| Product: |
History of Spices |
| Date: |
29/09/08 (132 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Fun to cook,using a wide arrange of spices and herbs, Fantastic aromas.
Disadvantages: None I can think of.
The most common misconception about curry is that it is a single spice that is extremely hot. But curry is so much more than a single element and curries are as varied in flavour as they are in colour and spice combinations.
Curries needn't be excruciatingly hot any more than they need to come as a powder from a supermarket shelf or, indeed, to trace their ancenstry exclusively to India. The word "curry" comes from the southern Indian, Tamil word "karhi", meaning "sauce" but, even then, it denotes a fairly liquid, not necessarily hot, sauce.
Thanks to the commercial and cultural links established thousands of years ago by Indian traders and religious practitioners, Indian curry traditions were adopted, adapted and modified and assimilated into the cuisines of Southeast Asia well before the advent of the Christian era. So the word "curry" could just as well apply to a spicy rendang from Indonesia or a succulent Thai fish cake as it could to a traditional, furnace-like vindaloo.
Curries embrace a whole range of dishes, each distinctly different according to its spices and herbs and the combinations used. Curry connoisseurs can identify the country or region a dish comes from by the ingredients used.
Climate plays an important role in the food of a region, so where wheat grows, the curries tend to be dryer and the sauces thicker. Meals may be accompanied by chapatis, naan and unleavened breads. In rice growing areas, curries tend to be more liquid, with rice the main ingredient of the meal topped by a small amount of meat or vegetable sauce.
Originally, curry spices were used as preservatives and for their medicinal properties. Today, they are used mainly for flavouring and to make food more attractive, by providing colour. Turmeric, which makes food yellow, is used to colour rice and white vegetables such as cauliflower and potato. Coriander leaves and green chillies define Thailand's famous green curries, while red spices give dishes a vivid colour and a sharp pungent flavour.
When it comes to taste, spices provide an endless variety of possibilities, while rice and wheat-based breads rival each other as accompaniments. Indian cuisine uses ghee and yoghurt extensively, with spicing being elaborate but not always hot. Wheat flour consumed in the form of chapatis accompanies the meal. Bangladeshi cuisine enjoys pungent spices, and seafood or other main ingredients cooked in oil rather than ghee.
Southern Indian dishes use the region's plentiful coconuts, rice, chillies and mustard seeds to compose the meal. Thai cuisine flavours a combination of cilantro (coriander), ginger, chillies and peppercorns. Its curries are generally coconut milk-based and accompanied by rice. In Indonesia, curries based on coconut milk are made fragrant with lemongrass and, often hot spices.
And we shouldn't forget that different regions have different food taboos. Hindus don't eat beef, Muslims avoid pork and Buddhists are vegetarians.
When it comes to grinding spices, we tend to reach for the blender or an unemployed coffee grinder. However, spices were once ground on a flat, rectangular stone with a stone rolling pin. In India, it's still common to see spice-grinders standing on the street corners pounding spices in giant mortars, throwing the heavy pestle with skill and ease, making passers by sneeze as the finely powdered spices fly into the hot air. For that ultimately authentic touch, a more manageable kitchen-size mortar and pestle set will produce just a genuine a result in your own home.
The combination of spice blends in Asia is endless, with each cook following their own taste and regional preference. There's only one proviso: the end product, be it curry or korma, must be a perfect blend. No one spice should be so strong as to dominate the dish, unless the cook deliberately wants it to. More than one hundred spices occur in Asian cooking. Fortunately, the most important of them are widely available in the West and in most shops and supermarkets.
Turmeric is a hard, yellow root which is ground to a fine powder. Because of it's appetising flavour, it can be used alone or in a combination with other spices and herbs. Cumin seeds form a sharp tasting spice and can be purchased whole or ground. Coriander seeds are a delightful spice which adds flavour and aroma to a dish. They are available whole or ground. Cloves, nutmeg, mace, mustard seeds and pepper are also commonly used. Garam masala is a combination of spices often encountered in Indian dishes. No two recipes for it are the same, but it usually contains a blend of black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and cumin seeds.
Garlic and onions are used fairly universally in curries to provide flavour and to give the sauce its body. Chillies are the vital ingredient in many curries. Fresh green or red, or in the form of dried red chillies, they can be mild or fiery, so should be used with discression.
Fresh herbs such as cilantro (coriander) curry leaves and basil are used in many Southeast Asian curries.
In addition to vinegar and lemon juice, the most commonly used souring agent is tamarind. A bean-like seed pod, tamarind is sold dried, as a pulp (puree) form, or as a concentrated liquid.
