The world of indian curry

What is a Curry, Where does Curry Come From, Brief History of Curry, Curry of the Modern Age, Curry Spice Blends, The Power of Powder

what is a curry?

Curry may be thought of as any Indian or Indian-style dish, usually with a sauce. But it is not a concept well recognised in India despite many Indian dishes fitting this description. It really began with the British, resident in India during the 18th and 19th centuries. They lumped together many Indian dishes and adapted them to suit their own requirements, under the heading of curry. Traditional Indian food, however, remained something rather different.

where does the word "curry" come from?

Although the British coined the term curry it probably comes from the Portuguese in India in the 15th century. They described broths that were poured over rice as ‘carrie’ or ‘caril’. Words adapted from south Indian languages.

a brief history of curry

The origins of curry began before the British arrived in the subcontinent of India in 1608. In fact, to understand the full history, you have to go further back in the colonization timeline to when the Portuguese arrived in India in 1498 and introduced chili. Then came the Dutch in 1605, followed by the French who arrived in South India in 1664, and the new classification of Indian food for non-Indians was defined — it evolved and transformed throughout time. Colonization not only played a critical role in transporting Indian food out of India, it reclassified classic dishes that took on their own cuisine.

The Portuguese influence on curry has been the most lasting. The country's explorers introduced pepper and vinegar to create a quintessential Portuguese-inspired dish called vindaloo in Goa. The original vindaloo recipe had more than 20 types of peppers combined with pork, and the black pepper was mixed with tamarind water. When the coveted "black gold" was exported out of India, the Portuguese began to use red chiles instead of black pepper because they were more affordable. It’s also believed that the word curry comes from a word from the South Indian state of Tamil and means to blacken with spices.

The east india company

The introduction of pepper into Indian cuisine was coupled with another significant moment in India’s history: Queen Elizabeth's establishment of the British East India Company to counter the expansion of the Portuguese and Dutch companies. At the height of this, there were about 250,000 members of the British army residing in India, and after the 1857 Great Indian Mutiny, British bureaucrats came to India to live of their own will and were identified as Nabobs. Their love for Indian food, access to spices and adaptation of local dishes altered to fit their palates gave birth to the modern style curry dishes that we know today.

Kajeri, a popular British egg dish of rice and smoked salmon turned into a vegetarian dish made with lentils and rice, called kitchari. Mulligantany, a Tamil word meaning pepper water, was originally used to cure digestion issues and then adopted by Indian cooks for a soup with vegetables and spices for the British. These were some of the trademark dishes that were served at elegant dinner parties. As the Nabobs moved around India, they took their cooks with them and spread the Indian-inspired dishes fit for British flavor profiles. This is how “curry cuisine” evolved.

curry powders

At the end of the 18th century, the British officially formalized spice blends known as curry powders to recreate their favorite dishes consistently in the absence of their cooks. The first recipes for curry powder appeared in print in an English cookbook by Hannah Glasse. The availability of curry powder led to a homogenization of 20 to 30 dishes in the newly formed curry cuisine.

quick fact: dahi

Commonly, Indian people use yogurt in cooking. This is called 'Dahi'. It adds a creamy and light texture to the dishes without weighing them down. Further, it is a sourcing agent and helps tenderize meat.

It’s common practice in India to add yogurt to Indian cooking. People add it to curry to balance the spices and lighten the dish. It can also make thick curry, thin. Hence, it can really elevate the flavors of the dish.

curries of the modern age

The Indian sub-continent is a big place, so it stands to reason that there are not only going to be different types of Indian curry but different approaches to what is considered flavorful and what ingredients go into it. Below are some of the types of Indian curry you’re most likely to encounter in any Indian restaurant, not just Little India.

Dhansak

A dhansak curry has a distinct “sweet and sour” profile to it, but a decent amount of spice to it. It’s often served with a pineapple ring, both as a garnish and to add sweetness to the dish, depending on the chef’s particular tastes.

Tikka Masala

If there’s one dish that might be considered “universal” to all Indian restaurants, tikka masala is arguably it. The tikka element is the chicken or other meats cooked in a tandoor on a skewer, while the masala is the creamy sauce that smothers it. The spices lend zest to the dish, but not a great deal of burn.

saag

Climbing up on the heat scale is saag. Characterized by the presence of spinach, mustard greens, and other leafy vegetables, this particular curry has a pleasant but noticeable degree of heat.

korma

Korma curries are spiced not for heat, but for flavor. Rather than cumin and black pepper, korma goes for flavors such as cardamom and cinnamon. Mixed together with butter and cream, and often combined with yogurt-marinated meats that are slow-cooked, kormas are definitely for those who want zest without the burn.

jalfrezi

Jalfrezis date back to the time of the British Raj and as such is something of an Anglo-Indian fusion. Even so, this particular curry carries a strong but not overpowering heat, owing to the presence of green chiles stir-fried with tomato, onion, and coriander.

vindaloo

Vindaloo curries are, by most standards, the true test of one’s constitution with regards to spicy foods. Originally from the Portuguese colony of Goa, vindaloos go with only a few spices in copious quantities to produce an incredibly hot dish. Those with iron-clad stomachs and palates will find vindaloos to be a delicious meal every time.

curry spice blends

Curry is one of the most common and recognizable foods on earth. It’s no wonder this spice powder still generates a lot of questions. And not just how to make curry, either! One of the most common questions is the difference between a curry and a masala. Let’s start with this lexical distinction before moving in to the many curry powders- and curry recipes- that define so many global cuisines.

