Here's a good question from reader Chris, who asks:
Dear Kitchn, Do you have any suggestions on cooking with curry? I bought three different kinds of curry powered from Penzey's. I'm really into the warm spice flavors and would like to incorporate them into some easy weeknight meals.
I tried this Curried-Squash and Red-Lentil Soup recipe yesterday. I was expecting layers of flavors: rich squash, earthy beans and curry warmth. Instead, the soup just had this one flat spice note. Not very appealing. Can you give me more advice on cooking with curry? Thanks for your help.
- Chris
P.S. Do you know how garam masala and curry powder are different?
Chris, we took a look at the recipe (also pictured above), and we have a few ideas on why it didn't turn out very interesting.
• When trying to develop Indian flavors and spice in your cooking, remember that most Indian cooking relies on a multi-layered process of building spice and flavor. A spice powder isn't the primary way that sauces and soup get their flavor. The flavor is usually built slowly by cooking whole spices with onions, and then sweating the onions with spices and oil (and sometimes ground spice powder too) until the flavor completely permeates the base sauce. Powdered spices are usually added nearer the end of cooking as a finishing kick of flavor -- not the main flavor base. Take a look at this post for some instructions on building a curry from scratch.
• Also, many curry powders use turmeric as the primary ingredient. Turmeric is a strongly colored spice, but not the most strongly flavorful. Check the ingredients to see if it comes first in the ingredient list.
• One way to get more out of cooking with curry is to make your own blend. This ensures that the spices are fresh and toasted to your satisfaction. You can see more about curry powder and its alternatives in this post, including ideas for making your own.
• And finally: sometimes recipes made with spices like these need some time to let the flavors develop. If the soup tasted flat and disappointing at first, try leaving it in the refrigerator overnight and trying it again the next day. Even some curries and dishes made with whole spices really benefit from a rest to let the flavors bloom and permeate the whole dish.
• And on your PS: garam masala and curry powder are simply two different spice blends. In authentic Indian cooking both of these have infinite variations, especially since they're usually made fresh by the cook. But in American spice shops you'll usually find curry powder that is dominated by turmeric, cumin, and ginger. It is invariably yellow. Garam masala is usually darker colored and has a warmer, sweeter mix of cinnamon, coriander, cumin, and peppers. You can try making it yourself with our recipe here.
OK readers -- your turn. What advice do you have for Chris?
Related: Try this recipe next: Recipe: Butternut Squash & Coconut Curry
(Images: Penzey's; Mikkel Vang for Gourmet)
For something super-simple, add curry powder to regular egg salad. Curried egg salad sandwiches are awesome.
view caw261's profile
i have a friend who swears by adding curry to his tuna salad
view fardaesm's profile
Dry-toasting your spices before using them also helps bring out more flavor.
view bubble's profile
I made boring Indian food too, until I bought "660 curries" cookbook. The author really explains spices and how even a single spice can taste different whether you leave it raw, toast it before grinding, after grinding, and other ways I don't remember right now :) I'll never use pre-made curry powder again. I guess that doesn't help you now though...
On second thought, I do use curry powder in a yogurt-based cabbage salad. You toast the powder for a few seconds and it makes a really nice sauce for the coleslaw.
Also, I think garam masala means "warm spice" and can be used as a seasoning on finished food, like salt.
view Niyne's profile
Recipes that call for a number of spices instead of just curry powder usually turn out better in my experience.
view gillsnthrills's profile
If you want a really easy weeknight curry, here's my advice:
Patak's Curry Paste is REALLY good (I've tried the mild curry and the madras curry). There's a recipe on the back for a really simple curry (chicken, onion, diced tomatoes, water and the paste). To speed it up, I used already cooked chicken. It was fantastic, and dinner was ready in under a half an hour!
-Ruth
view cptnruthless's profile
Use fresh spices, not the ones that have been in your cabinet since the Clinton Administration. Also, add some fenugreek to Indian styled recipes, especially rich curries. For some reason very few recipes call for it but it really elevates the overall flavor and aroma profiles.
view jeffc666's profile
Like with most cooking, using fresh whole ingredients is important to get the right flavors. I would try getting a good cookbook on the subject and hitting up an indian store for some fresh spices.
I would recommend a book called "5 spices, 50 dishes: simple Indian recipes using five common spices" by Ruta Kahate. It has some great simple and fast recipes and it wont break your bank buying a bunch of exotic spices you will only use for one dish. It only uses the same 5 spices but in different combinations and various preparations. The book has 11 curries listed in the index, I have tried a few with pleasing results.
view adamwa's profile
follow up:
here is a link to the book on amazon, looking at the rating and reviews seems I'm not alone in liking it a lot.
http://www.amazon.com/Spices-50-Dishes-Simple-Recipes/dp/081185342X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233084254&sr=8-1
view adamwa's profile
i agree with resting the soup for better flavor. also, that recipe calls for 2 quarts of water, subbing veg or chicken stock would be more flavorful.
i was always taught to add the curry powder to the onions/garlic & oil/butter mixture in the beginning of the recipe to intensify the flavor. same with curry paste.
my favorite recipe is pork chops with apples and onions sauteed with curry powder & a bit of cream to finish.
you can also dry rub pork (chops or loin) with curry powder. yum.
love egg salad, deviled eggs & chicken salad with curry powder.
and, like every other seasoning, curry is subjective. add until you like the way it tastes!
view saltyc's profile
I probably don't make the most authentic curry, but I like it and I always get lots of compliments.
I've had good results with the Raj mild curry spice powder. Its premixed and store bought, but you can use a lot of it without it getting too hot, then you can adjust the heat with a spicier spice.
I also try to ensure I get enough sweetness to balance out the taste. Dried apricots, garlic and ginger is the only thing I add.
I sautee everything first; onions, meat, everything, to ensure they are sweet and have developed all their tastes.
Works for me
view solveigpus's profile