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Curry Powder
Curry, and curry powder, are two of the most commonly misunderstood, and misused, cooking / spice terms in the modern west. Ambiguously referred to in a slew of instances, curry and curry powder are in fact two different things.
Curry PowderCurry is a general terms for any dish which has been prepared using curry powder. Ie. Curried chicken, or curried goat. Curry itself is not a spice!
Curry powder, the key component in curry dishes, is a blend of spices, which varies according to regional preferences and traditions. Some curry powders are made up of more than 30 herbs and spices, while others may be as simple as five or six ingredients. Thus, there are literally hundreds of varieties of "curry powder", each with its own unique aromas, flavours and uses.
Garam Masala is also a type of curry powder, and is what natives of India and other South Asian countries would refer to in scenarios where we would use the term curry powder.
Curry powder is often thought of as hot and spicy, and wildly aromatic, however, because of the mass amount of variations, there are many mild and less aromatic varieties available. (Note that the common yellow color is derived from turmeric, the primary ingredient in most curries.) To conclude, spend some time experimenting with different brands of curry powder until you find a few you really like, they vary wildly, and can be used in different scenarios based on these variations.
The origin of the word curry is a bit of a mystery, but most pundits have settled on the origins being the Tamil word ‘kari’ meaning spiced sauce. The one thing all the experts seem to agree upon is that the word was adapted, and adopted, by the British Raj while trying to replicate the unique spicy quality of native Indian food back in England.
One of the oldest and most common base recipes for Curry powder is outlined below:
1 part Coriander
1 part Cumin
1 part Cayenne Pepper
1 part Salt
1 part Ginger
1 part Black Pepper
2 parts Turmeric
1/4 part Cardamom Seeds
1/4 part Cinnamon
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