CURRY VS MASALA: THE POWER OF POWDERS

“Curry” originally designated a meat or vegetable dish in sauce. It didn’t originally mean curry powder. Over time, the word came to describe the spice blends that are used to cook this kind of dish- one that is usually simmered over a long time. It is, more often than not, considered a spice blend built around cumin, turmeric, and coriander, but curry is, in fact, a world of infinite variation. There is no one curry spice- curry powder is made of many spices.

The word “masala” refers more to the spice blend itself. There are thousands of different masalas. Some are purpose-built for specific dishes, like tandoori masala or vindaloo masala. The famous garam masala is always made with aromatic spices, but allows for a wide range of variation. It is used as a finishing spice: either added at the end of cooking or sprinkled on just before serving the dish, as one would with pepper.

Madras curry is probably the most well-known of all curry powder spice blends. In fact, this yellow curry originated in England (although it is so heavily inspired by India that it is hard to separate the two). It’s still not clear exactly who taught who how to make curry. Yellow curry quickly became the most popular dish in the UK and remains so today, and stands as the most well-known representation of Indian food in the West. The English took their curry recipes to their other colonies around the world, and, with each successful adaptation of the dish to local tastes, the unparalleled versatility of curry earned continual reaffirmation.

videos on spice blends

Basic Indian Spices | All About Spices Benefits

Learn how to make at home with our Chef Ruchi Bharani

A Short History of Indian Spices

Spices have been an essential part of human civilization. In the Indian civilization too, trading of spices has been integrally connected to its history. Spices were traded through India right from the time of Romans. Between the 7th to 15th centuries, Arab merchants supplied spices to Europe, and for a very long time they kept their source of spices in India a closely guarded secret. Many sea voyages set sail from Europe in search of India for its spices.

Over time, spices began to be exploited commercially by foreign traders. Ayurveda believed that spices, with their medicinal qualities, could infuse health into the diet. For centuries, the social system of medicine was closely linked to the culinary culture of ancient India. Today the world of spices keeps reinventing itself and fueling the economies of the world.

The Geography of Spices and Herbs

Spices are one of the best part of eating. But just like fruits, every spice has a different story to be told. Today we're diving into the geography behind this miracle of nature and human ingenuity.

Harvesting and Processing of Black Pepper

The older bigger berries are handplucked. The berries need to be plucked before fully ripen. Berries from each bunch are separated either manually or by using machines. Berries are dipped in hot water for 1 minute and then sundried.

The Great British Curry Crisis

Butter Chicken, Rogan Josh, and the all-time favourite - Chicken Tikka Masala! The United Kingdom has embraced curry as its national dish, with tens of thousands of Indian restaurants serving mouth-watering dishes to British taste buds.

"I worked in restaurants in Mauritius, Maldives, Mumbai, Dubai and one day I questioned myself thinking why am I trying to make the world understand Indian food? I live in the UK, the one country which, outside of India understands Indian food very well." ----Atul kuchhar

Atul Kochhar is an Indian-born, British-based chef and television personality. Kochhar was one of the first two Indian chefs to receive a Michelin star, awarded in London in 2001 whilst at Tamarind. He opened his own restaurant Benares, which won him a second Michelin star in 2007.

videos on curry

How curry from India conquered Britain

‘Going for an Indian’ or ‘having a curry’ is almost as stereotypically British as roast dinners or fish and chips. So how did curry - a dish from India - come to dominate British cuisine? Here's food historian Annie Gray.

Learn the history of Indian cuisine by cooking a 17th Century curry

The 400 Years web series was created in 2017 to mark the 70th anniversary of India’s independence; an inspiring moment to reflect on the profound relationship between Britain, India and the subcontinent’s rich history and culture.

For many, it is only the events of the British Raj and Indian independence that define the relationship of the two countries. Both Britain and India where in very different places 400 years ago and the interactions between both countries throughout those four centuries have come to shape our world today in more ways than one would expect.

The Spice Of Life - The Spices Of India- 1983 BBC series

The 1983 BBC production of The Spice of Life with Edward Woodward narrating.

in conclusion

Given its extensive spread across the world and the many cultures that celebrate and enjoy a curry in their cuisine, we feel there is truly something special about curry and curry recipes. Whether you like it mild or extra spicy (Indian hot, as some people may say), curry is undeniably a comfort food that nearly everyone enjoys. And with the rise of vegetarian curries, an ever-increasing number of people are now being able to discover and relish its deliciousness.

Indian curries, in particular, are known throughout their home country as a dish that brings people together, either for a quick snack or a decadent meal shared by family and friends. This is a trend that has been brought to many countries with Indian communities, and undoubtedly when most people think ‘curry’, they think of delicious Indian food.

While there are practically as many Indian curry variations as there are provinces and sub-regions in India, many of the most popular dishes are recognizable the world over. We have the famed chicken tikka masala, vindaloo, and versions that led to the making of the legendary butter chicken.

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