Curry Powder – when no two are the same
from the depths of an Indian grocery
Gulp! I have a huge confession to make: I used to think the only universal ingredient required to make a good curry be it Indian, Thai, Chinese was a good dose of curry power along with the desired vegetables and protein of choice. I was so, so wrong, and despite the fact that the results were staring me in the face, I stubbornly clung to that notion for far too long. In my defense, I reviewed my older copies of The Joy of Cooking and some hand-me-down cookbooks and magazines from when I started cooking, and curry powder was a key ingredient. In fact, a family favorite shrimp curry dish my mother made, used primarily curry powder as the seasoning. (Of course, if I had been really on my game, I would have picked up on the fact that the sour cream, also part of the curry, was also not very authentic.) Curry powder, I was informed, was a “short cut” to adding the spices required for a good curry. Those curry powder geniuses had taken, what I thought was an arduous step out of the process. For a Midwesterner struggling to find the requisite spices, I was grateful they made my life easier – or so I thought…. But there are consequences for every action that must be considered.
For me, the inability to create an authentic tasting curry proved too much. I wanted my reward for my efforts to be the back stiffening, chest puffing, pride of producing something that truly tastes like it deserved to arrive by tiffin delivery.
Making the requisite spice mix from scratch is incredibly satisfying, I cannot emphasize enough getting the right spices makes all the difference. Plus I find the act of grinding the spices with a mortar and pestle very relaxing, some people may prefer dishwashing, but this girl is all about the spice grinding. The aroma that is released in that grinding process is heady stuff. Curry power may be a poor substitute when trying to make a truly authentic curry, but it does have its purposes, and in some cases has become an integral part of some cultures foods.
What is it?
Curry powder, also known as masala powder, is a spice mixture where no two are exactly alike. It was developed by the British colonist during the heyday of spice trading in India so they could make a satisfactory reproduction of that tasty Indian cuisine they discovered during their time in India and now craved back home in England. This was in the 18th century, a British company called C&B manufactured the world’s first curry powder. The Masala name refers to spices, and this is the name given to the thick and sauce consisting of spices mixed with ghee (clarified butter), butter, palm oil or coconut milk. Most commercial curry powders available in Britain, the US and Canada, rely heavily on turmeric powder, which produces a bright, marigold colored sauce, that can leave very yellow spots on ones clothing. Other ingredients most likely found in these Western yellow curry powders include: coriander, cumin, fenugreek, mustard, chili, black pepper and salt. It should be reiterated that curry powders and pastes produced and consumed in India are extremely diverse; some red, some yellow, some brown; some with five spices and some with as many as 20 or more ingredients which may include: allspice, white pepper, ground mustard, ground ginger, cinnamon, roasted cumin, cloves, nutmeg, mace, green cardamom seeds or black cardamom pods, bay leaves and curry leaves.
To put it in perspective, 90% of spices sold internationally, are whole spices. Paprika is the only ground spice sold in significant quantities, and curry powder is the only blended spice that hits anyone’s radar in terms of commercial importance. [Source: foodreference.com]
Japanese Grocery - curry samples
Up until now, the focus has been on Indian style curry power, but other countries have their own versions thanks to the migration of Indians, Sri Lankans and others who roamed the globe adding a curry kick to the local cuisine. The Poudre de Colombo came to the French West Indies via the Sri Lankans – I picked up a few of these packets when I visited a market in Martinique, and recall my surprise to find it was none other than curry powder, proving once again what an international ingredient it is.
hungry?
One way of making a curry tasty curry was to combine the curry powder with a roux. The Japan tweaked this formulation to appeal to their own tastes and developed a curry power marketed by the S&B Brand, began back in 1923 with Minejiro Yamazaki. Curry powder became a useful ingredient in Japanese cooking, and Japanese curry remains very popular. I even came across a Japanese curried pizza in San Francisco’s Japantown.
Katsu Curry
Serves 6. From Hiroko Shimbo, author of The Sushi Experience, and Sam Sifton
Ingredients
For the sauce:
3 T butter
1 # ground pork
Salt + freshly ground black pepper
3 T flour
3 T curry powder, preferably S&B Brand
1 onion, peeled and quartered
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 green apple, peeled, cored and quartered
1 mango, peeled, cored and quartered
1 2″ piece ginger, peeled and cut into coins
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into coins
2 T tomato paste
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 c chicken broth, plus more as needed
For the pork:
Peanut or canola oil
3 eggs, beaten
1 c panko bread crumbs
6 thin, center-cut boneless pork chops, lightly pounded
Salt + freshly ground black pepper
Cooked short-grain Japanese rice
Raw cabbage, thinly sliced
Tonkatsu sauce (optional)
a Richmond District "Hot" Spot
Make the sauce
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the ground pork and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat has browned and the moisture has evaporated. Mix in the flour and curry powder, turn the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, to make a porky roux. Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse together the onion, garlic, apple, mango, ginger, carrot, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce until a grainy purée forms. Transfer the purée to the pork and mix until combined. The sauce should be very thick. Stir in the chicken broth and cook, partly covered, over low heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally. If needed, add a bit more stock to loosen the sauce.
