It is Curry night in the our household. An outsider will be puzzled, because there are several dishes that are completely different. Is the food Indian? Is the food Thai? What is that other stuff, I don’t think I have ever had curry made like that? Curry night in our household explains the complexity of curry in itself. Faisal is from Northern India and his food perspective is influenced by Pakistan as well… curry to him is a stew/saucy dish that contains some variety of a masala and other spices. I have a more worldy view of curry. My first taste of curry came from Germany, all though we generally do not have curry wurst as a part of our curry night. As a child we used to go to Imbiss stands to get pommes fritz with curry ketchup, to this day it is my favorite condiment. I then had the privilege of being introduced to Southern Indian Curry dishes in high school. I further grew to love the diversity of curry in my years in California in Thai and Japanese Cuisines. It was a twice a week occurrence that I was at my favorite Thai restaurant ordering yellow curry with chicken, until the chef finally gave me his recipe. But of all the curry, I love Japanese Curry the best. Strangely enough, in the American Culture it is the least known. Most people think the only thing that comes out of Japan is sushi, tempura and yaki soba.
In this paper, I will discuss the origins of this interesting word called curry; whether curry is a spice or a dish. I will also discuss how curry has evolved into its own adaptations in other world cuisines, from Britain, to Indonesia, Thailand, China and Japan. I will then conclude with two recipes, Faisal’s family blend of masala and my favorite Japanese Curry dish.
Curry is a generic description used throughout western culture to describe a variety of spicy dishes, especially from Indian or other Southern Asian cuisines. Curry is believed to be an anglicized version of the Tamil (Southern India) word Kari. Kari means a vegetable and/or meat dish cooked with spices with or without a sauce or gravy. ("Indian Cookery Terms", 2007) In the Hindi regions of northern India it is believed that curry comes from the word Tari meaning wet. In northern Hindi regions curry represents any sauce or stew based dish regardless of the presence of spice. In Hindi-Hurdo regions of Northern India the equivelant for a spiced dish is masaladar or a dish with Masala. There is no specific recipe for curry and each blend of spices used in a curry is largely impacted on what region of India a dish is from. Each family may have their own blend of spices or “curry”.
The spread of curry in world cuisine is directly impacted by the spice trade and the colonization of trade ports by the Portugal, Dutch, French and Great Britain. Europe’s needs of spices and a cheaper way to get them encouraged the need to colonize India. Portugal established a colony in Goa in 1510 and probably had the largest effect of curries indirectly. Portugal introduced the American Chile to India and it was quickly adopted into the local cuisines and curry blends. Britain colonization and their love of the spice blends of Southern India can be attributed to our present day curry powder that you can find in most groceries stores around the world.
Curries in China typically consist of chicken, beef, fish, lamb or other meats. Vegetables include green peppers, onions, and large chunks of potatoes. The spices in Chinese curries are generally in a mildly spicy yellow curry sauce. White pepper, soy sauce, hot sauce and hot chili oil may be applied to add to the flavor and heat of the curry. Generally Chinese curries are severed over rice. Chinese curry is tends to be watery unlike other Asian curries. It is believed that curry was introduced to China from Singapore or Malaysia. China’s most popular curry dish is curry noodles or “curry mee.”
What may be surprised to know is that Japanese Curry is one of the most popular dishes in Japan. Curry was introduced to Japan by the British, around 1868, after Japan ended its policy of isolation. Japan’s Army and Navy can be contributed to spreading the popularity of curry. The army and navy adopted it extensively as convenient field and naval canteen cooking. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force traditionally has curry every Friday for lunch. Ships may have their own unique recipe, but Kare-Raisu is a typical “canteen” style dish that would be served and is made up of a brown curry sauce with raisins, generally served with rice. Curry seasoning is commonly sold in the form of a condensed brick that dissolves into the mixture of meat and vegetables. This form of curry can be found in many U.S. grocery stores. The standard curry found in Japan contains onions, carrots, potatoes and a meat that is cooked in a large pot. Japanese curry is more of a stew-like consistency. Pork and beef are the most popular meats in curry followed by Chicken. In northern and Eastern Japan you tend to see more pork based curry. Beef is more common in western Japan. My introduction to Japanese curry came from a chain of restaurants in Southern California called, “The Curry House.” The curry house served Japanese curry in bowls like stew containing this thick brown curry sauce with chunks of meat or as gravy served with breaded fried meats called “Katsu.” But, my all time favorite dish is something they served as an appetizer called Kare-Pan or curry pan. Curry pan is a favorite snack or pick-up lunch in Japan. You'll find racks of these buns at Japanese bakeries, convenience stores or road side vendors. The word pan is derived from Portuguese and they introduced yeast breads to Japan in the 1500s. (Morimoto, 2007) The bread is a great vehicle to encase the curry filling. Curry pan is stuffed bread that is breaded with panko and fried; below you will find a great recipe for this delicious bread. Thai based curries are meat, fish and/or vegetables prepared in a sauce based on a paste made from spices, herbs and chilies. Due to the use of fresh herbs and spices with a mix of other fresh ingredients, Thai curries can be more aromatic than India curries. Thai curries vary on the local ingredients such as a variety of chili peppers, the leaves of kaffir limes, lemon grass and in central and southern Thailand the use of coconut milk. Northern/north-eastern Thai curries generally do not contain coconut milk. Thai curries tend be to be described by color, such as red curries that contain red chilies and green curries use green chilies. Yellow curry tends to be a curry soup is the closest resemblance to Indian curries, with its use of turmeric, cumin and other dried spices.
In British cuisine curry is primarily used to denote any sauce-based dish flavored with curry powder or a paste made from curry powder and oils. British also introduce fresh spices such as ginger and garlic into their curries. The first curry recipe in Britain appeared in Hannah Glasse’s “The Art of Cookery made Plain and Easy,” published in 1747. (Glasse, 1747)The 1747 edition of the book used only pepper and coriander seeds for its “curry.” In 1810 the first curry house was opened by Sake Dean Mahomed. (Curry House Founder is Honored, 2005)Curry houses are extremely popular in Britain and can be highly varied by the ethnic origin of the restaurant’s ownership. The popularity of curry has given rise to many considering curry based dishes as a, “true British national dish”. Chicken Tikka Masala is available on rail trains and can be seen as a pizza topping.
As one can see, curry is an amazing phenomenon that has been embraced by most world cultures. Whether it is an adaptation of an India recipe or from another world region you can see curry in most parts of the world. From condiments like curry ketchup, to sauces like curry wurst or the brown curry of Japan you can find curry in some of the most unlikely areas. Curry has impacted my cooking in that it was my first real introductions to spices and how the mixing and combinations of spices with herbs can really change a dish. In my household we generally do not use “curry powder”, and never a recipe for our curries. Our curries tend to be a mix of spices of the moment and can greatly vary each time we cook. The world of curry truly opened my eyes to cooking without borders and limitations. Recipes Garam Masala (Faruqi, 2011)
4 – 1 inch sticks of cinnamon
3 cloves
3 black peppercorns
2 black cardamom pods
2 tsp black cumin sees
1 tsp of cloves
1 tsp of crushed bay leaves

