Curry – An explosion of aromas

Curry – An explosion of aromas

India's cuisine is full of surprises. The many exotic spices and herbs cause real taste explosions on your tongue. The most popular is "curry", a stew with vegetables, meat or fish.

The spice mixture, the essential ingredient of each Indian dish, is called masala. The well-known mixture "garam masala" (translated: "hot mixture") is composed of coriander, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and black pepper. Other typical Indian spices, which are each first roasted in a pan and then ground (often in a mortar) are chilli peppers, mustard seeds, turmeric, fenugreek and curry leaves. The latter also exists to make things more confusing. Fortunately, ready mixed spices and curry pastes from mild to extremely hot, from Rajah, Patak, Sabita and Pasco, for example, are readily available in grocery stores.

Curries are a varied and colourful collection. You can add whatever you like and it will work. For example, a harmonious combination for a vegetarian curry could be yellow peppers with aubergines, red onions, sugarsnap peas and sweet potatoes. Ideally the vegetables, cut into small pieces, are fried in a wok in ghee (clarified butter) or oil with fresh ginger and chili. Coconut milk and a little curry paste are then added (about one tablespoon for four people). A stalk of lemon grass adds some acidic freshness, but it is not eaten. Curry should cook at a low heat for 30 minutes, during which time the delicious aromas spread through your home. In the meantime, you can cook the rice. The addition of a bowl of basmati rice, which soaks up the sauce like a sponge, will complete this nutritionally balanced dish.

For those with an appetite for meat simply replace the potatoes with bite-size pieces of chicken breast and enjoy a version of the Indian classic, chicken curry. Aficionados of more rustic tastes prefer lamb curry. Instead of coconut milk, yoghurt is used for the sauce. Other ingredients include tomatoes, red pepper and onions, spiced with chilli, garlic and bay leaves. For a maritime curry, for example with rock salmon fillet or prawns, the seafood should only be added to the pot after the vegetables. The cooking time for fish is approx. 15 minutes and five to seven minutes for prawns. Fresh coriander – Indian parsley – goes well as a garnish with every curry.