Tantalizing Turmeric

                                               Turmeric is the root of a flowering plant

Google turmeric and you’ll be presented with 62 million articles in a nano second.   Turmeric has recently been widely touted as a food supplement for its supposed anti-inflammatory properties.   This article, however, looks at turmeric solely from a culinary standpoint.

                                                   Ginger & turmeric are cousins 

Turmeric is a member of the ginger family.  It’s easy to see the familial resemblance between these two as fresh turmeric root looks similar to ginger root.  However, once peeled, the interior of these two is quite different in that turmeric is bright orange.   Most likely native to India, turmeric is what gives curry its vibrant yellow-orange color.

Turmeric is actually the quasi root of a flowering perennial plant.  It requires warm temperatures and lots of water.  The hot and humid weather of India and South Asia offer perfect conditions and turmeric grows wild in their forests.   It’s no wonder that the cuisines of both India and the countries of southern Asia are replete with recipes that utilize turmeric.   However, turmeric is also widely used in Middle Eastern cooking and North African recipes.

 

                             Many different turmerics are available in this Istanbul market 

Most turmeric is used in the form of a dried, ground powder to impart an intense color.  It is the principal ingredient in curry powders.  Turmeric gives not only color but provides a pungent earthy, mustard-like flavor.   Although used mostly in savory dishes, it is also used in sweet dishes such as ice-cream and baked products like cakes.  Similar to its cousin ginger, turmeric can also be used fresh in items such as Asian pickles.

                         This crowd pleaser, Chicken tikka masala, is the turmeric bomb*

My favorite use of turmeric is in one of my most beloved recipes, chicken tikka masala:

 https://cafedelites.com/chicken-tikka-masala/

*compliments of TripAdvisor 

Garam Masala Vs Curry

              Fabulous chicken tikka masala (recipe below) uses both garam masala & curry spices

Both garam masala and curry are complex combinations of spices that are emblematic 

of Indian cuisine.   These two important spice blends, however, are used in many countries of the world beyond India----from the Middle East to Pakistan.   (Curries are even popular in Asia).  Garam masala and curry are often confused.  They serve much different purposes and are not interchangeable.

While curry and garam masala contain several common ingredients such as cumin, ginger and coriander, the key differences between these two is the fact that curry is turmeric-based.  Tumeric, a bright yellow-orange root, is the main ingredient in many curry blends.   It is responsible for the classic yellow-orange appearance of many curry dishes.   

Another difference is that garam masala has a sweeter taste than curry (although garam masala does not not a grain of sugar).  Looking at garam masala’s composition one can easily see what’s responsible for creating the illusion of sweetness:  pungent cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom.   Fennel seeds also add to its sweet character with hints of licorice flavor.   Garam masala, however, has a multifaceted profile that extends beyond its sweet spicy nuances.  Pops of black pepper mix with perfume-like ginger, and aromatic mace to create a multi-layered symphony of flavors.

The last difference between these two spice blends is that garam masala is often added at the end of cooking to flavor so that it not only seasons the dish but adds aromatics.  In contrast, a curry spice blend is mostly used on the front end to impart deep flavor during the cooking process (e.g. marinating with curry spices prior to cooking significantly enhances flavors).  Curry is also frequently used to add complex flavors to a sauce that is cooked over a long period of time.

Below is my favorite Indian recipe.  This chicken dish uses both garam masala and a blend of curry spices.  I serve it with a brown rice/fresh spring pea mixture…and a dry Gewurztraminer.

https://cafedelites.com/chicken-tikka-masala/

Bon appetit!

Falling in Love with Curry

                                           Red prawn curry had me at "hello"

Curry has cast a spell on me.  Even the word curry gives me goosebumps and makes my heart skip a beat.  Regardless of if it’s Malaysian, Thai, or Indian, curry has me head over heels.   A few years ago I even flew to Malaysia just to take a curry cooking class from one of the country’s most famous cooking teachers.   I am currently in Vietnam where some type of curry is on every menu.  I'm almost giddy. 

While I’ve  always known that curry was a blend of seductive spices and herbs, I didn’t know until my class in Malaysia that an authentic curry is made lovingly from all fresh ingredients (no powders of any kind).   Prior to the class the teacher took us to the local market where we procured a bounty of all the ingredients for several different types of curry.  The smells alone of the raw ingredients were intoxicating.

                                Green veggie curry made the strings of my heart sing

Some of the components I knew (such as fresh ginger, lemongrass, shallots, garlic, chiles, tamarind, palm sugar, shrimp paste, cilantro, fish sauce, cinnamon bark, whole nutmeg, and fresh bay leaves).  Others I had heard of but never used (fresh kaffir lime leaves, fresh turmeric and its leaves, coriander root, fresh fenugreek, as well as fresh coconut milk).  Then, there were components I had never seen or heard of such as aromatic galangal (a member of the ginger family).    

We made many different types of curry from the above ingredients.  One was Panang curry (named after the city in which the cooking class was taught, this is a red curry similar to a red Thai curry).  Another was a milder green curry (flavored with lots of cumin and turmeric, with additions of cinnamon and nutmeg).   Meat was used in a few, poultry in another, and vegetables in yet another.   All were labor intensive labors-of-love…all were cooked on outside stoves in 90+ degrees with 90+ humidity.  In spite of the difficult conditions, I haven't been able to stop thinking of the seductive flavors of these curries.

My love for curry is unconditional and eternal.   Happy Valentine’s Day!