Curries are one of my favourite ways to enjoy spices, and contrary to what some people think, curries can be consumed all year round. They are not just for cooler weather, when you think of all the curries consumed in tropical Asia and the steamy South of India you see there is a curry for every occasion.
Ever since my first visit to India in 1986, I have been
addicted to curries. My love for curries is based
on their wonderful complexity of flavours, and the spicy heat hit takes a
backseat on this taste adventure.
Besides dining or getting take-away from one’s favourite
Indian restaurant, to me there is nothing more satisfying than making one’s own
curry from scratch at home. I never use
commercial curry pastes as they are simply spices with oil, water,
preservatives and other ingredients to bulk them out. The result in my opinion
is a curry that is far more acidic and less appealing than one made from all
natural ingredients at home.
Although it may not be 100% authentic, I like to make my own
curry powder blend (listed below).
The notion of a curry powder is believed to have originated
in India where the locals would have simply referred to it as a masala, which
means a mix. Colonials wishing to replicate the exotic flavours of the
sub-continent after being posted back home would have simplified these masalas
into what we now call curry powders. They are made into powders for
convenience, because many of the spices are hard in texture and require
pounding or breaking up to yield their flavours and aromas. A basic description
of a curry could be a spicy casserole; however, I prefer to think of it as a
blend of sweet, pungent, hot and amalgamating spices that can be mixed in dozens of different proportions to make a curry to suit a
particular taste preference. This may take into account complementing
particular foods; for instance, beef might require a stronger-flavoured curry
than fish or lentils.
The principal components of a basic Madras style of Indian
curry powder are the “sweet” spices, similar to what is found in a mixed spice:
cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. Pungent spices such as cloves, cardamom and
cumin add depth of character, while hot spices such as chilli, pepper, and
bitter fenugreek seeds give it bite. These all come together in harmony with the
addition of amalgamating spices: fennel, coriander seed (very important) and
turmeric.
A popular and interesting technique when making a curry is
to roast the spices. This modifies the flavour and adds another fascinating
spectrum to the art of making curry powder. The traditional method is to roast
the whole spices and then grind them all together. Each spice is roasted for
different lengths of time depending upon the flavour required. For example,
over-roasting fenugreek can create extremely bitter, unpleasant notes.
The easy way to roast spices at home is to put whatever
curry powder you prefer into a dry heated frying pan or the saucepan/casserole
the curry is to be made in. The pan must be dry with no oil, as the natural
oils in the spices will prevent them from sticking or burning. Keep the powder
moving around so it toasts evenly, and as it starts to change color (probably
in 30–60 seconds) and gives off a toasted spice aroma, remove it from the heat.
This may be then be used as the base for making a curry or allowed to cool
before storing it in a jar for later use.
My basic curry tips are:
·
Make your own curry spice mix from scratch as it
is a fun thing to do.
·
Dry roast the spices for a rich full-bodied
flavour for red meats. However do not roast the spices when used for delicate
flavours such as fish, vegetable and lentil curries.
·
Experiment with different spice combinations to
suit your own taste preferences.
·
Let meat curries cook long and slow, 2 or more
hours at 125 degrees C.
This curry powder recipe is from my book The Spice and Herb Bible 3rd Edition published by Robert Rose Inc. Toronto, Canada.
Madras Curry Powder
This is your default curry powder to use when recipes simply
say to add a quantity of curry powder.
7 tsp (35 mL) ground coriander seed
3 tsp (15 mL) ground cumin
3 tsp (15 mL) ground turmeric
1 tsp (5 mL) ground ginger
1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground yellow mustard seed
1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground fenugreek seed
1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp (3 mL) freshly ground black pepper
1⁄4 tsp (1 mL) ground cloves
1⁄4 tsp (1 mL) ground cardamom seed
1⁄4 tsp (1 mL) ground chili (more or less to taste)
Makes: 17 tsp (85 mL)
Herbie’s Saturday
Curry is my favourite, fool-proof lamb or beef curry.
Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 2 1/2 hours
Preheat oven to 250F (125 C)
2 tbsp Madras curry
powder
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp panch phora
1 onion,
chopped
500g lamb leg,
cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm)
2 tsp lemon juice
1 can (400g) whole tomatoes, in juice
1-2 cups water
2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp chaat masala
3 long
dried red chilie
2 tbsp large dried
garlic flakes
2 tbsp tomato paste
8 fresh or
dried curry leave
1 tsp methi (dried
fenugreek leaves)
Heat a heavy based pan or Dutch
oven on the stove, add curry powder and dry roast, stirring continuously with a
wooden spoon for up to 2 minutes, being careful not to burn.
Add oil and make into a paste.
Add panch phora and stir until seeds start popping. Add onion and stir for 2 minutes, do not
overcook and let burn. Add meat, about 6
pieces at a time, making sure each piece is browned and coated with
spices. Add lemon juice and tomatoes,
roughly chopping tomatoes while stirring. Sprinkle garam masala and chaat
masala over surface and drop in whole chillies and garlic flakes. Add tomato paste, curry leaves and methi,
stir and turn off heat. Place lid on and
put in oven for 2 hours or until tender.
Serve immediately, or for best results, allow to
cool, store in fridge and heat and serve next day.
Tips
* Serve
with pilaf or plain steamed rice.
Curry Powder Medium Madras
