7 types of curry to travel with the palate

Surely when reading “curry” a creamy and spicy Indian dish comes to mind. And that’s almost always the case, curries are generally very spicy stews that are slightly to exaggeratedly spicy, with greens, vegetables and legumes, with a thick and rich broth.

But not all curries are the same. Although we can make our own homemade curry with any commercial preparation, the regions that traditionally prepare curries at home have their own ingredients and techniques, and each type can be distinguished by its aromas.

That’s what I want to talk about today: the unique characteristics of every type of curry.

Indian Curry: The Original

The curries have origin in Indian cuisine, in which they prepare, depending on the region, different types of stews with spices that are accompanied with rice dishes, flat breads and other dishes. In general, they are powerful stews, rich in vegetables.

in north india The curries with ginger, garlic, onion and tomato stand out, to which you can also add coconut milk and chickpea flour to make a much richer and thicker broth.

In the south they cook even spicier varieties, with red and green chili peppers, curry leaves, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, cumin, turmeric… In some regions the normal thing is that the curries are almost always vegetarian, without meat or fish, using aubergines, legumes and fresh vegetables.

How to prepare it: In Indian stores we can find a lot of different curry mixes, as well as loose ingredients (fenugreek, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida, ginger, turmeric, curry leaves…). Chosen a combination of ingredients, the first step is always brown the spices with the oil and then add the rest of the ingredients (for example, chopped tomatoes, chickpea flour, diced aubergines, etc.) and finally the water to cook it all together and reduce it until it is a thick and fragrant stew.

Thai curry: onion or shallots, chili peppers and garlic

thai curries differ from Hindus among other things in the ingredients used to make the base of the broth. Onion or some shallots, hot red or green chili peppers and garlic are essential, to which lemon grass, Thai basil, galangal, coriander, cardamom, turmeric and cumin can be added.

How to prepare it: All these ingredients are combined in a mortar and pounded into a fine paste. Then they are fried in the oil before adding the rest of the ingredients (vegetables, vegetables, plantains, etc.).

Cambodian curry: lemongrass, kaffir lime and chilies

In Cambodia they also do his own currymuch like Thai, but with a few other key ingredients like lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and zest, galangal, turmeric, dried red chillies, and shallots.

How to prepare it: Depending on the color of the curry to be prepared, you can add more dried red peppers (for red curry), white pumpkin, papaya and/or tamarind (for yellow curry) or galangal, cinnamon and turmeric (for green). Once we have the ingredients, they are finely chopped before using them in the curry, browning them with the oil.

Malaysian Curry: Turmeric, Ginger, and Garlic

In Malaysia there are also variations depending on the region, but in general the taste of a Malaysian curry distinguished by the large amount of turmeric, ginger and garlic used in the spice mix. Shallots or onion, chili peppers, tamarind and coconut milk are also added.

As main ingredients fresh greens and vegetables are used and in vegetarian curries, tofu and derivatives.

Indonesian curry: chili peppers, kaffir lime, Indonesian bay leaf, and cumin

In Indonesia they also prepare very good curries with local ingredients. Jackfruit meat, legumes and spices and flavors such as coconut milk, lemongrass, turmeric, tamarind and some prepared pastes are often used. In general they are all spicy and with citrus notes.

Vietnamese curry: cilantro, spring onion and coconut

In Vietnam, curries are usually made up of vegetables and bulbs such as potatoes, taro (yam) and sweet potato, which give it a very creamy touch and a contrast of sweet flavors, along with coconut milkfresh vegetables and chiles from the area.

It differs from the others in that it is a dish that looks more like a soupIt is not so dense, and due to the combination of flavors it is more similar to Vietnamese cuisine than to Indian cuisine.

Vietnamese curries tend to be lighterso they can be accompanied by a greater variety of dishes.

Japanese curry: mix for curry and roux

In Japan the tastes are a bit different and the curries have adapted to it. Most people make curry dishes with rice using commercial mixes or prepared curry cubes that just add to the broth with the vegetables, vegetables, tofu, etc.

For a good curry you have to dissolve the curry preparation and add a small amount of flour to make a very creamy roux. This roux is added to the stew (with its tofu, greens and vegetables) and cooked together until thick.

These curries have a very silky texture, thick, and quite pronounced flavor. Among the ingredients of the prepared curries are soy sauce, onion, ginger, tomato paste, turmeric and bay leaf.