What is the composition of curry?
Curry is a mixture of several spices. The term curry is a corruption by the English of the term “kari” in Tamil which means sauce. Originally from southern India, there are nevertheless traces of it in the Indus Valley more than 2000 years BC The first printed recipe for a curry was published in 1747 by Hannah Glasse, an English cook 18th century, cookbook author. It consisted mainly of pepper and coriander. The 4th edition of his recipe introduced turmeric and ginger. He was called “currey”. In 1780, the first curry powder marketed in England appeared. In the middle of the 19th century , more and more culinary authors offered varieties of curry in their recipes. These even become iconic references in England to which evocative names are given: Tandoori, Madras Curry, Bombay Curry, etc…
Camellia Panjabi, great ambassador of Indian cuisine dishes, “99% of Indians do not have a tandoor (terracotta oven) and therefore neither tandoori chicken nor naan are part of the cuisine of the Indian middle class. This is even the case in Punjab, although some villages have communal tandoors where rotis can be cooked. Ninety-five percent of Indians don’t know what a vindaloo, a jhal farezi or, for that matter, a Madras curry is.”
Of course, curry powder is found in all states of India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and all of Southeast Asia, but each family has its own mixtures and recipes. There is not just one curry but countless curries depending on their origin and use.
In Europe, curries are becoming Westernized according to their composition, the availability of products and a geographical origin. For example, Madras curry (city in Tamil Nadu in India, called Chennai today) is not used in India, the term was invented by restaurateurs in England. Sometimes confusion arises in masala and curry. A masala ( मसाला in Hindi) is a mixture of spices like curry. We therefore designate the same thing.
Curry then spread in the 19th century to the Caribbean by Indian workers in the British sugar industry. It finally spread to the United States and then to the Western world in the 20th century , becoming a reference in spice mixtures, because it is easy to use and tastefully interesting in dishes.
Is curry a spice?
No, it's a mix of spices. But two plants are nevertheless similar and evoke curry:
A variety of immortelle: the silver immortelle ( Helichrysum italicum ) whose flowers and leaves are reminiscent of curry. And Kaloupilé ( Murraya koenigii ) is a tree whose leaves are used, which have an odor reminiscent of curry. We then talk about Kari or Curry leaves. They are widely used in Asia, particularly in India, Vietnam and Thailand. They are also found in Reunion or Mauritius.
So what is the composition of a curry? What spices make it up?
Curry is therefore a mixture of different crushed spices. There are no standardized recipes for making curry powder. Curry is a taste creation, the aromatic expression a mixture of spices, it can either be made yourself, or an artisan offers it to you.
Most curries have a classic base: Turmeric, Cinnamon, Coriander, Cumin, Cloves, Nutmeg, Pepper. Turmeric always comes in a significant proportion and gives the characteristic yellow color of the curry. The red color is given by the addition of chili pepper or paprika.
This spice base is a universal base for curries which is also found in other similar mixtures (Colombo, Ras el Hanout, etc.). Depending on the variations, chili pepper, cardamom, mustard seeds, tamarind, fennel, etc. will be added.
The spiciness of the curry will depend on the three fiery spices that are added: chilli, pepper and ginger.
How to make a homemade curry?
You can try making a fragrant and floral curry yourself, here is the recipe and ingredients:
(Each spice must be ground)
- 3 teaspoons of Turmeric
- 2 teaspoons of Cumin
- 2 teaspoons of Coriander
- 2 teaspoons of paprika
- 1 teaspoon of Ginger
- 1 teaspoon of Fenugreek
- 1 teaspoon of mustard
- 1 teaspoon of Ceylon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon of Fennel
- ½ teaspoon of Cardamom
Ideally, you can roast the spices, they gain flavor. This step consists of toasting the spices dry in a pan for a few minutes.
Kitchen side:
Curry, as is often the case with spices, needs a vector for diffusing its flavors. Fats are these vectors and propagate all the flavor of a spice. It is therefore advisable to use a curry infusion with meat broth, cream, coconut milk, sauces, oil or butter. Put it at the start of your preparation and if necessary adjust according to your taste at the end of cooking with curry again or turmeric, ginger, pepper and or chilli! It goes very well with meat, fish or even vegetables.
Max Daumin
Epices Max Daumin
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Artisanal producer of the Culinary College of France 2022