Below is a useful list of Ingredients I use in making curries and Asian dishes.
Black Cumin Seeds
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These are available at Indian and Asian markets. Substitute black sesame seeds.
Cardamom
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A member of the ginger family. The pods contain seeds with a strong lemony flavour. Also available ground.
Cinnamon Sticks
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Rolled pieces of the inner bark of the branches of a small evergreen tree. Native to Sri Lanka and India. They have a distinctive sweet flavour and aroma. Also available ground.
Cloves
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Whole: Dried unopened flower buds of a tropical evergreen tree. They have an extremely pungent sweet taste and aroma. Also available ground.
Coriander seeds
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Tiny yellow-tan seeds from the cilantro (fresh coriander) plant. Used, whole or ground, as a spice. Flavour is reminiscent of lemon, sage, and caraway.
Cumin Seeds
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Dried, small, crescent-shaped seeds from a plant related to parsley. Available whole or ground, and in three colours: amber, white and black. They have a powerful earthy, nutty flavour and aroma.
Green Peppercorns
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Unripened peppercorns with a soft texture and a fresh, sour flavour. Available freeze dried or pickled in brine or vinegar. Refrigerate after opening.
Mustard Seeds
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Seeds from a plant belonging to the cabbage family. Available in yellow, brown or black.
Bay Leaves
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Dried leaves from a large evergreen tree belonging to the laurel family, and native to the Mediterranean region. The leaves impart a lemon-nutmeg flavour. They are used in cooking, but are not edible.
Cilantro Fresh (fresh coriander)
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Green, lacy leaves from the coriander plant. They have a sharp, tangy, fresh flavour and aroma. Used in Asian, Mexican and South American cuisines. Also known as Chinese parsley.
Curry Leaves Fresh
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Bright, shiny herb leaves used in Indian and Southeast Asian cuisines. Added to sauces, curries and stir-fries, they impart a subtle curry flavour to the food.
Galangal Fresh
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The rhizome of a plant native to Southeast Asia. It has reddish skin, orange or white flesh. and a peppery gingerlike flavour.
Ginger Fresh
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The rhizome of a tall flowering tropical planty, native to China. It has tan skin, ivory to greenish yellow flesh, and a peppery, slightly sweet flavour, with notes of rosemary and lemon. Used fresh in sweet and savoury cooking and beverages.
Kaffir Lime Leaves Fresh
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The shiny dark green leaves of this citrus plant have an unusual figure - eight shape, formed by two leaves joined together. Sharply aromatic, they impart a citrus flavour. Traditionally used in Thai and Indonesian cuisines.
Lemongrass Fresh
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A tropical grass with long greenish stalks. It has a strong lemonlike flavour and aroma. peel off the outer layer of the fresh stalk, and use the white part, or the bulb, only. Bruise, chop, or slice the lemongrass as large pieces are not edible.
Mint Fresh
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Herb with a fresh flavour and aroma used in sweet and savoury dishes and beverages.
Here are a few tips;
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Remember, cooking curries ahead of time and leaving them to mature and develop their flavours can only improve the result. Provide plenty of rice and/or breads and arrange your curries and acompaniments around them. With the rice or bread as the base, try to sample the curries one at a time, so you can appreciate the individual spicing of each dish served.
Forget Western proportions: lots of meat and a few vegetables are not in my view , the route to success with curries. Rice and/or bread form the main part of the meal, with meat, fish, chicken or vegetable curries being served in small quantities. When eating indian breads, go traditional and eat with your fingers. Tear off a portion of bread and use it to scoop up some curry or accompaniment. In certain parts of Asia, the right hand only is used for eating,use of the left being considered impolite, but the experts all agree on one thing: curry does taste better when eaten with the fingers.
Cold water is the most authentic beverage to drink with a curry meal, because fizzy or carbonated drinks, including beer, tend to exaggerate the burning sensation of a hot curry. Suprisingly, so does iced water. Instead opt for a lassi (yoghurt and fruit based drink).
Summary
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Most people in other European countries assume that curry is the No 1 dish in the UK. I am not sure if this is true but I know it is my favourite food. I adore the smell of spices when cooking and I just love adding ingredients like chillies and coconut milk, lemomgrass and ginger. The aroma, textures and taste of a home made curry cannot be beaten.
NB:This is not what I suggested to dooyoo as the article I prepared is about curry in general and I asked for the suggestion to be placed in the food category but still, no problems.
Summary: The No 1 meal in my household.
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