but are known more for their
original spicyness compared to Indian Bengali Cuisine. The heavy use of coconut milk is refined to the district of Khulna and
Kommilla. A staple across the country is rice and dhal. As a large
percentage of the land in Bangladesh (over 80% on some occasions) can be under water, fish is the
major source of protein in the Bangladeshi diet. The widely popular British curry dish
chicken tikka masala was likely produced by Sylheti
chefs.
Sri Lankan cuisine
-
Sri Lankan cuisine mostly consists of rice and curry meals, and revolves heavily
around seafood.
British cuisine
- Further information: British cuisine and Anglo-Indian cuisine
In British cuisine, the word curry was primarily used to denote a sauce-based dish flavoured with curry powder or a paste made from the powder and oils. However, the resurgence of interest in 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 for convenience.
The first curry recipe in Britain appeared in The Art of Cookery made Plain and
Easy by Hannah Glasse in 1747.[3] The first edition of her book used only pepper and coriander seeds for seasoning of 'currey'. By the
fourth edition of the book other relatively common ingredients of turmeric and ginger were used. The use of hot spices was not mentioned, which reflected the limited use of chili in India —
chili plants had only been introduced into India around late 15th century and at that time
was only popular in southern India. Many curry recipes are contained in 19th-century cookbooks such as those of Charles Elme Francatelli and Mrs Beeton. In
Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, a recipe for
curry powder is given that contains coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne, mustard, ginger, allspice and fenugreek; although she
notes that it is more economical to purchase the powder at 'any respectable shop'.[4]
The popularity of curry in the general public was enhanced by the invention of 'Coronation chicken' to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Curry sauce (or
curry gravy) is a British use of curry as a condiment, usually served warm with traditional British fast food dishes such
as chips. Curry sauce occasionally would include sultanas.
The popularity of curry in the UK encouraged the growth of Indian restaurants. Until the early 1970s more than three quarters
of Indian restaurants in Britain were identified as being owned and run by people of Bengali
origin. Most 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[5] but in 2003 this figure declined to just over
65%.[6] Currently the dominance of Bangladeshi restaurants
is generally declining in some parts of London and the further north one travels. In
Glasgow there are more restaurants of Punjabi origin than
any other.[7]
Regardless of the ethnic origin of a restaurant's ownership, the menu will often be influenced by the wider Indian subcontinent (sometimes including Nepalese dishes), and
sometimes cuisines from further afield (such as Persian dishes). Some British variations
on Indian food are now being exported from the UK to India.[citation needed] British-style curry restaurants are also popular in Canada, 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".[8] 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 British Curry House
There are establishments serving authentic Indian food in Britain. There have been Indian restaurants in Britain for many
years.
Many British 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 characterized 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 sautéed 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[citation needed]. Ground coriander seed is widely used as a thickening agent, and turmeric is added
for colour and its digestive qualities.
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 likely 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.
- Korma/Kurma - mild, yellow in colour, with almond and coconut powder
- Curry - medium, brown, gravy-like sauce
- Dupiaza/Dopiaza - medium curry the word means "double onion"
referring to the boiled and fried onions used as its primary ingredient.
- Pasanda - a mild curry sauce made with cream,
coconut milk, and almonds.
- Roghan Josh (from "Roghan" (fat) and "Josh" (energy/heat - which as in English may refer
to either 'spiciness' or temperature)) - medium, with tomatoes
- Bhuna - medium, thick sauce, some vegetables
- Dhansak - medium/hot, sweet and sour sauce with lentils (originally a Parsi dish). This dish often also contains pineapple.
- Madras - fairly hot curry, red in colour and with heavy use of chili powder
- Pathia - generally similar to a Madras with lemon juice and tomato purée
- Jalfrezi - onion, green chili and a thick sauce
- Vindaloo - this is generally regarded as the classic "hot" restaurant curry, although a
true Vindaloo does not specify any particular level of spiciness. The name has European origins, derived from the Portuguese
"vinho" (wine) and "alho" (garlic)
- Phaal - extremely hot.
- Tindaloo - Extremely hot in a similar vein to Phaal. Generally only found around Bradford and
the north in general.
- Samber - confined to North West England - with lemon juice and lentils.
- Afghan - with chickpeas.
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 thought to have been developed in Birmingham,
England[9] which has
spread to other western countries.
South East Asian cuisines
Indonesian cuisine
-
In Indonesian, gulai and kari or kare is based on curry. They are often highly localised and reflect the meat and vegetables
available. They can therefore employ a variety of meats (chicken, beef, water buffalo and goat as in the flavoursome 'gulai
kambing'), seafood (prawn, crab, mussel, clam, squid etc), fish or vegetable dishes in a spiced sauce. They use local ingredients
such as chilli peppers, Kaffir lime leaves, lemon
grass, Galangal, Indonesian bay leaves or salam leaves,
candlenuts, turmeric, shrimp
paste (terasi), cumin, coriander seed and coconut milk. One popular curry is rendang from West Sumatran cuisine, not Malaysia as is claimed in many British restaurants. Authentic rendang
uses water buffalo slow-cooked in thick coconut milk over a number of hours to tenderise and flavour the meat. In Aceh, curries
use daun salam koja or daun kari (translated as 'curry leaves')
Malaysian cuisine
-
Being at the crossroad of the ancient trade routes has left a unique mark on the Malaysian cuisine. Practically everything on
the Asian menu can be found here, and the local fare is also a reflection of its multi-cultural, multi-ethnic heritage. While the
curry may have initially found its way to Malaysian shores via the Indian population, it has since become a staple among the
Malays and Chinese too. Malaysian curries differ from state to state, even within similar ethnic groupings as they are influenced
by the many factors, be it cultural, religious, agricultural or economical.
