A Guide to Indian Curries
Ingredients and Cooking Styles Vary When Preparing Indian Dishes
The most distinctive characteristic of a curry recipe is the use of spices. Some westerners tend to associate the word "curry" with spicy food and assume that curry powder is the sole foundation of every item on an Indian menu. Actually, this is not true. Chillies can be added to give an Indian meal some extra heat and lower quantities of spices can be used if the customer doesn't want to eat something spicy. Ultimately it's up to the person who orders the food. Curry powder is a mix of at least a dozen varying ingredients which Indians call garam masala. It's added to enhance the flavour and aroma of a curry dish.
Here are some of the delicious curries you can expect to get in an Indian restaurant. Pork will be conspicuously absent from the menu because Muslim chefs will not handle this meat. Lamb, chicken and vegetarian dishes are usually offered instead.
Rogan Josh - In most Indian restaurants this dish is prepared with lamb and is medium spiced. Originating in the northern region of Kashmir a rogan josh has a deep crimson appearance due to the liberal use of dried, red chillies. Lots of fresh tomatoes and red peppers are added with some coriander.
Jalfrezi - This is a tomato based, stir fried curry with a slightly sweet flavour. Chefs will garnish the dish with capsicums, also known as bell peppers or sweet peppers. In most restaurants it's also a medium spiced dish but if you like your curry to be extra hot you can ask for more chillies.
Korma - Customers who enjoy mild curries might choose these tasty chicken or lamb dishes. Crushed almonds, yoghurt and condensed cream are combined with turmeric to give the sauce a gentle shade of yellow. Sometimes coconut milk will be added. The chicken or lamb pieces are left to marinate in this mixture hours before serving. The chef will then cook it slowly over a low flame.
Vindaloo - Searing to the tongue, these fiery curries were originally introduced by Portuguese colonizers who first arrived in India in the late fifteenth century. The word vindaloo comes from the combination of vinho (wine) and alhos (garlic). Today these dishes will call for plenty of red chillies and vinegar. Black mustard seeds, cardamom and fenugreek can raise the heat of a vindaloo curry.
Dopiaza - These recipes contain large amounts of onions and is a moderately dry curry. A quantity of thinly sliced onions are browned and then mixed with ginger and garlic. The chef will combine the sauce and the meat and wait until it becomes halfway tender. A second helping of onions goes in while the curry is simmering in the pot.
Dhansak - Lentils are an important ingredient in a dhansak curry. This recipe which has been fully adopted by Indians was brought from Persia and the curry will have lemon juice added to it. The resulting taste will be a combination of hot and sour.
Preparing Indian food at home will take a bit of practice but once you get the hang of combining the ingredients the results can be delicious. Mix and match the meats with seafood and vegetables. Play around with some of the different spices and add some new twists to the recipes. Enjoy!
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