Sandra Phinney interviews a curry guru and discovers that authentic curry does not come from powered packages. Rather, it is an almost magical blend of carefully selected ingredients.
Ahh, curry. One word; many meanings. Most people associate curry with that yellow powder you buy in the stores labeled “curry”. But, thanks to Simon Jones, I’ve discovered that using curry powder is much like using instant coffee. If you want the real thing, it requires more than buying a pre-mixed powder. The result, however, is worth the effort and will give you an exotic eating experience that will leave you panting for more.
Simon was born in India, the son of a British army officer who was himself born in India as was his father before him. “In India there is no standard curry recipe,” he says. “Each cook creates his/her own masala or spicing for a given dish so the same dish can be spiced a thousand different ways. Cooks gain a reputation in their own circle for the subtlety of their masala making.”
Simon’s curries are made from scratch using fresh herbs, garlic and ginger along with freshly roasted and then ground combinations of spices. They are a never-ending cornucopia of gastronomic delight. There is, however, in India, a concoction known as a Sahibs Curry — usually found at hotels, restaurants and British private clubs. “Authenticity went out the window with the addition of raisins, fruit and shredded coconut. This atrocity was exported to homes in England. Tasty? Sure, but not at all authentic. It causes good Indian cooks to grimace!”
What about curry being hot?
“Many novices shun curries, fearful of mouth-burning torture,” says Simon, “but this misapprehension causes them to miss out on one of the worlds most cultured and flavourful cuisines.” The curry guru adds that the masala or spice mixture itself contains no chilli pepper. Therefore, in itself, the curry is not hot. It is only the heavy hand of the cook that governs the eventual hotness of the dish. Simon believes it’s discourteous to serve a curry that would bring discomfort to guests.
Best cooking tip? “Get a good book on curry recipes and make sure the author is a recognized authentic Indian cook like Madhur Jaffrey who has upwards of 30 cookbooks. A Taste of India, for example, provides fine regional recipes, some historical background and is full of anecdotes. Best of all, the recipes are straight out of the private kitchens of the best homes in India — not from commercial establishments.”
So if you love curry, do let me know about your favourite books, cooking tips, recipes etc. I’m on a curry kick!
Simon’s Chicken Curry
1 small frying chicken, joints cut and breast cut into pieces
2 large yellow potatoes cut into ¾ inch cubes
1 C thawed frozen peas
3 tbsp unsalted butter or cooking oil (not olive oil)
1 bunch of fresh green cilantro/coriander
1 large onion sliced and chopped
1 large tomato chopped
2 tbsp fresh ground ginger
1 jalapeno pepper, finely sliced (2 peppers for hotter curry)
4 cloves of garlic finely sliced
4 tbsp whole coriander seeds
½ tsp black peppercorns
3 tbsp whole cumin seeds
1 tbsp turmeric powder
3 whole green cardamom pods
1 tsp black or yellow mustard seeds
3 cloves
1 C water with a splash of chicken bouillon mixed in
some salt
Method
Fry onions in butter until starting to go translucent. Add garlic. Continue frying until onions show slight signs of browning. Remove and reserve. Brown chicken pieces in onion/butter residue. Reserve. Take all whole spices and put in a dry frying pan and cover. Roast spices shaking frequently until the seeds start to pop. Take off heat, cool, then use an electric coffee grinder to grind spices to a powder. Mix in the turmeric.
Select a large heavy stew pot or similar cooking vessel and place in chicken pieces, potatoes, tomato, peas, jalapeno, ginger and cooked onions; turn heat to medium and stir in the spices. Stir until the spices are evenly distributed and then add the water. Stir again. There should be visible liquid in the pot for the curry to stew in—if not add a little more water. Shake in a little salt here.
When the pot starts to come near boiling reduce heat until a low simmer is achieved. Do not boil. Simmer until potatoes are cooked—about an hour—by which time everything is cooked and the curry is ready. Chop leafy ends of coriander bunch and sprinkle over curry in pot. You can let stand for ½ hour or so to cool to eat comfortably at room temperature. Serve over a bed of basmati rice on each individual plate and accompany with mango chutney and a small communal bowl of yogurt with chopped apple or other fruit in it.
Photo Credits
All photos © Sandra Phinney
“Chicken curry”
“Simon Jones makes chicken curry”
I would love to be cooking this curry in Simon’s yellow kitchen but I cant seem to get there, or at least easily know how!
Plz. email me Simon, with ‘chicken curry’ as the subject,
Thanks Much, Melissa Warner, PEI
Interested!