Discussions about 'curry'

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caseydog

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[Mod.edit: this and several other posts moved to form a new topic (MG)]

Morning Glory said:
That is a sweeping statement since curry doesn't have one particular flavour. There are so many different combinations of spices used to make different Indian dishes. karadekoolaid will vouch for that, I'm sure. I suppose its possible she doesn't like any spices at all but that would be rare.
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I probably wouldn't like coronation chicken, either. Like with sushi, I've had family and friends make me try about a half-dozen curries -- "Here, you'll like this one" -- only to not like it.

I haven't tried any Asian curries. I might like some of them. I've only had Indian/British curries, and haven't liked any of them.

CD
 
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I dont do "Curries". I make Indian food with authentic ingredients and Indian (wherever possible) spicing. I can only think of ONE dish I make which actually smells/tastes of the ubiquitous "curry" powder. Everyone I´ve ever cooked for has been amazed at the flavours created by using authentic spicing. Not amazed because I´m a TV Chef (which I´m not - not even a proper chef), but amazed because they´ve undoubtedly eaten in Curry Houses abroad.
Having said that, everyone has the absolute right to like and dislike different foods or cuisines. That´s true diversity.
CD - you might enjoy an authentic Thai red or green curry. NO recognizable curry spices and vibrant, exciting flavours.
 
karadekoolaid said:
I dont do "Curries". I make Indian food with authentic ingredients and Indian (wherever possible) spicing. I can only think of ONE dish I make which actually smells/tastes of the ubiquitous "curry" powder. Everyone I´ve ever cooked for has been amazed at the flavours created by using authentic spicing. Not amazed because I´m a TV Chef (which I´m not - not even a proper chef), but amazed because they´ve undoubtedly eaten in Curry Houses abroad.
Having said that, everyone has the absolute right to like and dislike different foods or cuisines. That´s true diversity.
CD - you might enjoy an authentic Thai red or green curry. NO recognizable curry spices and vibrant, exciting flavours.
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I've been reading some articles which suggest that curries in the UK aren't actually used in Indian cooking.
 
JAS_OH1 said:
I've been reading some articles which suggest that curries in the UK aren't actually used in Indian cooking.
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They aren´t. Ever. Never.
The whole "curry" concept was invented by a gentleman from Bangladesh who sequestered some classic Indian dishes and standardised the recipes.
Real Indian food bears no resemblance to "curries". Each spice is used according to certain local combination profiles, but can be used individually. For instance, I´ve got a great dish which is potatoes and tomatoes, with cumin seeds and a pinch of turmeric. Or Zucchini with cumin and fresh chile peppers.
 
JAS_OH1 said:
I've been reading some articles which suggest that curries in the UK aren't actually used in Indian cooking.
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karadekoolaid said:
Real Indian food bears no resemblance to "curries".
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Not sure that is totally true. Good Indian restaurants serve some dishes which can be found in India. One small example: 'palak paneer'. I call a lot my dishes curries and I do exactly as you do karadekoolaid and use spices from scratch. So do good Indian restaurants although many will use a ubiquitous basic 'curry sauce' which is then adapted according to the dish. Perhaps we are having two different discussions here. One is about curry powder, which no Indian dishes would ever use. The other is about the authenticity of the dishes served in Indian restaurants outside of India.
 
Uh oh, looks like I "started" a new thread. Thanks MG. :rolleyes:

I am interested in looking at some SE Asian curries. I'll get around to it, eventually.

Indian spice blends don't agree with my palate. Not the spices' fault, and not my fault. We just don't see eye to eye. It is like the way I like most Chinese and Korean flavors, but don't care for Japanese flavors.

Hey, I love Mexican/TexMex seasonings, but comino/cumin is one that I like in very small amounts. It is a strong flavor. I use it with modesty.

CD
 
caseydog said:
Indian spice blends don't agree with my palate. Not the spices' fault, and not my fault.
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That's interesting because you say 'blends'. There are dozens and dozens of spices used in Indian cooking. Some dishes will only use one or two (and one of those might be fresh chillies). In fact, India is such a huge country with different cuisines in different regions, that almost any spice you can think of will be used in some shape or form. There are a few I can think of which aren't (to my knowledge) used such as achiote but almost any spice is used somewhere.

So I suppose I'm asking if it is literally all spices which disagree with you?
 
If anybody has any time or desire, I recommend this series by Rick Stein..He travels India in search of the perfect curry..it explains a lot about the origins of curry and the different spices and traditions used in making them throughout the vastly different regions of India..there are six, one hour episodes on Daily Motion..I have watched them all more than once..He also has a book of the same name that I bought and love to use..good stuff..

View: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2tb7ju
 
JAS_OH1 said:
I've been reading some articles which suggest that curries in the UK aren't actually used in Indian cooking.
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I never took to Indian curries in UK, in fact I didn't like them at all. However, after spending time in Delhi and Bombay in the 80s, I discovered that Indian food was nothing like what I now know was actually British Indian Restaurant (BIR) food. Upon return I then took to cooking my own Indian foods from ingredients obtained from an Asian grocers in Chapletown in Leeds. Prior to me leaving the UK in the mid 90s I discovered that some Indian restaurants in Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool were adapting their dishes to become more authentic Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi.

Similarly, that bloody awful yellow curry sauce that Chinese chippies in Britain used to serve (and possibly still do) I never saw a sign of during the 12 months that I spent in China.
 
I've had some kind of India inspired foods on my menu's for over 40 years. I've also had the opportunity to travel to India in 2012 for a month living in home stays (living with families for the most part) and doing some cooking with these families as well as cooking in a restaurant for a couple of days after one of the families introduced me to the chef. Love India and the diversity in their food preparations from one area to the other. Foods from Rajasthan seem to speak to me the most. Cooked in Thailand as well a few years later, in the jungle in an open kitchen run by a chef, that was an eye opener to Thai food.

Most of my family and friends love curries but a few think it's just stinky food that taste weird. lol, what are you going to do, it's what makes the world go around.
 
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Being from a rural area, curry was a bottle of dried up yellow powder in my mother's spice rack that never got used..Then, when I moved out I started to actually experiment with it..now, I never use a "curry powder" although I still see recipes that call for it specifically. I guess I could make my own but most dishes I make are with the individual, assorted spices and herbs that go into it, so it would probably sit there and become a bottle of dried up yellow powder in my spice cupboard..
 
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