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Z-Cook said:
That's a new one on me - not heard of that mix before - thanks for that. Didn't realise there were French outposts in India, one being Pondicherry, I'm reading. Definitely something worth digging into - fascinating. Sounds a bit like Goa and the Portuguese influence esp in cooking. Very fond of Goan, me.

It says usually ready made up. Would you buy it or do you make up your own mixes and masalas?

Vadouvan - Wikipedia
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As I've now got more time on my hands, as I'm retired, I will probably make from scratch. We typically make our own spice mixes/rubs as we have one of the UKs leading spice shops a short drive away.
 
Barriehie said:
Interesting bit of history on the word "curry". Curry is a British invention to encompass the spices and stews of the Indian subcontinent, of which there are many and quite varied.

@karadekoolaid???
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No-one really knows where the word "curry"comes from; except that it's a British transliteration (or bastardisation) of an Indian word.
Indian food appeared in Britain in the early 18th century. The most likely source is the tamil word "kari", which means a sauce. (The East India Company established a base in Tamil Nadu in 1639) However, one of my thoughts is that it might have originated from an Indian cooking pot called a "karhai" - a sort of wok. There's also an iconic dish from Delhi called "karhi", made with besan (chickpea) flour and chickpea flour dumplings.
Then, of course, there are also curry leaves, just to confuse things further. :hyper:
The best bet is probably the first option.
As for curry powder - that was a genius Indian cook who realised that the British had no idea about spices and just mixed up a masala (spice mix) for the invaders. Today, India exports more than $4.5 billion in spices, around $1 billion of which is curry powder.
No-one uses curry powder in India; they make their dishes with the relevant spices.
 
Barriehie said:
Interesting bit of history on the word "curry". Curry is a British invention to encompass the spices and stews of the Indian subcontinent, of which there are many and quite varied.

karadekoolaid???
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Curry thought to be derived from the Tamil word kari, meaning sauce. First used in a British cookbook back in 1747 - The Art of Cookery made Plain & Simple by Hannah Glasse The Art Of Cookery : Hannah Glasse : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
 
I believe the first to arrive in India were the Portuguese. Goa, 1498. They established a trading base there and over the years, brought chiles, pineapples, potatoes, tomatoes, and all those other wonderful items from the New World.
The Dutch arrived in 1602, the Brits in 1608, and the French in 1664 - probably all in search of precious spices. Once the Brits had colonised the country, the Dutch and the French disappeared. Notably, the Dutch found an equally good source of spices in Indonesia.
 
rjchurch47 said:
Keen to try Vadouvan (French Curry)
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I'm not familiar with vadouvan curry, but vadagam masala is a curious, sundried seasoning made with shallots, garlic, cumin, mustard seeds, chiles, fenugreek, dal (commonly used as a spice in South India) and curry leaves. Can't say I've ever used it, even after 45 years cooking Indian, but it looks very interesting. Seems to be made in balls and added to sambals, etc.
 
I make all my own Indian spice mixtures. Commercial brands of curry powder, garam masala, etc. suck; they're ground into a very fine powder and lose flavour very quickly.
I make curry powder (for sale, for friends, although I don't use it myself); garam masala, sambal masala, tandoori masala, chaat masala, bese bele masala (with coconut - that's a good one!), etc. A good spice grinder, whole spices, and you can whip up a gloriously flavourful spice mixture in moments.
 
Z-Cook said:
London? (Your location says Maldon but you may have mentioned somewhere else iirc 🙂)
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It's called The Asian Cookshop and is in Braintree, Essex. It has a massive online presence and provides for both wholesale and consumer markets: The Asian Cookshop

I have also used The Spice Shop online in the past and they have stores in Brighton & London: The Spice Shop
 
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