In article <69e3a746-ab8b-4eb7-ac5b-
>, says...
>
> On Mar 21, 3:54*am, Janet > wrote:
> > In article >, says...
> >
> >
> >
> > > On 20-Mar-2012, (z z) wrote:
> >
> > > > I always thought "a curry" was a noun for a particular dish made from a
> > > > particular recipe. Curry powder to me is an adjective describing a
> > > > certain yellowish spice.
> >
> > > My local (STL) supermarket has 9 different powders labelled curry; the
> > > colors range from yellow to redish brown and three different "heat" levels.
> > > We also have an international grocer nearby, it has even more curry
> > > "powders"; three varieties (Madras, Medium and Hot) of Rajah brand in just
> > > the England aisle.
> >
> > Curry powder is to curry, as a bouillon cube is to stock. It's an instant
> > "convenience" short cut. The real thing is far more subtle and variable..
> > *India *used to be part of the British Empire; many colonialists acquired
> > a taste for curries which they brought back home to Britain. Ready-mix
> > curry powders came with them for their home cooks to use. But it's not,
> > what people in India use.
> >
> > * Indian cooks don't use a *single curry powder; every housewife and cook
> > has *a masala collection of different spices/seeds etc and grinds and
> > prepares different combinations for different tastes according to what
> > she's cooking.Just like any other huge continent, Indian cookery varies
> > hugely by region and culture so depending which region *the cook comes
> > from, curry *dishes might be very mild and delicate or fiercely hot.
> >
> > * *If you want to make a start on cooking real curry, I recommend getting
> > yourself a basic masala set like this.
> >
> > * *http://www.ppk.me.uk/bina/dabba.htm
>
> Some people want to date before they marry. Before investing in spices
> before you even know if you like the taste of the end product, start
> with a good proprietary mixture.

Nah, that's like trying to choose a husband by his brand of aftershave
:-)

Janet.