In article >,
"W" > wrote:

> We made some lamb curry which came out not very spicy. What are the
> typical Indian spices that could be added ala carte into a curry? Are those
> available off the shelf in an Indian store, or do they require some
> preparation?

Did you use curry by the heaping tablespoon? Enough to yellow up your
dish with the turmeric color? If not, you didn't use enough curry. Curry
is not a teaspoon spice. It is added by volume, copiously.
Other than that, I have no idea.

Curried beef [or probably lamb] over rice:

1 pound of cheap stewing beef
oil to fry meat chunks
water to simmer for 4 hours
4 bouillon cubes [optional]
1 onion crudely cut
1 bell pepper crudely cut
2 cups celery crudely cut
3 tbsp curry powder
3 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup of water
4 cups cooked white rice

Shake or stir up the water and flour for last minute thickening.
Cut the beef into stew sized pieces if not already done by the butcher.
Brown the beef. This is important to me.
Add enough water to simmer plus the bouillon cubes if you want. I think
they make the finished product beefier.
You could probably add everything else but the rice here.
Simmer for four hours (cheap meat)
Thicken with the flour-water mixture
Serve over the cooked rice.
Optionally, throw in the onions, bell pepper and celery an hour before
serving for them to be more distinguishable. I'd cook the curry powder
with the beef for the entire time that the beef is stewing.
But thats just me.

leo