Curry Powder

[Suvir Saran]

Do you make any Indian dishes in which you use curry powder?

If not Indian, what other dishes have you used it in?

What brand do you like?

Do you toast your curry powder?

Do you every make it at home?

Is there a recipe for it that you like?

[Brad S]

It's funny,

When I was a little boy I had never heard of curry. As I grew up and had the oppurtunity to get into cooking I started to see curry powder being used in some dishes here in the states,but I hated them. I reliezed later in my career when I began to explore the spice world was that the cooks and chefs using curry powder just hadn't had a clue how to use it. As in any learning curve,it's practice,taste,practice and taste some more.

While I am not offering a particular dish at this time, I have learned that the flavor of curries used properly is a very sensual experance and alows the other ingredients to sing

[Stone]

I always thought curry powder (meaning the yellowish power known to Americans) was mixed by the british. I didn't know that any dish ever called for anything like it. Other than adding some to scrambled eggs, I don't think I've ever used it.

(I hate Chinese/Vietnamese restaurants' versions of "curried" this or that, which is usually little more than a plain stir-fry with curry powder dumped in.)

[Stone]

Ooh. I take it back. I absolutely love Singapore Mei Fun noodles. I think that's just mei fun noodles, with meat and some veggies, flavored with curry powder.

[Suvir Saran]

I didn't know that any dish ever called for anything like it.

You would be surprised to know how many dishes around the world call for Curry Powder. It shocks me. And even more shocking is how many people seem to find it a glorious and most amazing addition.

[polly]

I never buy curry powder for myself because I like to have control over how I spice each curry or other dish.

One thing that I've always found a little odd is the use of curry powder in french sauces.

The Roux brothers, Paul Bocouse and others of their ilk have published recipes for french sauces ( butter sauce, sabayon etc) flavoured with curry powder.

I would have thought that such good cooks would put together their own curry flavourings for the sauce, as they put so much care into the rest of their sauces and food.

[Fat Guy]

Ooh.  I take it back.  I absolutely love Singapore Mei Fun noodles.  I think that's just mei fun noodles, with meat and some veggies, flavored with curry powder.

Interestingly, you will not find them in Singapore.

I have no curry powder in my house and I never use it. I can't see the appeal. The only pre-mixed curry condiment I use is the Thai curry paste that comes in a yellow plastic can-like contraption. I use it for fried rice and vegetable-based stir-fry-type dishes.

I don't cook with a lot of spices, but (with the above exception) when I do I use one or two actual spices instead of any sort of pre-mixed thing. Cumin is the spice I mostly taste in curry powder -- curry powder actually tastes to me like a mixture of cumin and sawdust, so when I want that certain kick I just use cumin.

[Suvir Saran]

Cumin is the spice I mostly taste in curry powder -- curry powder actually tastes to me like a mixture of cumin and sawdust, so when I want that certain kick I just use cumin.

Thanks for putting words in my mouth Steven. I could not have said them better myself.

[Fat Guy]

By the way, I just looked on the container and the brand of Thai-style curry paste I keep on hand is Mae Ploy. Given the flavors, however, I don't see how it would be appropriate for Indian cooking. But it serves a limited purpose in my kitchen. Primarily what I do with it is get some ginger, garlic, and onions/scallions/something-in-that-category going in the pot and I add maybe a tablespoon of this stuff to the mixture along with some sort of liquid. This creates a usable base for stir-frying just about anything, so long as subtlety and elegance are not your priorities.

[Blue Heron]

Cumin is the spice I mostly taste in curry powder -- curry powder actually tastes to me like a mixture of cumin and sawdust, so when I want that certain kick I just use cumin.

Thanks for putting words in my mouth Steven. I could not have said them better myself.

This is interesting. I am fond of curry powder, but only like cumin in small doses. How can that be??

btw, I'm going to make a Curry Chicken Salad next Tuesday (from the hints and recipes I got here).

