Curry powder
Description
Widely used in Indian cooking, authentic Indian curry powder is ground each day and can vary drastically depending on the region and the cook. Curry powder is actually a powdered mix of up to 20 spices, herbs, and seeds. Among the most used are cardamom, chilies, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, fennel seed, fenugreek, mace, nutmeg, red and black pepper, poppy and sesame. , saffron, tamarind and turmeric (the latter is what gives curry dishes their characteristic yellow colour). Bearing little resemblance to freshly ground mixes from South India, commercial curry powder comes in two basic styles: standard and the spicier of the two, “Madras” curry powder.
Applications
Curry powder is used for soups and stews, and is great for adding a kick to all kinds of sauces and marinades, as well as meatloaf and burgers, and chicken, tuna, pasta, and potato salads. Since curry powder quickly loses its pungency, it should be stored airtight for no more than two months.
origins
Curry powder, as we know it, was a British, not an Indian, invention intended to capture the flavor of Indian cuisine without the painstaking effort of custom blending, roasting, and grinding spices for each dish prepared. And what’s even weirder, most curry powders don’t even contain curry leaves! Curry became a huge favorite in Britain in the late 19th century, and its popularity soon spread to Japan.
taste trend
In the past, Americans mainly enjoyed curry in Indian and Thai restaurants. Now, curry mixes are being added to familiar foods, from a simple grilled chicken breast to stir-fried shrimp and vegetables. Curry is a key element of the cuisine of South and Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, Japan, England and Australia. At the heart of most curry mixes is a flavor base of black or red pepper, coriander, and cumin. Various spices can be added to this base to create different flavor experiences. Garam masala, for example, is a sweeter curry, with cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves. Madras Spicy Curry brings the heat and intense flavor of the Madras region of India and also includes fenugreek, turmeric and garlic. Red curry mixes are a complex mixture of selected spices, chili peppers and cardamom. As Americans become more familiar with curry, they discover a wide range of flavor possibilities.
We like to pair the curry with fruits like apples, bananas, and passion fruit, and sweeter flavors like vanilla,” says chef Shawn McClain of Spring and Green Zebra in Chicago. “For example, we served a Maine lobster spring roll with passion fruit. – curry sauce.”
Perfect Flavor partners include:
basil, coriander, citrus, coconut, garlic, ginger, mango, mint, passion fruit, plantain, vanilla and yogurt Color
Bright golden yellow or tan brown. Flavor and smell
At once musky and bright; sometimes sweet, sometimes spicy Sensory profile
Since up to 20 spices can contain curry powder, its profile is complex. Turmeric and fenugreek add an earthy touch; cinnamon and cardamom add sweetness; chiles and pepper add heat.
Spicy curry powder recipe
Ingredients: * Coriander seeds – 1/2 cup * Cumin seeds – 1/4 cup * Black mustard seeds – 1 tablespoon * Black peppers – 1 teaspoon * Red chilies – 5 * Fenugreek seeds – 3/4 teaspoon * Turmeric powdered – 2 teaspoons * Dried curry leaves- 20
Preparation: In a thick-bottomed pan, fry all the ingredients for 5 minutes over medium heat. Remove from heat. Grind all the roasted ingredients into a powder. Store in an airtight container.
Basic Curry Powder Recipe (Indian Curry)
6 dried red chilies 1 ounce coriander seeds 2 teaspoons cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds 1 teaspoon black peppercorns 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds 10 fresh curry leaves 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1 tablespoon ground turmeric Turn this recipe into a puzzle!
Addresses:
This medium heat curry mix can be used in any dish that calls for curry powder.
Remove the seeds from the chiles. Dry roast the whole spices over medium heat until dark, stirring or shaking the pan frequently to prevent burning. Let cool, then grind to a powder. Dry-roast the curry leaves in the pan for a few minutes, then mash them and add them to the mixture with the ginger and turmeric, mixing well.
Goan curry powder
3/4 cup grated unsweetened dried coconut, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 4 fresh green chilies, such as serrano, thinly sliced, 3 tablespoons coriander powder, 2 tablespoons white poppy seeds, 1 tablespoon peppercorns black pepper, 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, 1 tablespoon ajwain seeds, 10 cardamom pods, 10 cloves, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1. In a medium skillet, roast the coconut over medium heat, stirring continuously for about 8 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a bowl. 2. In the same skillet, dry roast the garlic and green chiles over medium heat, stirring continuously for about 8 minutes, until dry and golden brown. 3. Place the remaining spices in the pan and dry roast over medium heat, stirring and shaking the pan until golden brown and very fragrant. Remove and cool. 4. Mix all the toasted ingredients together, put them in a spice grinder in batches and process on high speed until the spices are finely ground into a powder. 5. Pour into a non-reactive container, cover tightly and store up to 3 months.
spice mix
This easy-to-make spice mix is at the heart of most Indian dishes. A combination of different spices, it probably has as many recipes as there are families in India! Here is a basic one. Once you have an idea of the flavor it brings to your kitchen, experiment and modify to suit your needs.
Garam masala is best made fresh just before you start cooking, but if you don’t have the patience (like me!), make a batch ahead of time and store for several months in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. Prep time: 0 hours, 10 minutes Cook time: 0 hours, 4 minutes
Ingredients:
* 4 tablespoons coriander seeds * 1 tablespoon cumin seeds * 1 tablespoon black peppercorns * 1 1/2 teaspoons black cumin seeds (shahjeera) * 1 1/2 teaspoons dried ginger * 3/4 tsp black cardamom (approx 3-4 large pods) * 3/4 tsp cloves * 3/4 tsp cinnamon (2 X 1″ pieces) * 3/4 tsp crushed bay leaves
Preparation:
* Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat and gently toast all the ingredients (leave the cardamom in its pods for later) except the dried ginger, until they turn a darker shade. Stir occasionally. Don’t be tempted to speed up the process by turning up the heat, as the spices will burn on the outside and remain raw on the inside.
* When the spices are roasted, turn off the heat and let them cool.
*Once cooled, remove the cardamom seeds from their skins and mix them again with all the other roasted spices.
* Grind them all together, to a fine powder in a clean, dry coffee grinder.
* Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.