The Curiosity About Curries

Customers contact us regarding spices or recipes that they have not tried, but have heard about or were served in a restaurant and would like to try.  One question we get frequently is “What is curry”?  There seems to be a lot of confusion about curries and curry powders and what kind of curry powder to try and buy.

First, curry is actually the dish, not a spice or seasoning.  While there is a curry plant, curry powders are the combination of many spices that are used in the curry dish.  Curry as it refers to the dish means a sauce or gravy based dish.  The meat can be anything from chicken to shrimp to lamb – but the curry is the spicy (not necessarily hot)  sauce that brings the meat and rice together.

A curry can be cream based, tomato based or broth based.  It can be hot or mild.  There are many different variations on the dish itself.  The word curry is believed to have derived from the word kari or kadhi which refers to sauce based or gravy based dishes. In most Indian kitchens the spices for the curry were ground by hand and incorporated into the meal.  When the British colonized India curry spice blends were developed for convenience in making the curry dishes.  While curry has it origin in India, the result of this fusion of Indian spices and gravy dishes led the British to declare Chicken Tikka Massala the national dish of Britain.

Coriander, cumin, mustard, cayenne pepper, and turmeric are the basic spices most commonly found  in curry powders or blends.  Saffron, fennel, dill and ginger are other spices you might find in curries.  The combination of these spices create the robust flavors found in many Indian dishes.  Thai curries tend to be spicier due to the use of chiles while most Indian curries are milder and even sweet with spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.  The benefit to using curry powders or blends besides saving room in the spice cabinet, is that the individual spices like Saffron can be cost prohibited.  A blend not only has the right amount of each spice ingredient, it is also going to cost less.

Maharajah Style Curry Powder

If you are interested in trying a curry recipe and are looking for a spice blend, we would recommend the Maharajah Style Curry Powder or Garam Masala blends.  We hand grind the spices for these blends to give you the very freshest flavors in your curry.  Both of these blends have turmeric and saffron which give the bright yellow color often associated with curry.

Here is a simple recipe that you could try with any of the curry blends:

Easy Chicken Curry

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/2 a large white onion, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons curry powder – divided (our recommendation Maharajah or Garam Masala)
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 tablespoons yogurt
• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

1. In a large pot or saucepan, heat oil to medium high heat
2. Add onions and allow them to cook down and become transparent
3. Add 1 teaspoon of the curry powder to the cooked onions and stir to combine – cook with onions about 5 mins
4. Add chicken broth, honey and yogurt – cook 5 minutes
5. Add the chicken to the curry sauce stir until sauce comes to a simmer.
6. Turn the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, about 30 minutes.  (You can add water or broth if it gets too dry)
7. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of curry powder to the pot and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.
8. Serve with Basmati or Jasmine rice or Naan (an Indian flatbread)

For a tomato based curry, you could substitute the honey and yogurt for a can of low sodium diced tomatoes.  Add more cayenne pepper or a sliced chili for more heat.  The chicken could be replaced with shrimp, lamb, or even vegetables like cauliflower, beans, or chick peas.

Once you have the base recipe down, you can really expand it to make more complicated curry dishes.  There are no rules – let your taste guide you.

If you have questions about any spices or blends that we carry – or know of a spice you would like us to carry – let us know!  We are here for you!

Tagged as: Indian food, cayenne pepper, coriander, cumin, curry, curry dishes, curry powder, curry spices, dill, fennel, mustard, saffron, turmeric