The Honourable East India Company (HEIC) was chartered on 31 December 1600 by Queen Elizabeth, making it one of the oldest corporations on earth, and in its heyday the British East India Company accounted for half the commerce on the planet. The British Union Jack was modeled from the British East India Company's banner. High on HEIC's list of prized tradewares was spices.
East India Company Early Seal
The Silk Road is sometimes also called the Spice Road, and the beating heart of it was India. Exotics like ginger, hot peppers (from Portuguese traders), cinnamon, mustard, cardamom, nutmeg/mace, and long pepper poured in by caravan from the East while Western camels brought garlic, asafoetida, fennel, caraway, cloves and fenugreek from Africa and the Near East. Most of these aromatics found fertile ground in South India itself, which was already blessed with native coriander, turmeric, cumin and black pepper.
To this day, what I remember most about my trips to India is the scent of the mélange of spices to be found everywhere.
Curry Ingredients
In India, it's called curry, but we know it as
curry powder. The reason for this is that curry powder - which combines the myriad of aromatics into a convenient blend - turns out to be a recent all-in-one invention to benefit Western connoisseurs. In mother India, curry spice ingredients are kept separate so that curry spices can be added in different parts of the cooking process.
Country |
Region/State |
Known For |
Characteristics |
India |
Goa |
Vindaloo |
Portuguese inspired dishes featuring wine and garlic. |
|
Karnataka |
Saaru soup |
Commonly vegetarian curries served with hot rice, with hints of coconut and sweet jaggery |
|
Kerala |
Sadya, served on a banana leaf |
Mustard, onion and shredded coconut paste based curries with boiled rice. |
|
Tamil Nadu |
Distinctive flavors |
Range of taste sensations expanded by the use of aromatic exotics such as tamarind and rosewater. Vegetarian, with some fresh water fish and seafood. |
|
Bengal, Bangladesh |
Oriya cuisine |
Delicately spiced fish curries in a mustard oil base. Garam masala is often used for non-vegetarian dishes. Sweets are common here. |
|
|
Maharashtra |
Shev bhaji |
Highly spiced coconut based curries featuring groundnut (peanut) powder and chickpea flour. |
|
Gujarat |
Winter undhiyu |
Dry vegetarian or paneer kofta curries. "Simple" food made by farmers. |
|
Kashmir |
Rogan josh |
Lamb curries with yoghurt gravies colored brilliant red by chilies and local plant extracts. |
Pakistan |
Lahore |
Karahi |
Simmered chicken, beef, mutton, paneer and goat stews prepared in a flat-bottomed wok called a karahi. |
|
Punjab |
Yoghurt and gram flour dumpling Kardhi |
A fruit and vegetable growing paradise. Saags and dals served with breads and rice. Onion, garlic and ginger aromatics dominate. |
|
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Pass) |
Peshawari karahi |
Dried fruits and vegetables, nuts, and cereals along with dairy yoghurts and wheys. Harsh mountainous winters in this region near Afghanistan makes fresh food hard to obtain. |
|
Sindh |
Fish salan (curry) |
Fresh fish from the Arabian Sea create particularly hot fish curry dishes eaten together with phulka flatbread. |
|
Balochistan |
Sajji |
Spice rubbed lamb sajji, along with desert dried fruits and nuts incorporated in curry stews and roasts. |
Sri Lanka |
Columbo |
Rice and curry |
A rice culture that features spicy fresh fish and vegetable curries. |
Nepal |
Kathmandu |
Yak dishes |
Influenced by neighbors Burma and Tibet, daal bhaat (lentil soup) is a staple as well as curried yak and vegetable dishes with ginger and fenugreek. Soups are prepared from the brewery remnants of rice beer. |
Maldives |
Malé |
Mas riha (tuna curry) |
Simmered diced tuna curries with onions and coconut milk. Tuna is made into a thick brown paste called rihaakuru - a cooking staple. |
Burma |
Pyu, Mon |
Kari kambing (onion mutton curry) |
Meat and fish onion and chili curries lacking in coconut milk. Oil-rich curries predominate to aid in preservation and Indian style hot curries can be found in the North. |
Indonesia |
Java, Sumatra |
Rendang (caramelized beef dry curry) |
Regional opor and gulai curries. Brains, spleen, tripe, cassava, cattle fat, lung, fern leaf, bone marrow, cow tendon, stomach, red snapper head, intestines, cow foot. Indonesians will curry anything :) |
Malaysia |
Kuala Lampur |
Rendang |
