curry

curry [Malayalam], condiment much used in India and elsewhere in Asia and the Middle East, in combination with rice, meat, and a variety of other dishes. It is compounded of such spices as turmeric, fenugreek, cloves, cumin, ginger, black and hot red pepper, and coriander. When the pungent leaf of an Indian tree of the rue family is included, the curry powder is used not only as a stimulating flavor, but also for medicinal purposes. Curry paste is made from the slightly acid, jellylike pulp of the tamarind pod, combined with a variety of spices.

Bibliography

See study by L. Collingham (2006).

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curry

(from Tamil kari, “sauce”) Dish or sauce in Indian cuisine. It is seasoned with a mixture of spices often including turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, as well as garlic and chiles. Some of the curry spices are known for their antiseptic and preservative properties. Curries have been a part of South Asian cookery since antiquity. The primarily vegetarian curries of southern India are the most pungent. Those of northern India, where lamb and poultry are eaten, generally avoid hot or pungent ingredients.