|
|
 |
|
Curry favor with lots of flavor
• by Anne Cori • Photo by Josh Monken
|
 |
|
|
Curry is a confused word; those five letters mean so many different things in different cuisines. Curry can be a spice blend, an herb, an Indian dish, a Thai dish (with a hundred variations) or part of an Indonesian rice table. A curry is also a bright yellow goo that was especially popular in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s – the dish responsible for scaring many Americans into thinking that curry is icky. But curry – real curry – is worth bringing back to the table.
The word “curry” means spiced sauce, and making a curry sauce is up to the cook’s imagination because there are no firm and fast rules for what spices should be used. Case in point: curry powder (or masala to Indians). It’s a blend of a lot of different spices, and every manufacturer has its own recipe. It is usually bright yellow because the blend includes a lot of powdered turmeric, a bright yellow root.
But it is very easy – and much more flavorful – to make your own curry powder, because you can toast the spices, freshly grind them and then immediately add them to the sauce. Many Indian curry recipes do not call for curry powder as an ingredient, but instead list 10 or so spices. Turmeric does not have to be one of them; an Indian curry does not have to be yellow. Essential to an Indian curry dish are the flavors of ginger, black pepper, coriander, cumin and cardamom. Although some cooks use coconut milk in Indian curries, yogurt is the more traditional addition to achieve creaminess and balance the heat.
The only thing that Thai curries and Indian curries have in common is that they use the word “curry.” Thai cuisine uses a completely different flavor profile, which does not consist of dry spices but fresh herbs. Galangal, cilantro root, lemongrass, kaffir lime, chile peppers and shrimp paste are the key ingredients here. Although popular, coconut milk is not a requirement; only about half of Thai curries are coconut milk-enhanced. The non-coconut milk curries – jungle curries – are also flavored with a spiced curry paste.
To make an Indian-style curry at home, start by buying whole spices, which will produce an intense seasoning. Just like nuts, spices taste better when they are freshly toasted and then ground and used immediately in cooking. I strongly recommend using grated fresh ginger root rather than dry powdered ginger. As potent as the spices are, to me the essential taste of an Indian curry is a sautéed paste of chopped onion, minced fresh garlic and grated fresh ginger root. Any meat can be added to those flavors and will taste so delicious that the condiments are superfluous – although I would never turn down mango chutney.
Anne Cori, a Certified Culinary Professional, has taught cooking classes for more than 15 years at Kitchen Conservatory.
Prep School Archive
View Complete Archive
|
|
 |
 |
|
Chicken Curry
2 Tbsp. coriander seeds
2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. cardamom seeds
½ tsp. whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick, broken
½ tsp. ground turmeric
2 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2 onions, finely chopped
¼ cup grated ginger
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 chile peppers, seeded and minced (or more to taste) or 1 to 2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
½ cup plain yogurt
1 cup chicken stock
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 cups cooked basmati rice
•In a dry skillet, toast the coriander, cumin, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon separately over medium heat until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the spices or the curry will be bitter.
•Let the spices cool, then grind them in a spice grinder to a fine powder.
•Stir in the turmeric and salt.
•Heat the oil on medium in a large frying pan and brown the chicken thighs, skin side down.
•Remove the chicken and add the onion and cook for 5 minutes.
•Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
•Add the dry spice mixture, the chiles, vinegar, yogurt and stock.
•Return the chicken to the pan. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
•Place the chicken on a serving platter. Skim off the fat from the liquid and pour the sauce over the chicken.
•Garnish with cilantro and serve with basmati rice.
|
 |
|
|