Mutton, chicken, shrimp, cuttlefish, fish, eggplant, egg, and vegetable curries rich in turmeric, tamarind, shallots, ginger, belacan (shrimp paste - it's really good!), chili peppers, and garlic. |
Philippines |
Western North, Islamic South |
Kulma (korma) |
Curry influences traditional local dishes such as adobo, kaldereta, and mechado, often complimented with potatoes, bay leaf, coconut milk, and sometimes lemongrass and carrots. |
Thailand |
Bangkok |
Kaeng |
Highly aromatic curries described by their color, including:
- Yellow curry
- Massaman curry
- Green curry
- Red curry
- Phanaeng curry
- Khao soi
- Kaeng hangle
- Kaeng som
Local ingredients are often used, including chili peppers, kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass, galangal (a highly potent form of ginger). |
Vietnam |
Hồ Chí Minh City |
Cà ri (pronounced kuh-ri) |
Vietnamese curry features coconut milk, potato, sweet potato, taro roots, chicken garnished with cilantro and green onion and is more soup-like than Indian curry. It's usually eaten with a baguette, rice vermicelli or steamed rice. |
China |
Hong Kong |
Galimian (curry noodles) |
Yellow curry influenced dishes which probably came to China from Singapore and Malaysia to the south. White pepper, soy sauce, hot sauce, and/or hot chili oil may be applied to the sauce to enhance the flavour of the curry. |
Fiji |
Suva |
Roti (bread) with curry & chutneys |
Fish, dal (lentil) and vegetable curries. A staple of the islands - roti and curry is most often the workman's choice for lunch. |
Japan |
Honshu |
Karé (カレー karē) raisu (rice) |
Brought by British trading ships during the Meiji Restoration, curry is highly popular in Japan, who prefer a milder "gravy" style rendition. The Japanese people eat curry 78 times a year, and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force traditionally has curry every Friday for lunch. |
East India Company on One Rupee Coin
Curry Leaves
Curry leaves (murraya koenigii) are a thing, and a curious thing at that. From the Tamil word "kari", curry leaves don't taste anything like curry - they taste more like lemon/lime, but it's widely held that there's no substitute for the unique flavor they impart. Curry leaves are seldom a formal ingredient in curry itself at all, but are commonly found in curry dishes (more on that later), and are a must-have signature ingredient in Southern Indian states such as Kerala (especially), Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh as well as Sri Lanka.
Curry Leaves
Curry (or cuury, kari, or kadi patta) leaves are almost always used fresh. They're pretty hearty and digestible - unlike bay leaves - and they'll last up to three weeks in your refrigerator.
This chef speaks of curry leaves in transformative way, and indeed, there's a level of bright, interesting complexity that's conveyed by these aromatic leaves.
Curry leaves can be found online, then either frozen (they freeze very well) or ground into a pesto with a good quality coconut oil, or simply air-dried then sealed.
Masala and Tadka
To add layers of complexity to the preparation, spices, herbs and aromatics are often added in discreet steps in the cooking process. The first step is sometimes called the masala, and even this step most often has two parts - curry spices are first introduced into a dry pan to toast, then a high temperature oil is added to the spice mixture.
In most Indian regions, especially, a second "tempering" step is performed which requires a second pan - often when the dish is close to final presentation. A different class of herbs, aromatics and spice notes is toasted and/or oil-fired or fried in ghee (clarified butter), then the resultant is quckly introduced into the main cooking pan. This step is called the tadka, or chhaunk (Hindi: छौंक), chounk, chonk, chhounk, or chhonk - terms sometimes thought to be an onomatopoetic reference to the sound of hot color and flavor notes being tossed into the roiling, nearly-ready cooking pan.
Ingredients found in the tadka step vary widely from region to region, but include onions, asafoetida, fresh or dried slivered green or red chilies, white or black mustard, fennel, or (especially) cumin seeds, urad dal (black beans), garlic, ginger or galangal, cloves, fenugreek, or ground aromatic leaves such as curry, cassia, pandan (screwpine), or tejpat. In India, when you smell the familiar chhaunk, you know you're about ready to eat!
