|
Never miss another recipe... Sign up for our free monthly newsletter today!
Subscribing will not result in more spam! I guarantee it! NEWSLETTER
• Current Issue• Newsletter Archive • Sign Up Now TOP SELLERS
Cook'n Recipe Software $39.95 
Cook'n with Betty Crocker $29.95
CONTACT US
• Contact Info |
       |
|
 |
* Vegetarian Curries |
|
A more misunderstood culinary term than "curry" would be hard to find. In Indian languages, curry means "a dish with a sauce," not any dish that has a teaspoon or two of a store-bought commercial blend of spices called curry powder in it--a blend that was probably originally put together by the British to recreate Indian flavors in their own kitchens. The word curry is believed to be an English pronunciation (or should I say, mispronunciation) of the south Indian Tamil (the language of Tamilnadu, formerly Madras) word kari, which simply means a sauce, and was probably coined sometime during the British Raj, or rule, in India (1858 to 1947). Today, curry has become almost synonymous with Indian cuisine. Because a curry is a saucy dish, this term includes all dishes with a sauce--whether the sauce is thick or thin or simply clings to the foods. A true curry, as understood by Indians, is a dish that results from the long, slow simmering of special masala pastes (see the Kitchen Basics chapter), dried herbs, and spices with different foods, where all the juices and flavors intermingle and develop as the foods cook in them. This meaning of curry also holds true in other parts of the world, such as Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Myanmar (Burma)--other countries where curries are part of the cuisine. Curries can be enjoyed any time of the day with any meal; they add necessary moisture to the meal. Sometimes full-bodied and spicy, made with onions and garlic or without, with tomatoes and cream or nuts and yogurt, the far-reaching culinary category of curries--similar to, say, salads or soups--can be simple or complex. Most cooks who make curries regularly don't measure or follow recipes. They add handfuls of whatever appeals to them and is on hand at the moment-much to the frustration of someone trying to learn or recreate a particular taste from a past meal (as I know from experience). Once you are familiar with the art of curry making and understand how certain spices and foods work together, making a curry will seem quite simple--which is why Indian cooks around the world rely on them as staples. At the base of most curries lies a wet masala, also called masala paste, such as Spicy Yellow Curry Paste or Basic Curry Paste without Onion (see Kitchen Basics). The paste is made with anyone or more aromatic and elemental flavor ingredients, such as tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and onions, which are sweated and cooked until they slowly break down and their flavors become concentrated. As each ingredient evolves, it blends with the others to form a distinctive sauce. Fortifying and enriching the wet ingredients are a selection of dry masalas in the form of spices and herbs. Then there are some volume-adding liquids, such as buttermilk, yogurt, cream, water, and broth. From all these essential flavor components come the true character and final flavor of each curry. One unique kind of curry, called kadhi, deserves special mention. Each community has its own versions, each flavorful and worthy of culinary exploration. At the base of most kadhis is a yogurt and a thickener, such as chickpea flour or dal (beans, lentils, or peas). These yellow or white saucy dishes, with a variety of greens, vegetables, or batter dumplings in them, are satisfying, soothing, and delicious. Kadhis are mild and delicate enough to be soothing, yet can be tangy and spicy enough to be addicting and memorable. Keeping Western food trends and eating habits in mind, where many baked, roasted, or grilled foods are served with gravy created separately from the dish, this chapter begins with a few classic stand-alone curry sauces that are the backbone of Indian cuisine. You can make them separately and add them to your dishes. However, in Indian cuisine, these sauces are usually further simmered with other foods, such as steamed vegetables, koftas (fried vegetable or meat balls), or tikkas (grilled boneless meats, paneer cheese, or chunks of vegetables). In this chapter I offer Indian vegetarian classics and some new recipes from my kitchen, after years of experimenting with foods available in the United States. (Non-vegetarian curries made with meat, chicken, or fish, are in the Non-Vegetarian Fare chapter, dried bean curries are in the Beans, Lentils, and Peas chapter, and paneer cheese curries are in the Paneer Cheese chapter.) Organize your recipes and simplify meal planning...Download the Cook'n Recipe Organizer for FREE!
CURRY SAUCES Classic Spicy Curry Sauce Butter-Cream Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes Yogurt-Cream Sauce with Nuts Minty Green Curry Sauce CLASSIC VEGETABLE CURRIES Curried Fresh Peas or Corn and Potatoes Whole Cauliflower in Traditional Curry Sauce Spicy Okra Curry Crispy Fried Okra in Yogurt Sauce Eggplant Curry with Sambar Powder Curried Eggplants with Hot and Spicy Lentil Nuggets Bitter Melon Curry Simple Turnip Curry Curried Baby White Turnips with Turnip Greens South Indian Pumpkin Curry with Split Pigeon Peas Kerala Cucumber Curry Mushrooms in Almond and Poppy Seed Sauce Anaheim Peppers in Spicy Tamarind Sauce Hyderabadi Tomatoes in Spicy Tamarind Sauce Hyderabadi Spicy Eggplants with Roasted Peanut and Sesame Sauce Stuffed Bell Peppers in Tomato-Cream Sauce Onion Wedges in Curry Sauce POTATO CURRIES Rajasthani Potato Curry Pot-Roasted Fried Whole Potatoes in Yogurt Curry Minty Pot-Roasted Potato Curry Haridwar Potato Curry Curried Almond and Poppy Seed Potatoes Yogurt and Potato Curry Diced Potato Curry with Pickling Spices Quick Potatoes and Peas Curry with Tomato Sauce GREENS ENTRÉES Spicy Puréed Spinach Greens Spinach, Fenugreek Greens, and Broccoli Punjabi Mustard Greens Mustard Greens with Cauliflower Florets SAVORY FRUIT CURRIES Green Mango Curry Mango Curry with Split Pigeon Peas Watermelon Whites in Tomato and Onion Sauce Peach Halves in Savory Ginger-Peach Sauce Curried Jackfruit MIXED VEGETABLE CURRIES Kerala Mixed Vegetable Curry Mixed Vegetables in Tomato-Cream Sauce Hot and Tangy Goan Mixed Vegetables Sindhi Mixed Vegetables with Split Pigeon Peas VEGETABLE BALL CURRIES (Kolta) Zucchini Balls in Creamy Tomato Sauce Stuffed Potato Balls in Tomato and Coconut Chutney Curry Spinach Balls in Green Curry Lotus Root Balls in Classic Curry Sauce NUGGET AND CHICKPEA FLOUR CURRIES Curried Soybean Nuggets Soybean Nugget Curry with Red Bell Peppers Spicy Lentil Nugget Curry with Potatoes Chickpea Pancakes in Curry Sauce Spicy Curried Chickpea Drops Punjabi Chickpea Drops Curry Rajasthani Chickpea Flour Bits in Yogurt Sauce Punjabi Chickpea Flour Bits in Curry Sauce SPECIAL YOGURT CURRIES Quick Punjabi Yogurt Curry Nani Mama's Yogurt Curry with Onion Fritters Spicy Yogurt Curry with Spinach Ribbons Fenugreek Yogurt Curry with Fritters Soupy Gujarati Curry Sindhi Tamarind Curry with Vegetables Buttermilk and Cucumber Creamy Curry South Indian Yogurt Curry South Indian Yogurt and Coconut Milk Curry with Vegetables From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Sign up for our free monthly newsletter, with recipes, cooking tips and more! |
|
|
Cook'n is Also Available At: 
|
|
Affiliate Program | Privacy Policy | Other Resources | Contact Us
© 2004 DVO Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. Sales: 1-888-462-6656 |