Five Indian Curries You Must Taste to Celebrate the Indian Spices

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Indian-Curries-You-Must-Taste
Image by ArtificialOG

Anyone who lives in India or has eaten Indian food knows that it contains a lot of Indian spices and the dishes are very colorful. India has a huge variety of food which includes different kinds of curries, cuisines, and various flavors as they like to use a lot of fragrant spices and herbs which add to the flavor and color of the food. There are a lot of reasons why Indians love food so much because they have recipes passed on from generations after generations which they like to improvise and evolve. The spices and the ingredients that we use in our food make it extremely healthy and nutritious. In India, no occasion like weddings or birthdays is complete without food.

Fortunately, Indian food is very delicious and addictive and it comforts us. Here we will take a look at the different types of Indian curry.

1. Pasanda

Indian Curries You Must Taste-Pasanda
Image-Miansari66/Wikimedia

Pasanda is the type of curry which is usually made with almonds, cream, coconut and is very mild in spice. The Shahi Mughalayi dish was initially made with the leg of lamb or goat flattened into strips, but now it is also made with prawns, chicken, paneer, etc. Pasanda is generally white but people also add turmeric to it which gives it a yellow color. It is a sweet dish and is made with a little bit of spice. For seasoning, peppercorns, garlic, cardamom, and cumin are used. After cutting and flattening the meat, it is marinated in rich and creamy almond coconut sauce with yogurt and spices. After which it is cooked and fried with other ingredients such as onions, coriander, and more spices like cinnamon and black pepper.

It is mostly served with flaked almonds on the top and white rice or naan bread on the side. As the word ‘Pasanda’ also means ‘like’ in English, this is the kind of dish which is liked by everyone from children to adults.

2. Korma

Indian Curries You Must Taste-Korma
Image-erik forsberg/Flickr

This traditional Indian dish is very rich and creamy and is made using almonds and coconut and so, it is very similar to Pasanda but the difference is that this curry includes saffron which gives it a nice pale yellow color. This curry is also very mild in spice and it has a sweet flavor to it. Korma can be made using any kind of meat like lamb, beef, chicken, goat and some may even include vegetables like spinach and turnip. The meat and vegetables are smothered in water or stock, yogurt or cream.

The main ingredients and spices of the dish include yogurt, coconut, almonds, cashews, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, and cumin. The vegetables or meat are marinated in the yogurt or cream mixture and then cooked in the gravy using coconut milk. The vegetarian alternative to this dish is Navratan Korma which includes nine different vegetables.

3. Jalfrezi

Indian Curries You Must Taste-Jalfrezi
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Originating from Bengal, Jalfrezi is the most popular Indian curry and not only in the Indian subcontinent but in the UK as well. It has appeared in British India’s cookbooks. Jalfrezi is the first dish in India that has red peppers in its sauce. It involves pieces of meat, fish, or vegetables marinated and fried in the spiced oil. The dish includes sweet peppers, tomatoes, and onions, coconuts, and spices which are cooked together. The sauce is a dry and thick one. Jalfrezi uses leftovers to create a spicy curry filled with fragrant herbs and spices. The word ‘Jalfrezi’ itself means spicy food and stir-fry. This Anglo-Indian fusion dish is typically cooked with chicken but one can replace the meat with paneer too.

4. Vindaloo

Indian Curries You Must Taste-Vindaloo
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The infamously – spiciest Indian curry dish, Vindaloo hails from the Goa region of India and is influenced by the Portuguese traders who visited during the 16th century. The Portuguese prepared the curry using wine and garlic but the Indian chefs replaced the wine with palm vinegar. The word ‘vindaloo’ is evolved and derived from a Portuguese term and it means wine and garlic. The dish can be made using several types of meat but Pork Vindaloo is the most popular one. The curry is made from tomato, chili, and cumin. It is a hot, sweet, and sour type of curry. Vindaloo is a heavily spiced dish and those who love to eat very spicy food will find it delicious. 

5. Rogan Josh

Indian Curries You Must Taste-Rogan-Josh
Image-stu_spivack/Flickr

This meat dish of Kashmir origin is an authentic Indian lamb curry. The word ‘Rogan’ means oil and ‘Josh’ means heat and so the dish consists of cooking the meat in oil which is at intense heat. Rogan Josh is known for its thick red sauce and the red color but the spiciness of the dish depends on how one makes it. It is full of flavors as the onions are caramelized and the spices are roasted. The meat is marinated and added to the sauce. This spicy red sauce is made using tomatoes, cardamom, and a lot of Kashmiri Chilli Powder which gives the curry the redness.

Rogan Josh is traditionally made using lamb or mutton but nowadays, people have started making vegetarian versions of it in which they include paneer, tofu, potatoes, mushrooms, cauliflower, vegetables, etc. Another meaning of the word ‘Rogan Josh’ is ‘red meat’ or ‘red juice’. The dish is best served with naan bread or parathas and plain basmati rice with fresh salad.

Indian cuisine comprises a lot of curry-based dishes. The spices used in the curries have antibacterial properties and antioxidants. The spices give the curry delicious flavors and make it very healthy and nutritious. There are a lot of types of Indian curries that cannot even be counted and this is only a very small part of India’s rich culinary heritage. So, which Indian curry do you like the most?

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