- Jul 5, 2009
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Re: Re:
http://indiaphile.info/what-is-curry-and-a-recipe-for-garam-masala/
Yup. As someone who cooks a lot of Sindhi, Punjabi, Goan and Maharashtran foods I'll agree that curry refers to a gravy based dish. Sabji is a dry (ex: aloo ghobi) or semi-dry food that is almost like a stir-fry. Dal refers to lentil based dishes and can range from thick to soupy. Kadhis are yogurt based and usually soupy - often with dumpling like additions. Chutneys are sauces and dips. Pickles are thick, preserved sauces such as lime pickle and are served much like a chutney. Masala can either refer to a spice blend or a cooked spice and tomato/onion blend. The latter is usually the base for a gravy.
John Swanson
When I was a kid I was always confused by the word “curry” because my non-Indian friends used it in a way that didn’t make any sense to me. They called everything from a dry potato saute with spices, to soupy lentils, to chicken in a cream sauce “curry.” Indians usually only use the word “curry” when they are speaking English and then only when referring to something with a sauce or gravy, rather than a spice.
Curry is a word invented by the British back when they ruled India. It is the anglicized version of the Tamil word kari, meaning sauce and is now commonly used to describe almost any food of South Asian origin.
I used to get really upset when people would use the word “curry”. I would insist that foods be called by their proper names because there is no such thing as curry in Indian food and that curries are a British invention.
http://indiaphile.info/what-is-curry-and-a-recipe-for-garam-masala/
Yup. As someone who cooks a lot of Sindhi, Punjabi, Goan and Maharashtran foods I'll agree that curry refers to a gravy based dish. Sabji is a dry (ex: aloo ghobi) or semi-dry food that is almost like a stir-fry. Dal refers to lentil based dishes and can range from thick to soupy. Kadhis are yogurt based and usually soupy - often with dumpling like additions. Chutneys are sauces and dips. Pickles are thick, preserved sauces such as lime pickle and are served much like a chutney. Masala can either refer to a spice blend or a cooked spice and tomato/onion blend. The latter is usually the base for a gravy.
John Swanson