[Fat Guy]

In a commercial curry powder cumin might be only 5%-10% of the actual volume of the product, yet I perceive it as the most pronounced taste (I can also pick up a hint of the coriander and the cardamom in most curry powders, but not much, and of course there is whatever source of heat might be in the mix, and various other low-level flavors). So when you use cumin straight you want to use a whole hell of a lot less than whatever amount of curry powder you would have used.

[tommy]

steven, as you probably know, thai curry paste and indian influenced curry powders have little in common aside from their name. the thai version is made from fresh, ground ingredients like galangal, garlic, peppers, herbs, ginger, etc. whereas the indian influenced version, well, i'm no expert, but they are made from dried spices.

and that was merely a segue into...

i had a discussion the other day with a friend on why this is. is it because historically, people of that area didn't have access to fresh ingredients, or perhaps those ingredients didn't travel well and therefore they used dried ingredients?

any insight on this would be helpful.

[Suvir Saran]

steven, as you probably know, thai curry paste and indian influenced curry powders have little in common aside from their name.  the thai version is made from fresh, ground ingredients like galangal, garlic, peppers, herbs, ginger, etc.  whereas the indian influenced version, well, i'm no expert, but they are made from dried spices.

and that was merely a segue into...

i had a discussion the other day with a friend on why this is.  is it because historically, people of that area didn't have access to fresh ingredients, or perhaps those ingredients didn't travel well and therefore they used dried ingredients?

any insight on this would be helpful.

Cause they had both and used both Tommy. They did not have to choose one over the other.

[Fat Guy]

Tommy: There are Indian curry pastes as well. I have a bunch of them in my cabinet from the Patak's brand, unopened (my cabinets are full of product samples; want some?). They have a lot of ingredients in common with the Southeast Asian ones, and culturally and historically I think they are linked. The dry curry powders also have a lot of ingredients in common with the pastes -- they include peppers, garlic, and ginger in their dehydrated and ground form. Likewise the pastes usually include spices.

[LaNiña]

I never ever use pre-mixed curry powder, and any Indian cookbook worth its spice would never include it in a recipe.

[Suvir Saran]

I never ever use pre-mixed curry powder, and any Indian cookbook worth its spice would never include it in a recipe.

Unless of course the cookbook is sharing a recipe that is reminiscent of the Raj times and then it would be necessary to have just a little touch of curry powder.

But yes, no self-respecting Indian chef would ever want to use Curry Powder.

[Suvir Saran]

Tommy: There are Indian curry pastes as well. I have a bunch of them in my cabinet from the Patak's brand, unopened (my cabinets are full of product samples; want some?). They have a lot of ingredients in common with the Southeast Asian ones, and culturally and historically I think they are linked. The dry curry powders also have a lot of ingredients in common with the pastes -- they include peppers, garlic, and ginger in their dehydrated and ground form. Likewise the pastes usually include spices.

Steven, this is the second time today that you have put words in my mouth.

[tommy]

i was just askin a question for cryin out loud! although, i haven't seen many "wet" indian curries.

when i make an indian influenced dish, i generally try to create the curry on my own. generally i include some mixture of coriander seed, mustard seed, cumin seed, powdered tumeric, powdered ginger, fennel seed, black pepper, funugreek, heated and then ground in a spice grinder. often times i'll mix with coconut milk or yogurt and marinate meat in this. grill and squirt some fresh lime on it. any other suggestions?

[Suvir Saran]

i was just askin a question for cryin out loud!  although, i haven't seen many "wet" indian curries.

What do you call Chicken Tikka Masala? Chicken curry? Vindaloo?

Are those dry curries??

[Suvir Saran]

when i make an indian influenced dish, i generally try to create the curry on my own. generally i include some mixture of coriander seed, mustard seed, cumin seed, powdered tumeric, powdered ginger, fennel seed, black pepper, funugreek,  heated and then ground in a spice grinder.  often times i'll mix with coconut milk or yogurt and marinate meat in this.  grill and squirt some fresh lime on it.  any other suggestions?

