The curry

However, we generally don't even know what curry is exactly, and we prefer to buy it ready-made, from our oriental grocer. But actually making curry is that easy!

If you want to add a touch of exoticism to your dishes, follow our tips and recipes to make curry yourself, playing with colors and ingredients.

> True / False about curry

- Curry is a spice> True and false! Curry is a mixture of spices. Depending on the spices chosen, it can therefore be more or less strong. However, there is a spice called "curry", a leaf that is found mostly in India and is put into the mixture. It is this spice that gave the dish its name.

- Curry is always yellow> False! Depending on the spice chosen, it can be green, red, yellow, or orange.

- Curry, dear, masala… they are the same thing> True and false. In the common language, curry generally indicates compounds of spices. But, in reality, curry (term derived from dear) is a sauce. In India, in fact, the European equivalent of curry (a mixture of spices) is indicated by the term masala.

- Curry is an Indian dish> False! Of course, many spices are used in India, but also in the rest of Asia. It is possible to find typically Thai curries, but also Japanese, Afghan, Indonesian, etc. Even the cuisine of the Antilles makes extensive use of it!

> Powder or paste?

These 2 forms are slightly different ... The curry powder contains only crushed spices, while in the paste one they are also mixed seasonings and herbs. This is why curry paste is generally more fragrant. However, it keeps shorter.

> How to make your own curry?

To make curry powder, we recommend using a coffee grinder electric, a herb grinder or a mortar, in order to obtain a homogeneous mixture and a fine powder.

To prepare curry paste, however, you can use a a mixer. In this case, know that 1/3 of the mixture must be liquid (to allow the blades to turn correctly). You can use water, oil or coconut milk.

Keep the paste obtained in a clean glass jar, placing it in the refrigerator. This way, you can keep it for several weeks.

> The most common ingredients

Here is a small list of the inevitable spices for making a massala:

- turmeric

- pepper

- ginger

- cumin

- cardamon

- coriander

- cinnamon

- cloves

As for the aromas, some are indispensable:

- chili pepper

- garlic

- onion

- mustard

- salt

- fennel

But the list is very long and, in reality, each cook invents a mixture of his own.

> 3 recipes, 3 colors

Thai-style green curry paste

1/2 teaspoon of coriander powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, 2 teaspoons of anchovy paste, 6 green chillies, 3 cloves of garlic, 1 onion, 3 lemongrass stalks, 4 cm of ginger root, 1 handful of fresh coriander, the zest and juice of a green lemon, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (neutral), salt and pepper.

Prepare the chillies: cut the ends, open them in two and remove the seeds that are inside. Cut them into large pieces and mix with the other ingredients.

Excellent with fish. Also used to prepare chicken.

Thai-style yellow curry paste

1 stalk of lemongrass, 4 yellow chillies, 4 shallots, 1 nice piece of ginger root, 6 cloves of garlic, 2 teaspoons of crushed coriander, 2 teaspoons of mustard, 1/2 teaspoon of crushed cinnamon, 6 tablespoons of paste anchovies, 2 tablespoons of sugar, the zest of 4 green lemons, the juice of a green lemon, some coconut milk.

Mix all the ingredients together.

Excellent with fish and shellfish.

Thai red curry paste

8 dried chillies, 2 shallots, 5 cloves of garlic, 2.5 cm of ginger root, 2 lemongrass stalks, 1 green lemon zest, the stalks of a bunch of fresh coriander, 1 teaspoon of peppercorns, 1 tablespoon of roasted coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon of roasted cumin, 1 teaspoon of anchovy paste, 1 teaspoon of salt.

Mix the pepper with the coriander seeds and cumin. Let it rest. Mix the peppers and salt, add the ginger, lemon zest, lemongrass, shallots and fresh coriander. Add the cumin powder and then the anchovy paste. Mix until you get a paste.

Used with chicken, duck, ox, pork or shrimp.

Try these recipes, adapting them to your personal tastes: what are your favorite spices?

Do you like a very strong or medium spicy curry?

Do you like lemon a lot? Etc.…

To know more:

- Indian cuisine. Delicious and authentic recipes from India (ed. Edicart)