The Curry & Spice "Culture"

The Curry & Spice "Culture"

CURRY CULTURE

The Indian curry is amazing in range and versatility, embracing the majority of seasonal vegetables in addition to mutton, chicken, fish, seafood and eggs.

The curries are cooked over an open flame, with liberal doses of spices in vegetable oil.

Traditional accompaniments are rice, either plain boiled or fried; and a variety of flat breads chapattis, rotis and naans - made fresh from wheat or flour dough, and served hot.

To offset the richness of the traditional curry, a side plate of salad consisting of sliced tomatoes, cucumber, onions and lemons lends a pleasing contrast. Try a bite of fresh tomato after a mouthful of hot curry, and the reason will be obvious.

"Dahi" or yogurt or curds also provide the perfect foil. Along with grated cucumber and onions, chilli powder and cilantro/coriander, the mixture is known as a "raita" and is an indispensable part of the vegetarian meal.

SPICE CULTURE

The golden rule in Indian cuisine is to include a plethora of spices, and maintain the balance between their different flavors.

Spices give Indian cuisine it's character. However excessive use can be counter productive, and I have seen both Indians and Westerners forced to be wary of spices and oily fare, with good reasons. The good news is that there are several dishes that use the minimum of either, and the bad news is that they are seldom to be found in any Indian restaurant. I have tried to include as many of these "light" dishes as possible.

Most Indian dishes call for several different spices. Do not assume that they are difficult to obtain and that a visit the Indian grocery store with a long shopping list is mandatory before the actual task of preparing a meal. Most are to be found in Western supermarkets, and only a couple are confined to the Indian grocery stores.

Check the following list, if you plan an Indian culinary adventure.

The essentials:

Ginger paste or minced ginger

Garlic paste or garlic powder or minced garlic (fresh garlic minced fine is better still)

Tomato paste or puree ( raw tomatoes are better still)

Onions chopped or pureed or powdered

Cumin seeds and powder

Coriander powder

Turmeric powder

Chilli powder

Mustard seeds and powder (to be used only for those dishes that require mustard).

The ginger, garlic, onions and tomatoes are readily found in any Western supermarket, as are the cumin and mustard seeds, mustard and chilli powders. For the turmeric and coriander powders, you will have to visit the Indian store.

Last but not least, look for cilantro/coriander/dhaniya. It is essential, though it is mostly used as a garnish. After trial and error, I've found that whole cilantro, including the leaves and stems, chopped very fine is a powerful flavoring agent if added during the cooking process in addition to being a colorful garnish if added at the end.

Optional:

Cinnamon

Cardamom

Cloves

(None of the above should be difficult to find in any grocery store, Western or Oriental). Garam masala powder

Traditionally, Indian recipes call for garam masala, a blend of the above three spices in a powdered version that will be sold only in Indian grocery stores. Garam masala is a potent mixture, and I have seen it's overuse ruin an otherwise perfect dish. Use only for a strongly flavored dish, and don't hesitate to substitute with whole cinnamon, cardamom and cloves from the standard supermarket, to be on the safe side.

Regional cuisine's may require a few additional ingredients.