Curry

[tabs slidertype=”left tabs” auto=”no”] [tabcontainer] [tabtext] Curry Basics [/tabtext] [tabtext] Curry Ingredients [/tabtext] [tabtext] Curry Recipes [/tabtext][tabtext] Sides [/tabtext][tabtext] Secrets [/tabtext] [/tabcontainer] [tabcontent] [tab] This training was inspired by a question in the Ask Jules section from Susan…

“Hi Jules,

Could you give me a little explanation about the different types of curry?

For example, powder vs. paste, and the different types in each category.

Are they interchangeable in recipes?

I love garam masala and have wondered if I could use it in any recipe calling for curry spices”

My quick answer for Susan was:

As a quick starter…

Curry powder is generally just a blend of spices where as curry pastes include aromatic ingredients as well such as onion, fresh chilli, ginger garlic and oil.

You can use them interchangeably but you’ll need to adjust quantities.

Curry powder you’re using a few teaspoons where are curry pastes are more like a few tablespoons or even 1/2 cup.

I love garam masala as well and you can use it interchangeably in recipes calling for curry powder. The only thing is garam masala doesn’t contain any chilli so if you want some heat you’ll need to add some fresh or dried chilli peppers.

– For a more in depth breakdown see the ‘Ingredients’ section of this training.

What is a curry?

It’s a general term for dishes where meat, legumes or veg (or some combination of all) are cooked in a sauce that is flavoured with spices.

Different Types of Curry

Indian – the most famous and diverse country for curries.

Thai – more fragrant and generally lighter in style than Indian curries. Mostly using coconut milk as the base of the sauce.

Malaysian – somewhere between Indian and Thai in terms of flavour profile.

Japanese – Japansese ‘curry’ is more like a brown meat based stew with a small amount of spice. Compared with Indian or Thai they’re pretty bland.

West Indies – out of my experience here! However imagine they are closest to Indian curries so I would use an Indian curry powder.

So let’s dive in to the beautifully spicy world of curry…

Jx

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Curry Ingredients

Curry Powder – Indian people will tell you that there’s no such thing as a curry powder in India.

They either make their own spice blends or use more specific pre-blended spices like Garam Masala (see below). For me however, a good curry powder is indispensable for quick weeknight dinners and saves having to measure out 10 different ingredients.

Curry powders range from very mild to extremely spicy.

I make my own curry powder using cumin, coriander, chilli, tuemeric and black pepper (recipe here) but have also been happy with the Keens Curry Powder I can buy from the supermarket.

If you’d like to get into cooking more curry, investing a small amount in a good curry powder from a specialist spice merchant (I like Herbies Spices) is totally worth it.

Garam Masala – Is a more specific blend of spices generally including Fennel Seed, Caraway Seed, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Cloves and Black Pepper. Because it doesn’t contain any chilli you’ll need to add fresh or dried chilli peppers if you want your curry to have some heat. Can be used interchangeably with curry powder.

Curry Paste – Curry pastes include spices along with the other aromatic ingredients that make up most curries. These include onion, ginger and garlic. They’re a convenient way to get a decent curry on the table with very little time and effort.

For Thai and Malaysian curries I find the commercial curry pastes to be excellent and generally don’t bother making my own.

For Indian curries, I haven’t had as much luck so I use curry powder and add the onion / ginger / garlic myself.

Curry pastes and powder can be substituted for each other, just adjust the quantity as needed. As a very rough rule of thumb… 3-4 teaspoons of curry powder + an onion, some ginger and a clove of garlic will be about the same as 1/2 cup curry paste.

Curry Leaves – Come from the curry plant. For real! When I lived in Sydney I actually had a curry plant. They have a beautifully fragrant flavour in the Indian curry spectrum. Add some at the beginning of cooking to flavour your sauce and then again at the end for added freshness.

Coconut Milk – Used in some Indian curries and most Thai ones. These days you can get coconut milk that is diluted down to be used as a dairy-free substitute for regular cows milk – don’t use this in curries as it is very watery. For curry I use coconut cream or coconut milk in a can which is much thicker and creamier. Also steer clear of any sweetened coconut milk / cream products.

Kafir Lime Leaves – Are the leaves of a special variety of lime tree. They are incredibly fragrant and add amazing depth of flavour to Thai curries. They can be frozen so if you ever see them, they’re worth buying. Lime zest is the next best substitute.

