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Writer's pictureChef Brian

The Complexity of Curries

Updated: Aug 16, 2020

From Indian Chicken Tikka Masala to Thai Penang Curry, curries are a delicious but often misunderstood base for some amazing dishes.

I'll be the first to admit it, when I first starting eating Indian and Thai food, I thought curry was the yellowish-orange powder in the jar we never used but came with the starter set. It wasn't until I went to culinary school that I found out what a complex thing a curry is. What immediately struck me as interesting is that not all curries are the same or even close. Sure there are some similar ingredients, but generally they are different recipes from each other. For example an Indian curry and a Thai curry. Some are mellow and creamy and some will burn the hair off your toes.


So what is a "curry"? In simplest terms, its a blend of herbs and spices. Sometimes dry and sometimes wet. In Indian curries the predominant spices are generally turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger and fresh or dried chilies. When you get into Thai and Indonesian curries, coconut milk is used very often.


While there are curries made throughout the world, I would say that most people think of Indian food when they hear the word "curry". And rightly so. Most of the spices in curries (and in general) are native to the geographical region of Indian and surrounding countries. Black pepper has been an ingredient in Indian cooking since approximately 2000 BCE.


While a lot of Western recipes generally contain only a few ingredients, a few herbs and a couple spices. Indian curries can contain 15-20 different ingredients in one sauce. This is almost unheard of in the West. Save for something like the Mexican Mole sauce. These sauces vary from different regions of Mexico, like Indian curries, and can have upwards of 20-40 ingredients.


I think its the complexity of flavors I like the most about curries. I grew up eating lots of different ethnic foods: Mexican, Chinese, Italian, Japanese and German. I love the different sauces used in Chinese cooking. But there's something special about walking into an Indian restaurant or the Indian food aisle at my favorite Asian supermarket. You're assaulted with amazing smells: warm ginger and spices like coriander and cinnamon, hot and spicy chilies and tangy tomato and tamarind. Some things we would never consider putting together in a Western recipe. Who would think of putting coconut milk and tomatoes together? But it works!

A common misconception is that all curries are fiery hot. While most do contain some chilies, not all of them will knock your socks off! Korma for instance is a creamy, mellow sauce. Kim's favorite, Malai Kofta, also uses a creamy, mellow sauce. Though I do like a nice, spicy curry.


One of the things I think I like about curries is the long, slow and low cook time to develop flavors. This is something you can't rush, be it an Indian curry, Italian tomato sauce or a traditional French veal stock. You've got to mix in the ingredients at the right time, with the right heat and for the right amount of time. I love making soups and stews, party because of the long cook time and how the house smells when its cooking. Curries are no different. The meat and vegetables maybe be cooking slowly or quickly but the sauce has to be cared for and not rushed.


My favorite Indian curry is probably Lamb Vindaloo. This is a fiery hot one! It comes from the Goa region of India and is comprised of caramelized onions, curry paste, vinegar, ginger, chilies, jalapeno, garlic, chickpeas, lentils, and other spices like garam masala, salt, pepper, paprika, and turmeric. It's definitely not for the faint of heart and may not be an entry-level curry, unless you specify it to not be very hot.


Here is a very good article from Wikipedia about different curries and the different countries, regions and ingredients: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curry.


The British love curry so much they made it their national dish! But don't take our word for it, try one out yourself!



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