MAKING A CURRY

The starting point in making a curry is to choose a cooking pot with a non reactive inner surface. Most curries have a sour ingredient,. so if a copper or brass pot were used it would have to have a tin lining. Stainless steel is better from the reactive point of view than aluminium or enamel but the pot should have a thick base or the spices will stick while frying. Traditionally in India, brass pots were used which were re tinned regularly. In southern coastal India terracotta pots were and are still used, especially for making fish curries, as these have a strong sour tang. And as unglazed terracotta 'breathes' and allows aeration, fish curies, as these have a strong sour tang. And as unglazed terracotta 'breathes' and allows aeration, fish curry can be kept for a while without refrigeration in a hot climate. For fish you need a wide but not very deep pot so that the pieces of fish can be laid flat without being one on top of the other. For a curry with lots of liquid a deeper
pot is necessary. A flameproof casserole type dish made of arthenware is ideal for making curiesof all types, as are saucepans, particularly those with flared sides which make it easier to fry spices etc. Non stick pots are suitable for Indian foods as oniopns and spices can be fried without sticking.
All curies have a main ingredient such as a meat,. fowl, eggs, or a single vegetable like potatoes brinjals (aubergines) mushrooms, or a mixture of vegetables such as peas, diced carrots and french
beans or potatoes and cauliflower.
Most curries start with the heating fo cooking fat. Traditionally indians prefer to use ghee, which is clarified butter, believing it to be more nutritious and to give better flavour to the food.Ghee does indeed give a wondeful flavour but now days most poeple use oil instead because of the cholesterol factor. In western India, groundnut oil is most popular, in parts of south India it is sesame oil, while in kashmir and Bengal mustard oil is used; sunflower and corn oil are also
becoming popular throughout the country. You can use the oil of your choice. Because spices and onions have to be fried for a while at the start of making a curry, butter is not suitable as it burns and turns brown very quickly. The amount of oil needed varies with the shape of the pan. If there is too much oil, refrigerate the curry and the oil will solidify on the surface and can be removed.Ghee can be borught ready made. If you prefer , make it by melting unsalted butter and simmering it for 45-50 minutes until the solids brown. Strain through fine muslim or Cheesecloth and refrigerate. The simmering time depends on the amount of water in the butter. In western dishes there are normally two or three main items in a sauce. Classic sauces are either butter and flour based, or stock and cream may be used as a base, with the additioon of wine. Apart from in the clasic bouquet garni, or fines herbes mixture,. herbs are often used in islolation.Curry contrasts with this in many ways. The base of the sauce, if non vegetarian, is always stock. We Indians always use meat, chicken or fish on the bone (we love to chew on the meaty bones while eating ) to give the curry a robust flavour. The cuts incolude a few gelatinous pieces as well, to give body. For etra flavour, the shank bone (nali ) containing the marow is used.
Then there is always a second base or thickening agent to give the curry the required consistency this may be onions, coconut milk, ground seeds, or nuts all contribute to the flavour, besides giving body to the curry. Flaour is not used as a thickening agent as it lacks flavour.
The same ingredientss may play dual roles or different roles in different curries depending on how they are used and combined to achieve texture or consistency, taste, colour and flavour. For example onions, if pureed or lightly fried, may act as a thickening agent in one curry , while in another, if browned by frying, may give a dep brown colour as well. Similarly, yoghurt may give.