Curry

Curry . It is the English name adopted in the West of a mixture of spices , originally marketed in England and the Netherlands , based on the mixtures of spices ( ginger , cloves , saffron , coriander , etc.), which are used in India for stewed dishes with sauce. , also refers to the dishes prepared with that sauce.

Summary

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• 1 Background
  • 1 Coronation Chicken
• 2 Curry and Indian cuisine
• 3 Other countries
• 4 Features
• 5 Etymology
• 6 Curry base (Hare)
  • 1 Preparation
• 7 Pure curry
  • 1 Preparation
• 8 Curry powder
  • 1 Preparation
• 9 See also
• 10 healing properties
• 11 Sources

Background

The Mediterranean Sea has been considered the cradle of the Civilized and Cultural World , and within them the Romans have been considered the first gourmets of civilization. They are credited with the first spice blends for culinary use. Specifically the combination with honey and olive oil with herbs. They were also the first to create or write culinary recipe books such as “De Re Cowagen”, with the use of garum mixing with some 20 different herbs (spices) as early as the 5th century AD. In addition, the use of Roman ketchup of the century III ane, based on oysters and other things, without the tomato, which does not appear until the 18th century in cook books.

When Marco Polo in the 13th century opened the way to East Asia , the use and abuse of spices that traveled through the Silk Road began . It was an open door to new and exotic flavors and smells for gastronomy. Admiral Christopher Columbus finished giving the “tip off” to the transformation of gastronomy. From Asia came Cinnamon , Nutmeg , Turmeric and Ginger , among others. From America , first came the chili powder, which became the paprika and the paprika, later theTomato , peanuts to finish with the industrialized and Europoid Chocolate in 1825 .

However, it is precisely in the 17th century , with the creation of the Dutch East India Company in 1602 , that the kingdoms of India were opened to western Europe. Although a little spice trade circulates, first by the Portuguese and the Dutch, it is the English who really set the culinary guidelines for these exotic dishes. The Curries , the Chutneys appear first in England, the relish change fatherhood and bow to Queen Victoria. It is almost the same case with Worcester or Lea & Perrins sauce, Sir Marcus Sandys, former governor of Bengal and renowned Epicurean, returns to England. “Addicted” with certain Indian dishes he had bought the recipe for a certain sauce that was freely administered. He asked two pharmacists, John Lea and William Perrins, to compose several bottles for him with that prescription. And in 1837 , with the premise of Sandys it was marketed under the name of Worcheter Sauce, although the last name of the first manufacturers has also endured.

Coronation Chicken

Curry reached its maximum popularity in England with the invention of this dish, the “coronation chicken”. The recipe was developed to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 . Curry’s popularity increased in the 1970s with the arrival of Indian restaurants. In this way, English food is highly influenced by Indian cuisine. Proof of this fact is that the Indian dish known as “Chicken Thika Masala in the 1990s became known by the name” British National Dish “. Restaurants serving curried dishes have become known in England as “Curry Houses”. The GuardianIn 2007, it ranked the 10 best curry house restaurants in England .

Curry and Indian cuisine

The diverse mix of Hindu ethnicities as well as the varied religions in India have produced some traditional dishes with regional variations throughout the country. However, curries have become the most internationalized, although others have not lagged behind.

Curry is nothing more than a type of sauce and a way of cooking main ingredients such as mutton , chicken or fish . The English applied it to the cows , although they kept “closed ranks” around the traditional mutton (ram). But, in this sauce vegetables were also sautéed: aubergines , potatoes (when they appeared from America ) and others. And to prepare a real curry you need the touch of garam massala.

The Garam massala is a mixture of condiments ( Spices ), some native and others not so much, but they serve as the signature foot of the chef or cook and necessary for the preparation of curries. It doesn’t take as many ingredients as a Mexican Mole, or preparation time like Chinese soy sauce or some of its own chutney. But it is a mixture with few fixed proportions and they are all variable. And the tastes can be so variable that although there is transmission from mothers to daughters in 90% of the time they are not the same.

With a secret … a gastronomic secret a sotte voce … if the recipe has two tablespoons … one is added during cooking and the other … when removed from the fire. Perhaps this is part of the culinary philosophy of Asians; in which most of the species are added at the end of the preparation of the dish.

Also, in these curry recipes, the use of tomato appears incorporated. And then the Manila Galleon and the commercial exchange of American products appear; chili and tomato. Perhaps that is why it is better to look at these recipes for the base or the curry powder before giving a specific recipe for a curry. We leave these we leave for other specifications.

Other countries

In other countries they have copied the formula and made dishes with curries or with the same style, in some cases becoming very popular:

• South Africa:Cape Malay Curries
• Caribbean:Goat Curry
• Philippines:Kare-kare
• Ethiopia:Wat, a very spicy stew.
• Germany:Currywurst
• England:Balti Currys
• Indonesia:The gulai and the kari or kare.
• Malaysia:The rendang.
• Thailand:Gaeng curry.
• Pakistan:The Karahi.
• China:Um gion fan.
• Japan:Karē raisu.

characteristics

• Its composition varies according to the region, the caste or the use to which it will be put. It usually consists of the following ground ingredients: turmeric(which gives it the characteristic ocher hue that we Westerners know), cumin , coriander , chili, fennel seeds , cloves , fenugreek , tamarind, poppy seeds, saffron , pepper , and  nutmeg , mace , curry leaves, garlic and ginger .
• The color of the Indian curries ranges from white to golden brown, through red and green.
• They can be both liquid, dry or powder.
• Its spicy flavor will depend mainly on the amount of chilli or pepper used. Thus you can find soft, slightly spicy, spicy and hot curries.

Etymology

From the Tamil word “cari” which means “sauce”.

Curry base (Hare)

• 4 medium onions
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon whole cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon Garam Massala
• 2-3 medium peeled tomatoes or 1/2 pound (250g) canned or processed tomatoes

Preparation

Finely chop the tomato and onions. Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan. Add the cumin, when the grains start to burst, add the chopped onion. Cook over high heat for 5 – 7 minutes.

Stir occasionally. Lower the heat until it is slow and cook until the onion is browned well taking care that it does not burn. Add the tomato and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes. When the onion and tomato are well cooked and dry, the mixture separates from the oil in the saucepan. Get off the fire and cool off, save yourself. If you prepare the curry for same day use, add the rest of the ingredients now and continue cooking.

Pure curry

• 1/2 cup of Chickpea
• 1/4 cup American Lentils
• 1/4 cup cumin
• 1/4 cup seedsof Cilantro
• 1/4 cup white pepper
• 1/8 cup turmeric powder
• 2 tree chilies

Preparation

Each ingredient is toasted separately (minus turmeric) and allowed to cool for an hour (the last one). They are all ground together.

Curry powder

• 20g of Cardamomseeds
• of cloves
• of cumin
• Pinch of nutmeg.
• 1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon turmericpowder
• 20g of cinnamon

Preparation

Grind the cloves and cumin together with all the others. Mix all the spices , sift them and store them in an airtight container.

Healing properties

In addition to an excellent dish seasoning, curry may serve to kill cancer cells . The key, according to research carried out by the Cork Cancer Research Center in Ireland , is found in an extract located in turmeric . The scientists treated cancerous esophageal cells with this spice and found that the compound began killing the cells within 24 hours of starting treatment. The study was published in the British Journal of Cancer. Dr. Sharon Mckenna, director of the research, explained that the cells began to devour each other after curcumin produced deadly signals to destroy the cells. The scientist added that “these results suggest that curcumin compounds could be developed in the future as a potential anticancer drug to treat cancer of the esophagus.