Curry is Used in Recipes Around the World
I love to experiment with a lot of international recipes and by far, curry dishes are one of my family’s favorite international fare besides West African Recipes. As much as I love Asian food, one of the biggest misconceptions is the idea that curry is just limited to Asian dishes. I usually prepare curry as it is made in the West Indies, in recipes originating from Jamaica, Tobago, Trinidad, and Guyana. Additionally, curry is used in Germany in what is called “Currywurst”, used in Hungry to add to goulash recipes, and is popular in English restaurants. Curry is added to “wat” or sauce in Ethiopia, to Groundnut Stew in Central Africa, and can be found in South African recipes. In addition, curry can be found in recipes from the islands of the South Pacific.
Many people may think that curry is a spice, but really the word means “soup” or “stew”, and it is a mix of spices that usually consist of turmeric, cumin, and coriander that can be bought in a powder or paste. Curry dishes are sometimes vegetarian but can also be made with a variety of meats, poultry or even seafood. There are curry recipes from every corner of the globe, and they vary in color, texture, heat, and ingredients. Let’s look into a few of the most popular nations curry is used.
Curry in Indian Food
Because of the great use of curry in India, there are many types that are used. Here are just a few:
Roghan Josh: This curry has a medium heat level and is usually used with lamb and sometimes tomatoes.
Madras: This curry is fairly hot, uses chili powder, and is red in color. It originates from the southern part of India.
Bhuna: This has a medium heat level with a thick vegetable sauce.
Vindaloo: This is used in a lot of Indian restaurants and is known to be hot, but may not be. The recipe originates from the Goa region of India. The word comes from Portuguese and means “wine” and “garlic”.
Tindaloo: This curry is extremely hot and originates from Bangaladesh.
Korma: This is mild in heat, yellow in color, is usually made with yogurt, and sometimes includes coconuts and nuts in its recipes.
Curry Used in Thai Food
Thailand is another country where curry is in widespread use. Thais often will use coconut milk and sometimes fruit in their curry recipes, and recipes can either be vegetarian or not. The names of the curry types in Thailand are broken down by color. They are:
Red curry: uses red chilies.
Green curry: uses green chilies.
Yellow curry: like Indian, uses turmeric, cumin, and other spices.
Many other Asian countries use curry other than have already been mentioned. These include, but are not limited to China, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. I have yet to try out the unique curry recipes that originate from these nations, but I can’t wait to!
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