Currying flavors: Not all dishes are created the same

Maria Endah Hulupi, Contributor, Jakarta

The word curry is known by people from different countries, especially with variations on the Indian dish now popular around the world, from the late-night curry joints in Britain to the spicy currywurst (albeit consisting of chopped sausage in sauce) in Germany.

Jakarta has had a mini boom in curry restaurants in recent years, with new names like Kinara in Kemang, South Jakarta, and most recently Pappadum on Jl. Gatot Subroto, Central Jakarta, joining the ranks of mainstays Queens, Haveli and Hazara.

But not many of us know that the name of India's most famous, ancient dish is derived from the Tamil word kari, meaning gravy or sauce.

According to www.theworldwidegourmet.com, the history of curry may be traced back to as early as 1700 BC, when the Sumerians discovered a recipe for meat in spicy sauce with bread written in cuneiform text on tablets near Babylon in Mesopotamia.

In the past, curry was said to be prepared as offerings to the gods, and was served for Indian royal families before it became popular among the regular populace.

"The dish was cooked on a low fire for tenderness so they (royal family) did not have to exert effort to chew it," explained Shilpa Dave, who runs Ganesha ek Sanskriti restaurant, specializing in northern Indian cuisine, located in the BRI II building in Central Jakarta.

The restaurant's interior was designed to bring out an Indian palace like atmosphere, and to ensure an authentic northern Indian flavor, she shipped all cooking utensils and some of the spices from India.

"Most of the spices are available here but they have a different aroma and flavor," she added.

And since the curry refers to a wide range of dishes cooked with gravies, one needs to be specific when ordering a curry dish in an Indian restaurant.

Curries, which are also said to incite passion or inflame one's mood, vary in color, largely depending on the spices used to prepare them. They will be a vivid red from chili or tomato, white from cashew nuts and yellow from turmeric or saffron.

"There are three basic gravies in India, namely onion-based, tomato-based and cashew nut-based gravies and from these three basic gravies, Indian people develop numerous curry dishes," said the restaurant's chef, Vijay Srivastava.

Each of the basic gravies is mixed with various spices, from as few as five to as many as 20 different kinds, to make a curry dish. Even though the first commercial curry powder dates back to the 18th century, many Indians continue to prefer grinding their own spice preparations by themselves.

"Ready made spices are widely available but old fashioned people or housewives prefer freshly ground curry spices, which has a fragrant aroma and gives a stronger flavor, things that are missing in a ready made curry," said the chef, who is available to give a curry cooking class to groups of at least 10 people.

Curry in general is a slow-cooked dish that is prepared by browning the spices in ghee until fragrant before adding the other ingredients, like lamb, chicken, fish, vegetables, beef and panir (cream cheese).

Some curries, especially from southern India, use coconut and others use yogurt, but every curry dish is unique because each of them requires the use of different spices to enhance and balance the flavor of the chosen meat or vegetables.

"Curry dishes have different flavors because of the spices we add and there are some fundamental spices that Indian people and chefs should know, like how to use it and when to use it."

Lamb curry, Srivastava said, is made based on onion gravy with a number of spices, including a generous amount of black pepper. Mace is not commonly used for chicken curry. Fish curry needs ajwain seed and asofoetida, among other spices.

However, the flavor varies widely even within India, where northern Indian curry is distinct from the hotter dishes of the southern India.

Yoghurt and coconut milk are used for the sauce and they also act as a thickening agent. The dish should be cooked in a thick bottomed pot over a low fire so that the meat is tender and has absorbed the spices. As a final touch, Srivastava said, a dash of garam masala (mixed spices) is added on top of the meal.

Curry should be served with rice or Indian breads, like nan, tandoori roti, flaky paratha, soft round kulcha or paper-thin rumallee, accompanied with several condiments, namely hot mint sauce, sweet and sour tamarind source and chutney.

Not only does the curry taste good, but it also has its health benefits in staving off illness and in stimulating the appetite.