Roll Your Own
You can toast your own curry powder using a base of coriander, turmeric, cumin, fenugreek, and dried ground chilis with approximate ratios as follows:
Curry Powders
4-5 parts Coriander
2 parts Cumin
2 parts Turmeric
1 part Fenugreek
1-2 part Ground Chili (just the ground peppers only - "chili powder" in the US generally contains other, possibly unwanted, ingredients)
There's your base - now add your own flavor notes in ratios of between .25-.75 parts, including black pepper, dry ground mustard, cardamom powder, cinnamon, ginger powder, star anise, asafoetida, cloves, fennel, caraway, dried garlic, nutmeg or mace, and curry leaf. Sample recipes can be found here (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7).
Let's Make Some!
This "perfect" Goan fish recipe demonstrates both masala and tadka preparation steps:
Masala:
1 tsp cloves
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
8 dried red Kashmiri chillies
2 star anise
½ tsp turmeric
1 tbsp palm sugar (or jaggery)
1 tsp salt
5 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
3 cm root ginger, peeled and grated
1½ tbsp white vinegar
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 large tomato, grated
400 ml tin of coconut milk
2 fresh green chillies, slit lengthwise
400g firm white fish (eg pollock), cut into 2cm chunks
200g prawns (or 600g fish)
Tadka:
½ tsp mustard seeds
10 curry leaves
Cilantro to garnish
"Perfect" Goan Fish
1. To make the masala, toast the spices in a dry pan until aromatic. Grind to a powder in a food processor or mortar and pestle, and then mix in the remaining ingredients (including the vinegar).
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pan over a medium high heat, then add the onion. Fry until soft and lightly golden, then stir in the masala mix. Cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes, until you can really smell the spices, then stir in the tomato and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
3. Mix in the coconut milk and 100ml water, add the chillies and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. Taste for seasoning. Add the seafood and cook for about 5 minutes until cooked through.
4. Meanwhile, make the tadka. Heat the oil in a frying pan on a high heat, then add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Cook for 30 seconds, until they begin to pop, then stir into the dish. Serve with rice and cilantro to garnish.
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Curry is magic for vegetarian dishes, which respond to curry's brightness by coming to life:
Afrikan Vegetable Curry
½ head cauliflower
1 red pepper
1 small red onion
2 tablespoon olive oil
3 clove garlic
2 tablespoon curry
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon clove
pinch coriander, turmeric, and paprika
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
½ small zucchini
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
Afrikan Vegetable Curry
1. In a large skillet or stock pot, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat of medium heat. Add onions and saute until translucent, about five minutes. Add cauliflower and pepper, continue to cook until cauliflower begins to soften- another five minutes.
2. While vegetables cook, in a small sauce pan combine remaining olive oil, garlic, and spices. Heat and whisk until sauce is warm and combined. Add spice mixture, beans, zucchini, and vegetable broth to vegetables. Continue to cook uncovered for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Liquid will reduce by half and vegetables will be cooked through. Remove from heat and serve over rice.
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Curry Ice Cream with Mango and Pistachio
1 cup dried mango, finely diced
¾ cup boiling water
1 cup milk
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp curry powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cardamon
1
tsp salt
1
tsp cayenne powder
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp dark rum
½ cup chopped pistachios
1. In a small mixing bowl, combine dried mangoes and boiling water. Set aside to rehydrate for about 30 minutes, or until the mango pieces are soft and plump. Drain. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan set over medium heat, combine milk, sugar, curry, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, salt and cayenne. Heat until wisps of steam start to rise from the surface of the milk, then remove from heat and let stand to cool off and allow the flavors to blend.
2. Once the mangoes are rehydrated and the milk is cooled to room temperature, set up your ice cream maker as per the manufacturer's directions. Stir the cream and rum into the cooled spice milk, then pour the mixture into the bowl of your ice cream maker.
3. Prepare as per the manufacturer's directions for your machine, adding in the rehydrated mangoes and chopped pistachios once the mixture is almost completely frozen (it should be roughly the texture of a very thick milkshake). Transfer the finished ice cream to a freezer-safe container and chill for 2-3 hours to allow the ice cream to harden to a scoopable texture.
Curry Mango and Pistachio Ice Cream
This is perfect. That is perfect. Perfect comes from perfect. If you take perfect away from perfect, the remainder is perfect. May peace, and peace, and peace be upon you. -Upanishads