Curry is used in Europe and the United States for several different spice mixes popular in Asian cuisine. These spicy-aromatic compositions are an indispensable component of thick and spicy dishes from vegetables, meat, cereals. It is the type of dishes that carries the name curry in the homeland of spicy-aromatic mixtures, which means "sauce" in Tamil.
Varieties of curry
There are several different spice mixtures known under the name curry, which is why the composition of this seasoning can vary. Most often, this will be the garam masala seasoning common in North India and South Asia, the composition of which also has numerous variations, or, popular in Tamil cuisine, sambar seasoning. There are also red, yellow and green curries, depending on the ingredient that gives it an intense color.
Garam masala is translated from Hindi as "hot spice". At the same time, “heat” does not mean the pungency given by the pepper, but the intensity, the richness of the taste that appears from the whole bouquet of spices.
Indian Curry Powder
Garam masala can contain many different spices, this mixture has numerous regional differences, but the base necessarily includes several of these spices:
- cloves;
- cinnamon;
- tumeric;
- cardamom;
- chilli;
- cinnamon;
- turmeric;
- mustard grains.
Also, nutmeg, fenugreek, dried ginger and garlic, fennel seeds, asfetida, anise can be added to garam masala. Before grinding the spices into powder, they are heated in a dry frying pan to maximize their taste and aroma.
Curry, like other mixtures of spices with a bright, pungent taste, doctors recommend with caution during pregnancy and lactation.
Sambar
Sambar is a type of curry typical of South Indian and Malaysian cuisines. This spice mixture also includes coriander seeds, hot red chili, fenugreek, cumin, cinnamon, but besides these, ground curry leaves are added to the powder. The curry tree grows in tropical and subtropical latitudes and its leaves, which have a characteristic sweet-spicy taste, are often used in cooking and are highly valued in Ayurvedic medicine.
Indian style homemade curry recipe
Use this recipe to make homemade curry powder. Take:
- 3 tablespoons of coriander seeds;
- 1 tablespoon of cumin seeds;
- 1 tablespoon of mustard seeds;
- 1 tablespoon of cardamom seeds;
- 8 carnation buds;
- a cinnamon stick 5 centimeters long;
- 2 pods of small dried red chili;
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon of ground turmeric.
Place coriander seeds, caraway seeds, mustard seeds, cardamom seeds, cloves and a cinnamon stick in a preheated dry skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 minutes, until a characteristic odor appears. Remove skillet from heat and let cool slightly. Transfer the spices to a mortar or spice grinder, add red pepper, nutmeg, turmeric and grind or grind everything into a smooth powder. Store in an airtight container.