Malaysian curries typically use curry powders rich
in turmeric, coconut milk, shallots, ginger, belacan (shrimp paste), chilis, and garlic.
Tamarind is also often used. Rendang is another form of curry consumed in Malaysia, although it
is drier and contains mostly meat and more coconut milk than a conventional Malaysian curry. All sorts of things are curried in
Malaysia, including goat, chicken, shrimp, cuttlefish, fish, fish head, aubergine, eggs, and mixed vegetables. So rich and
different are the flavours that today Malaysian-themed restaurants are mushrooming globally from Canada to Australia, and
Malaysian curry powders too are now much sought-after internationally.
Thai cuisine
-
In Thai cuisine, curries are meat, fish or vegetable dishes in a spiced sauce. They use local ingredients such as chili
peppers, Kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass,
Galangal 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 chilis while green curries use green chilis. Yellow curries are more similar to
Indian curries, with their use of turmeric and cumin. Yellow
curries 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.
Cambodian cuisine
-
Laotian cuisine
-
Burmese cuisine
-
-
-
- South Vietnam also has a love for curry dishes. Our curry chicken dishes can either have coconut milk and taste similar to
the Thai curries, or have no coconut milk and resemble more of the Caribbean curry chicken dishes. We usually eat curry chicken
with rice.
-
-
- Another popular curry in South Vietnam is the beef brisket or beef tail curry. The beef curry stews are very broth like and
have cassava, carrots, cinnimon sticks, onions, and spices in them. Very very soup like and goes well with French bread to dip.
Taste good with rice also.
East Asian cuisines
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 Subcontinental 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 categorized 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, pork, beef and chicken are the
most popular, in order of decreasing popularity. In northern and eastern Japan including Tokyo,
pork is the most popular meat for curry. Beef is more common in western Japan, including Osaka,
and in Okinawa chicken is favored.[10]
Sometimes the curry-rice is topped with breaded pork cutlet (tonkatsu); this is called
Katsu-karē (カツカレー). Korokke (コロッケ) are also a common topping.
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.
Korean cuisine
Korean curry is called kare (카레} in Korean.
Elsewhere
Other countries have their own varieties of curry, well known examples include:
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 the West Indies, curry is a very popular dish. The indentured servants that were brought over from India by different European powers, brought this
dish, as well as their culture, to the West Indies.
Cambodia, Hawaii, the United
States, Myanmar, mainland China, South Korea, Singapore and Vietnam also
have their own versions of curry.
Curry addiction
A number of studies have claimed that the reaction of pain receptors to the hotter ingredients in curries, even
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.[1] 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. And since medicine has not shown any harmful effects of curry
consumption, the use of the word "addiction" is highly contestable.
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. Most
commercial curry powders available in Britain, the U.S. and Canada rely heavily on ground turmeric, in turn producing a very
yellow sauce. Lesser ingredients in these Western yellow curry powders are often coriander,
cumin, fenugreek, mustard, chili, black pepper and salt. It should be reiterated that curry
powders and pastes produced and consumed in India are extremely diverse; some red, some yellow, some brown; some with five spices
and some with as many as 20 or more. Besides the previously mentioned spices, other commonly found spices in different curry
powders in India are allspice, white pepper, ground mustard, ground ginger, cinnamon, roasted cumin, cloves, nutmeg, mace, green
cardimom seeds or black cardimom pods, bay leaves, corriander seeds.
Drinks with curry
Non-alcoholic
Lassi is a yogurt based drink that is consumed with curry.
Tea Hot or iced , is often drunk with curry.
Alcoholic
- Lager is a popular accompaniment to curry, particularly in the United Kingdom
- Wine is increasingly popular with curry especially amongst those that seek something refreshing
and alcoholic without the added gas of a lager. Wine for Spice[11] produced a range of refreshing wines developing on the cold-lager-with-curry concept. The
Charmat method naturally second-fermented semi-sparkling wine is recommended lager-cold but unlike a lager the gas is natural. Mass-produced lager
has carbon dioxide injected into it, producing larger bubbles than a second fermentation
would.
Wine for Spice's formula for Matching Wine with Curry is: naturally
second-fermented semi-sparkling wine; lager-cold;
good acidity; no tannin; no oak chips; moderate alcohol; sweetness of wine rising with
chili heat.
See also
References
External links
Further reading
- K.T. Achaya. A Historical Dictionary of Indian Food (Delhi: Oxford University Press) 1998
- Indian Food: A Historical Companion. (Delhi: Oxford University Press) 1994
- David Burton. The Raj at Table (London: Faber & Faber) 1993
- E.M. Collingham. Curry: A biography (London: Chatto & Windus) 2005
- Madhur Jaffrey. An Invitation to Indian Cooking (London: Penguin) 1975
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