Curry Making for Starters

Blog 2

I never would have thought that I would fall in love with a process of making food. Just as life has its ups and downs, so too does my enjoyment with making food but, I will always love making curry.

I started experimenting with making traditional Indian curry after I had some at a local restaurant a couple of times. Deciding that it may be a worth-while thing to look into, I began researching the necessary ingredients and techniques. Before I knew it, the kitchen and refrigerator were full of ingredients, wherever I could fit them. As I practiced, there were many failures but, the kitchen, and the rest of the house, smelled amazing, full of the smells of cooked onions, garlic, ginger and tomatoes, varying roasted and fresh-ground spices and whatever cooked meat I was using in the curry. The adventure was long and expensive and full of so much fun and beautiful scents.

After repeating the process so many times, cooking curry now feels like a simple process that I will never forget, like riding a bike or, maybe more like seeing an old friend. Below will be a simple recipe that relies on personal intuition rather than specific ingredients and measurements. Enjoy the adventure...

Fundamentals of Making a Curry

Use an oil or fat of choice to cook with, adding as needed to keep any ingredients from burning. Cook onions until translucent and a bit of a mush, adding water as necessary to keep from drying out. Then add some grated, ground or finely chopped ginger and garlic. Cook just til its aroma strengthens from the scent realeasing as it cooks (usually under a minute). Clear the center of the pan and add spices to that area. Cook just to the release of scent as well, moving consistently to keep from burning (under a minute as well). Now add a good amound of tomato. Add it in whatever form you please, but most commonly used is plain tomato sauce or fresh tomatoes (mash/break apart fresh tomatoes until soupy as they cook). Stir together the ingredients as they cook. Bring to a simmer and maintain heat to simmer consistently. Add meat, cooked or raw. If raw, continue at least until meat is cooked thoroughly. Usually, the pan is covered after the meat is added, as the simmering of this can splatter. Simmer covered for 25 – 30 minutes, usually. Serve and eat as is or add some sort of cream, finishing garnish/flavor like cilantro, parsley or some other herb, green onions, lime juice or whatever you want. Enjoy!