Prepare the pork
Heat 1″ of oil in a frying pan and set a candy thermometer in the oil. Place the eggs in a wide shallow bowl and the panko in another. When the oil temperature reaches 320ºF, season the pork chops eith salt and pepper. Cover them, one by one, in the egg and then in the panko, and fry in batches in the hot oil until browned, for about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and let drain for 5 minutes. Slice the pork chops against the grain. Serve the curry sauce over cooked Japanese rice. Top with the sliced pork and serve with a small handful of sliced cabbage. If you choose, drizzle the cutlet with a little tonkatsu sauce.
“The Western mind doesn’t understand the melange of spices in Indian food,” J. Inder Singh Kalra, chef, observed in an interview in Delhi. “Five thousand years have gone into the development of this cuisine, but it has been unknown to Westerners.” The decline of Indian cookery during the British Raj, said Kalra, contributed to this ignorance, for Indian cooks made up “phony” dishes to please British tastes. Yikes, tough words when describing the use of curry powder, but with some justification. However, curry powder is a keeper in my kitchen for the taste it imparts in certain dishes, but I know that if I want an “authentic curry” this ingredient will not be on the list.
Related Posts:
Special Ingredients: Curry Leaves
Very informative post.
That is so true. We think of curry powder as being some singular taste. But there are so many different kinds. I was always fascinated by how the Japanese version is not spicy at all, but almost a little sweet. Just goes to show that curry, like everything else in life, comes in all colors and styles.
There are so many kinds of curry and I love them all. I am a bit partial to Indian curry though, I must admit. The katsu curry recipe you posted above sounds delicious– so many interesting flavors.
Curry pizza you say? Now that would be a nice dinner.
So many curries to choose from. If I could just convince the other members of the household to like curry then I be using the stuff all the time.
This is all so true. I learned more about curry when my aunt and uncle went to live in India and came home with the grandest recipe for curry. My mother made it every New Year’s Eve for 25 years. I should make it for her this year.
A few years ago, I found myself totally confused on this subject of curry powders and curries of many kinds
I remember doing lots of research on this matter – this post is very educational for sure!
You know the first time I had actual curry powder in something that I remember was over 20 years ago in England after a late night someone brought in curry fries…oh my was I smitten, and my love affair still goes on today!
I also worked in an Indian restaurant for a few years and when I would come home I could still smell the curry; I am sure everyone else thought I need to head to the shower, but I was in heaven!
Great post, oh how you stir my memories…
Like you In always assumed exactly the same about curry powder! Im going to have to try that recipe! Many thanks!
Japanese curried pizza is new to me, but I do love how diverse ‘curry’ is. And, I’d love to spend more time coming to know the spices of Indian cooking!
You’ve done it again! Another great piece. I have lots of yellow spots on my clothing to prove that I have eaten too much processed curry powder. I love mixing my own spices too and couldn’t agree with you more that the smell is wonderful.
I didn’t know all this information about curry powder!I use to think just like you
thank you for sharing this wonderful post.
A fellow blogger friend sent me a whole bottle of their homemade masala spice mix. It is the most delicious curry I’ve ever eaten. Everyone in my house hates it, even the smell, so every time I hear their going to be away I get happy. Curry pizza sounds absolutely delicious! And I love katsu! I know what I’m making next time.
I’ve to admit that I had similar idea about curry…A class regarding curry powder! Now I’ve a clearer landscape about it
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Cheers,
Gera
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That is so true. I have been cooking Indian food for 20 years and I can’t tell you the number of people who say they don’t like Indian food because they don’t like curry powder! I tell them real Indian food isn’t curry powder out of a can or jar..but roasted and ground spices in all varieties depending on the dish and the region of origin. That being said..my husband has a big thing for japanese curry, the hotter the better. Thanks for the article.
Curry is a definite favorite and I’ve got my jar of it for easy preparation. However, I was quite pleased with myself when, not having the requisite ‘hot curry powder’ called for in one recipe, I blended one myself (though not from whole spices – that’s a whole ‘nother step!) We may be having that family-famous shrimp curry tonight – yum!
Wizzy – Thanks!
Carolyn – agreed, always surprised and the selection and that in the end, the final taste can be so similar.
Lisa – I’m an Indian curry gal myself, but if you’ve never tried this one, definitely check it out.
Duo – Curry piza sounds so intriguing doesn’t it?
Jenn – break them in gently, and they’ll be so grateful!
Claudia – how fun to get some relatively hands on expert instruction. I have an Indian cooking class lined up to further explore the spices.
Natasha – I’m with you, its a world into itself.
ChefE – ah curry fries, they taste so good, but are so not good for you.
Ruth – let me know what you think.
Lisa – curry pizza is new to me to, although there is an ice cream place here in SF, that serves curry peanut butter ice cream that is delicious!
Crystal – Thanks! I’d often wanted to say those were designer spots on my clothes.
Erica – Thanks!
Reeni – lucky you, what a special gift!
Gera – Thanks!
Kathy – I am a firm convert, believer – the spices and roasting make all the difference!
TN – ah, can you have some extra shrimp curry for me?