Curry

Curry (Kari in Tamil) is a spice made up of various spices, including turmeric root, ginger, ground pepper and coriander. The seasoning appeared in India and has spread throughout the world since ancient times due to its excellent taste and memorable aroma.

The spice has a strong spicy smell and unusual taste. To enrich the taste of dishes, they add curry in combination with other spices.

Curry spice is made from the leaves of the curry plant (also known as murraya koeniga) ^[1]. Finding the leaves of this plant is quite difficult in other countries, so they are often replaced with fenugreek (fenugreek).

Indians prepare a spicy mixture with fresh ingredients immediately before use. The number of components is not fixed, but is determined according to the taste of the dish to which seasoning will be added.

Curry in Europe is most often found in ground form (dry powder). The use of spices in cooking has found its fans: the spice is added to obtain an exquisite aroma and to color vegetable, meat dishes and even soft drinks.

What is seasoning made from?

A curry made in India will be different from a concoction made in any other country. In the south of the country, the hottest chili pepper called naga jolokia is added to the spice mix. The locals are accustomed to such a concentrated and spicy taste of the seasoning, which cannot be said about people in other countries. In markets and supermarkets, you can find spices for every taste, because today there are more than 1 thousand varieties of spices.

The composition of this natural seasoning includes from 30 to 40 ingredients. The calorie content of the spice (in 100 grams) is 353 kilocalories. Such a rather big energy value is due to the fact that the spice consists of many herbs and spices.

The yellowish hue of Indian curry is achieved by adding turmeric and saffron to it. Quite often, cardamom is added to the seasoning. ^[2], cumin, cloves, fennel, coriander ^[3], ginger, several types of peppers, ground garlic.

How to cook at home

Western countries borrowed the traditional recipe for curry from Indians, Thais and Sri Lankans. First, all the ingredients should be fried in a dry hot frying pan over low heat until a delicate light brown hue is obtained. Next, the mixture must be ground in a mortar or use a coffee grinder. You should get a fine and uniform powder.

It is advisable to use the seasoning immediately so that the beneficial properties of curry are completely saturated with culinary dishes. You can store the spice in a glass or porcelain container, which is closed with a lid, for no more than six months.

To make the spice spicy, for its preparation you will need 3 dried chili peppers, 1 tablespoon of turmeric and coriander, 2 teaspoons of cumin and fenugreek, 0,5 tablespoons of mustard, 2-3 cloves of garlic, 3-4 cloves, cinnamon and salt to taste . You should fry the ingredients until golden brown, chop and only then add to rice, vegetables or fish.

To get a mild taste of the spice, you should take 1 tablespoon of turmeric, 2 tablespoons of cumin and coriander, 0,5 teaspoon of chopped ginger, pepper and mustard seeds. The cooking technology is similar: roasting and grinding a mixture of herbs and spices. Even with the addition of a small amount of ingredients, homemade spice will be more fragrant and better, and most importantly, it is made with pure soul and love.

If there is absolutely no time and desire to make curry at home, then it is better to buy it in a store. Seasoning should be chosen, which is stored in metal containers or bottles with dark glass. This is due to the fact that in a light container, the contents (essential oils of spices) are exposed to ultraviolet light, due to which the taste, color and useful properties of the spice are lost.

Indian spice: benefits and harms

The benefits of any spice depend on what it consists of: the more natural ingredients, the greater the positive effect will be on the human body. ^{[4] [5]}. Curry is useful because:

• it contains a large amount of vitamins (A, B, C, K, E) and trace elements ^[6];
• it is rich in calcium, sodium, magnesium and zinc;
• it has an anti-inflammatory effect ^{[7] [8]};
• spice improves the functioning of the stomach and intestines ^[9];
• it has a positive effect on tissue regeneration;
• spice cleanses the liver and contributes to its normal functioning ^[10].

All components of curry affect the human body in different ways. Depending on what it is made of, we can talk about the benefits and possible harm. ^[11].

Curry can harm a person’s health if he has an individual sensitivity to one of the components of the spice. It is not recommended to use curry in large doses during pregnancy, in childhood and people who have problems with blood clotting.

A reaction that indicates intolerance to curry may be an allergy or stomach pain. Doctors most often associate harm to the gastrointestinal tract with the sharpness of the spice and its use often and in large quantities.

Best Seasoning Recipes

The spice goes well with hot and cold dishes. Often it is added to the dough for baking bakery products, as well as to some savory drinks. Curry harmonizes amazingly with meat, is added to sauces and saturates vegetable soups with its aroma.

Curried chicken is a dish that is universally popular and is quite easy to prepare. For cooking, you will need 2 teaspoons of curry, 3 onions, half a lemon, 2 tablespoons of ginger, 3-4 cloves of garlic, 2 chicken fillets, 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil, a glass of water, pepper and salt to taste.

Finely chop the garlic and ginger and place in a bowl. Pepper, a little vegetable oil, juice from half a lemon, salt and 2 teaspoons of curry should be added to the garlic-ginger mixture. The ingredients must be mixed thoroughly.

Chicken breast should be cut into small squares and placed in a container with spices. Mix thoroughly again.

Next, you need to chop the onion: chop 2 onions in a blender until a homogeneous gruel is obtained, cut 1 onion with a knife into thin half rings. We put the saucepan on the stove and heat the vegetable oil in it.

After it has warmed up, place the onion half rings in a saucepan and fry until golden brown. Then you need to add mashed onion and fry, stirring with a wooden stick, from 3 to 5 minutes.

Chicken fillet is added to the stewpan last of all and fried for 5 minutes. Stir the chicken and marinade thoroughly while frying. After 5 minutes, pour water into a saucepan to cover the fillet, and bring to a boil. Then you need to reduce the heat and simmer the dish under the lid for 20 minutes. The meat should be flavorful and juicy.

Curry and Diet

The media, including Wikipedia and other Internet resources, say that curry is actively used in various weight loss diets. This is due to the fact that Indian spice is a unique spice and, by including it in your diet, you can quickly lose weight.

It also normalizes the level of cholesterol in the blood and prevents the occurrence of cholesterol plaques that interfere with the normal movement of blood in the vessels.

Useful properties and a minimum of contraindications make curry an indispensable ingredient in any diet. Nutritionists are sure that if you add spice to a fatty dish, it promotes the breakdown of fats. If the spice includes cumin and mustard seeds, then the combination of these components will have a positive effect on the bladder, since in combination these ingredients have a diuretic effect that promotes weight loss. If zira is added to curry, it will help remove toxins from the body, normalize the work of the stomach and intestines.

All diets with the use of this spice are very effective, but before completely changing your diet, it is best to seek the advice of a nutritionist. A nutritionist will assess the person’s health and recommend the safest diet that will delight not only with quick results, but also with delicious curry dishes.

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