Lemongrass – Another Thai ingredient that adds an exotic lemony flavour to a curry. Can be frozen. But if you can’t find it, just substitute lemon zest or leave it out.

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Indian Curry Recipes

• Quick Veg Curry
• Butter Chickpeas
• Eggplant Chickpea Curry
• Lesh’s Nourishing Dahl
• Easy Fish Curry
• Butter Chicken
• Super Green Saag Chicken
• One Pot Cauliflower, Chicken & Peanut Curry
• Yoghurt & Kofta Curry
• Curry Stuffed Eggplant with Yoghurt
• Beef Vindaloo

For more on Indian, see the Indian Cuisine training.

Thai Curry Recipes

• Addictive Green Curry of Broccoli Soup
• Thai Red Veggie Curry
• Zucchini Laksa
• Jungle Curry
• Broccoli Pantry Curry
• Thai Green Chicken Curry
• Chicken Satay Curry
• 10-Minute Massaman Curry

For more on Thai, see the Thai Cuisine training.

Other ‘Curry’ Recipes

• Buy Nothing New Curry
• Malaysian Golden Egg Curry

Curry Template Recipes

• Hot & Fiery Curry
• Mild & Creamy Indian Curry

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Sides – Low Carb

• Cauliflower ‘Rice’
• Coconut Flat Bread (Low Carb)
• Cooked Greens
• Surprise Steamed Cabbage
• Baby spinach or other salad leaves
• Spiralized Zucchini Noodles
• Indian Kimchi

Sides – Carb-Lovers

• Perfect Fluffy Rice
• Fried Rice
• Cooked Quinoa
• Flat bread
• Rice & Greens
• Rice noodles (cook as per packet)
• Hokkien noodles (cook as per packet)

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Secrets to Amazing Curry

1. Choose your protein wisely

Vegetarians, you don’t need to worry about this so skip on to the next step!

But if you’re an omnivore, keep reading…

The most common problem with curry is dry tough meat. Yuck.

The way to avoid this is to choose the right cut of meat to suit the amount of time you have. If you are in a hurry, you need tender cuts of meat which you just sear until they are cooked through and then added to the sauce. Don’t simmer them in the sauce for any length of time as this will cause the dreaded toughness and dryness.

Tender cuts include chicken breast or thigh fillets, steak, lamb fillet, lamb backstrap, pork fillet or fish fillets.

If you have more time, cheaper stewing cuts work best. These can be browned (or not) and then simmered in the sauce for hours until meltingly tender.

Things like chuck steak, lamb shoulder, lamb shanks, pork shoulder, pork ribs, beef short ribs are all great.

You can make curry using minced (ground) meat like this recipe. It tastes excellent but won’t look quite like a curry.

Mostly if I want to give minced / ground meat the curry treatment I make meatballs (also called kofta) and simmer them in the sauce until just cooked through (generally about 20 minutes).

2. Start with less

The second most common problem with curries is too much heat or spice which tastes one dimensional (and blows your head off!).

So always start with less curry powder / chilli / curry paste and then taste and add more if needed.

It’s easy to add more. Difficult to subtract!

3. Allow everyone to adjust their heat level

Everyone has different tolerances to heat. And chillies and curry pastes and powders vary widely in their heat level.

So getting the heat level right is tricky!

I like to serve something at the table so the ‘hot heads’ can dial up the heat if needed.

We pretty much always have a bottle of Chilli Oil and my Chilli Salt close by. But your favourite hot sauce or a little bowl of chopped fresh chilli peppers will also work.

4. Season at the End

The key to amazing curry is to get the seasoning in balance. So make sure you taste and adjust before serving. At the very least you should be adding salt in the form of fish sauce, soy sauce or regular salt.

Curries also need acidity to really make them sing. Lime juice or lemon are my go-tos. More robust Indian curries can also benefit from some wine vinegar.

To learn more about seasoning see The Art of Seasoning

5. Add Freshness

Curries are supposed to be a flavour explosion so make sure you add something to provide freshness and aromatics just before serving. My favourite ‘secret weapons’ are coriander leaves, mint, basil, shredded kaffir lime leaves or curry leaves.

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