Private chef Lilian Hiw, author of Lilian’s Kitchen Home Cooked Food, takes a journey around different countries looking at their individual take on a curry.
There’s nothing quite like a warming bowl of spiced curry over steaming rice to keep us cosy and inspired.
Following on from last month's article when I shared a vegan chickpea curry recipe, I take a look at curries from India, Thailand and Japan and how each is influenced by its location, native ingredients, culture and religious practices.
Now the colder weather is setting in, why not keep yourself cosy with a curry?
NATIONAL CURRY WEEK
Did you know that the UK has an annual event to celebrate the rich flavours and cultural heritage of curry? Be sure to check out what your town has planned to celebrate Curry Week in the first week of October next year – it’s a fun and mouth-watering time.
INDIAN CURRY
Tarka is a common cooking technique that involves heating whole or ground spices in oil or ghee (clarified butter).
The process of frying spices in hot fat, also known as ‘tempering’ or ‘blooming’, releases the maximum flavour from the spices and infuses the oil.
Indian curries typically use dry spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric, fenugreek, mustard seeds, cinnamon and cardamom.
Tarka can be used at the beginning of a recipe, or it can be drizzled over the finished dish.
It's important to have all your spices ready before you turn on the heat, as spices can quickly go from flavourful to scorched. When using ground spices, I always add a little water to turn them into a paste to prevent the dry spices from burning when they hit the hot fat.
It’s important to cook out the raw taste of the spices, stirring frequently until the spice paste starts to look glossy and some oil starts to separate from the paste.
Indian curry usually starts with a base of spices, onions, ginger and garlic paste and is thickened with tomato, cream or yoghurt, creating a versatile canvas for you to personalise your own curry by adding the meat, seafood, vegetables or pulses of your choice.
THAI CURRY
Thai curries tend to use fresh ingredients like lemongrass, galangal, coriander roots, makrut leaves, chilli and shrimp paste.
Coconut milk is a key ingredient in Thai curries because it gives the dish a creamy, velvety texture and soup-like consistency. It also adds richness and sweetness, balancing the heat of the chilies and the acidity of ingredients like lime and tamarind.
The amount of coconut milk you use depends on the desired texture and flavour. For example, Massaman curry is richer because it's simmered for longer and uses more coconut milk, while Green curry is lighter because it's cooked for a shorter time and uses a combination of coconut milk and water or stock.
Or, skip the liquid altogether and make a dry curry like Khua Kling, a spicy stir-fried curry dish from Southern Thai. Pan-roast red curry paste with minced pork or chicken, sliced makrut lime leaves, lemongrass, red chillies and fish sauce until the moisture has evaporated, creating a powerful umami flavour.
Curries from the southern side of Thailand are bolder and spicier. Close to the Malaysian border, southern curries such as Panang curry or Massaman curry are influenced by both Thai and Malaysian culinary traditions and use both fresh and dried spices and fresh herbs, with their heat coming from chillies as well as black pepper.
JAPANESE CURRY
The British brought curry from India to Japan and it quickly became a popular dish.
Japanese curry has evolved over time to suit local tastes and tends to be mild, slightly sweet, thick and rich (almost like a combination of curry and gravy!). It is made with curry powder and thickened with a roux – a mixture of butter and flour – to create a rich, creamy texture. Onions, carrots and potatoes are often used and it’s a bit like a cosy stew.
It can be served as curry rice (curry served over steamed rice), or curry udon (thick, chewy wheat noodles in a curry-flavoured soup), or curry bread (a popular snack of curry-filled bread, think savoury doughnut. The bread is then ‘pane’ – dipped in flour, then in beaten eggs and breadcrumbs before being deep fried), or katsu curry (breaded deep-fried cutlet with curry sauce and rice), or dry curry (a spicier, less saucy version of curry).
Katsu curry is a delightful fusion of two popular Japanese dishes, combining traditional Japanese cutlet (katsu) with curry to create a deliciously unique dish.
Katsu, short for ‘katsuretsu’, translates to ‘cutlet’ in Japanese. It’s a dish featuring a breaded and deep-fried cutlet often served with rice, finely shredded cabbage
and a tangy Tonkatsu sauce made from fruits, vegetables and spices – like a sweeter version of Worcestershire sauce. The most popular types are pork (tonkatsu) and chicken katsu, though it can also be made with vegetables like pumpkin or potato. Flattened pieces of meat or vegetable are dipped in flour, then in beaten eggs and breadcrumbs (panko breadcrumbs give it that incredible crunch) before being deep fried.
The fusion of flavours from the katsu cutlet and curry with rice is so well loved that it has travelled the world.
WHERE DO I STOP?
There is so much more to explore about curries from the other Asian countries, but I am running out of space! So I’ll share photos of some of my favourite curries instead. The recipes are all in my cookbook – you can find it at the library, or grab your personal copy from Waterstones or my website.
There’s a curry for every palate. Find yours and start your culinary adventure.
EXCITING NEWS
Lilian is launching her new Live Theatre Dining Experience this season. Relax in good company and savour mouthwatering delicacies. While Lilian cooks, she’ll entertain you with captivating stories, insider tips and trade secrets. Prepare to be pampered as you enjoy a culinary journey through the diverse flavours of different Asian countries.
Until the next time, take care of yourself.
Private chef Lilian Hiw
Author of Lilian’s Kitchen Home
Cooked Food
Visit www.lilianskitchen.co.uk