• Heat a heavy skillet on a medium flame and gently roast all ingredients (leave cardamom in its pods till later) till they turn a few shades darker. Stir occasionally. Do not be tempted to speed up the process by turning up the heat as the spices will burn on the outside and remain raw on the inside.
• When the spices are roasted turn of the flame and allow them to cool.
• Once cooled, remove the cardamom seeds from their skins and mix them back with all the other roasted spices.
• Grind them all together, to a fine powder in a clean, dry coffee grinder or mortar and pestle.

Curry Pan (Morimoto, 2007)
• Curried Beef Filling (recipe below)
• 1 package (1/4 ounce/6 g) active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup lukewarm water
• 3 cups bread flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 2 cups Japanese bread crumbs (panko)
1. Prepare the Curried Beef Filling and chill, as directed below.
2. To make the dough, sprinkle the yeast over the lukewarm water in a small bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes; then stir to dissolve the yeast.
3. In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer, mix the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and mix with the paddle attachment on low speed. Add the dissolved yeast and mix in enough cold water (about 1 cup) to make a soft dough that forms a ball on the paddle. Switch to the dough hook and knead on medium-low speed for 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand until smooth and supple, about 2 minutes. (Alternately, beat the dough with a wooden spoon to mix as best you can, then turn out and knead by hand for 10 to 15 minutes.)
4. Place the ball of dough in a lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat the bowl with the oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
5. Punch down the dough and divide into 8 equal balls. Place the balls on a lightly oiled plate. Dust with flour, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for another hour before rolling out.
6. Dust a baking sheet with flour. Working with 1 ball at a time, roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface into a 6-inch (15 cm) round. Place 2 tablespoons of the cooled filling in the center of the round. Bring up two opposite sides of the dough to meet over the filling and pinch the seam closed to form an oval-shaped bun about 4 inches (10 cm) long. Be sure that the seam is well sealed. Place the bun seam side down on a floured baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap while forming the remaining buns.
7. Heat the vegetable oil in a deep fryer, or at least 2 inches of oil in a large deep saucepan, to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C). Place the flour, beaten eggs, and panko in separate shallow dishes. Roll the buns in the flour, then dip in the egg, and finally in the panko to coat.
8. Add half the buns to the hot oil and fry, turning occasionally, until they are a deep golden brown, about 4 minutes. (After about 1 minute, spike 5 or 6 holes in each bun with a skewer to prevent them from exploding.) Do not undercook, or the dough will be soggy. Using a slotted spoon, remove the buns to a wire rack set over a baking sheet to drain. Fry the remaining buns in the same fashion. Serve the Curry Pan warm or at room temperature. Curried Beef Filling
Makes about 2-1/2 cups
• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 ounces (225 g) short rib meat (cut from 1 pound/450 g short ribs)
• or boneless chuck, very finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, half thinly sliced and half grated
• 1 small carrot, grated
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 medium Idaho potato, peeled and finely diced
• 1-1/2 ounces Japanese curry paste (about 1 tablespoon),
• available in Asian specialty stores
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water, optional
• Salt
1. To make the filling, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring often, until browned, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the beef to a plate.
2. If there is less than a tablespoon of fat left in the pan, add the remaining olive oil. Add the sliced onions and sauté over medium-high heat, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the grated onion, carrot, and potato; sauté for 1 minute. Return the meat to the pan. Add the wine and bring to a boil over high heat, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spatula. Boil until the liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes.
3. Add enough water to cover the potato, about 1-1/2 cups, and the curry paste. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer until the meat and potatoes are just tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Uncover; increase the heat to high, and boil, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes.
4. If the sauce is not thick enough, stir in the dissolved cornstarch and cook until the filling is very thick, about 1 minute. Season with salt to taste. Transfer the filling to a large bowl and spread out so it can cool quickly. Then cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Note: The filling must be cold before you fill the dough.

Bibliography
"Indian Cookery Terms". (2007, 02 24). Retrieved 01 09, 20111, from http://www.cookeryonline.com/India
Curry House Founder is Honored. (2005, 09 29). Retrieved 01 11, 2011, from BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/4290124.stm
Faruqi, F. (2011, January 12). (M. Sweeney, Interviewer)
Glasse, H. (1747). The Art of Cookery, made Plain and Easy. Boston: Applewood Book.
Morimoto, M. (2007). The New Art of Japanese Cooking. Dorling: Kindersley.