Are you telling me you do not follow this forum closely?!?!?!?

Just kidding!

Tommy, there are several Indian recipes that employ wet pastes. In fact, at the Indus Supermarket in Dallas this evening, the owner showed me a wet grinder. These grinders are imported from India. They look like your usual food processors, or at least similar and instead of being made with plastic or metal, they have the addition of stone. The wet pastes, curry pastes if you will, are ground in these and then used to make curries.

Did you follow the chicken curry thread? That has several recipes. The lamb thread also have many recipes. I will also send you in your PM a few recipes that use wet pastes. These will be for your eyes alone. For they are a part of my cookbook. I need to keep some recipes hidden. I am not one that is very secretive.

Your method of making a curry seems just perfect. Not much I would do differently. But then that is but one way of making a curry, there are many other ways. Browse around the Indian forum, you will get many of your answers hidden around here.

So many members have been exceedingly generous and posted many of their recipes. You will find them very inspiring and also great to work with.

[Haggis]

It's pretty easy to ruin a dish by adding too much curry powder to it. Too much is usually not all that much. And of course any Indian dish is ruined by the addition of any whatsoever. I have heard Ming Tsai say that when leftovers were on its last legs, i.e. the 3rd or 4th day in the fridge, that's when his family would break out the curry powder to try and salvage it. I can tolerate some curry powder in a chicken salad, though I'd rather have fresh dill and black pepper. I think the dish I enjoy most where curry powder is used is West Indian rotis. It's perhaps because of this that I feel this spice blend is most honest when it is labeled Jamaican Curry Powder, instead of Madras. The flavor I smell and taste most in Curry powder is fenugreek. Sniff some fenugreek from the bulk bins next time you are buying spices at a health food store, and I think you'll agree with me. Or maybe not - our noses and palates may just be different.

[Suvir Saran]

The flavor I smell and taste most in Curry powder is fenugreek. Sniff some fenugreek from the bulk bins next time you are buying spices at a health food store, and I think you'll agree with me. Or maybe not - our noses and palates may just be different.

Fenugreek is added in great amount in curry powder. But even as fenugreek would be detected more profoundly in taste, cumin could smell much stronger even in smaller amounts.

And yes our noses and palates certainly are different from each other.

Cumin is a very strong spice when powdered. Even stronger when toasted. And good curry powders do have toasted spice powders.

[levyme]

pork and onion yakisoba is excellent with curry powder

[anil]

I had never heard of Curry powder till I left India Then the first exposure to this term was in the US. The person wanted to cook me some indian-style lamb-chops. After dinner, I had my frst look at, I think, McCormick's "Indian Curry Powder."

There is in-fact curry powder, that is used extensively in Japan. To get what they (in Japan) mean by this - Try ordering Curry Chicken Rice in Sapporo on 49th between 6th & 7th, or a broth at Meinchenko-Tai .

You'll also find some wet curry paste in Trinidad - To get a sense of what it tastes and enjoying it - Try it during the West Indian-American Day Carnival Brooklyn Eastern Parkway bet Utica Ave and Grand Army Plaza held around Labor Day

I recently had an opportunity to take a look at Spice Bazzar in Istanbul, where they had what they called Indian Spices - Essentially sackful of some-one's mix of a "Garam Masala"

I think I mentioned somewhere in the past -- "Nearly every indian household has their mix of spices, ground in batchs called Garam Masala - and each varies from household-to-household."

[Sandra Levine]

I have a jar of curry powder and I use it to make curried chicken salad, (discussed on another thread) which is not by any stretch of the imagination, an Indian dish, but would not be the same without curry powder. I never use commercial curry powder when I cook Indian food, but make my own masala.

I use it for another non-Indian dish: I mix it half-and-half with flour and

dip slices of fish fillets in it before sauteing in butter. This is actually pretty good. I finish it by de-glazing the pan with lime juice and sprinkling the fish with chopped coriander.

Curry powder, as Anil has pointed out, is a simply a pre-mixed garam masala.