Appreciating curry

For decades, I didn't like curry. Or so I thought.

The word to me meant nothing more than the bottle of pungent, dirty gold powder tucked in the spice cabinet that my mother pulled out once a year or so and sprinkled on chicken. I didn't get my London pen pal's penchant for Indian curries, and I stayed away from the word when I spied it on Thai menus.

In talking recently with other Midwest-born-and-raised suburbanites, I realized I wasn't alone in my myopic take on curry.

Ends up, I didn't know enough about curry to determine whether I liked it or not. There's much more to curry than what comes in a bottle, so I've asked a couple of experts to define savory Indian and Thai curries to help us understand the differences between them.

Getting saucy

"Curry to an Indian is no more than a sauce," says Suvir Saran, author of "American Masala" (2007, Clarkson Potter, $35). "It says nothing descriptive about the cuisine; there are sauces of a gazillion types."

Those sauces change from home to home and vary from region to region but have four traits in common, Saran says: They should be hot, sour, salty and sweet in the same bite.

Every ingredient in a curry is there for a reason.

"Peppercorns give back heat that will haunt you for many moments afterward, lemon juice provides acid, dried chiles give a toasty, woody flavor red onions give sweetness," he says. "One dish packs a punch of flavor with flavors that build, warm your insides."

Because the definition is so broad, kind of like Americans' use of the word gravy, curry can refer to meats or fish braised or poached in a sauce, or even stretched to include soups or stews, Saran says.

Blame game

You can look to the English for the skewed perception of Indian cuisine.

The word curry comes from the South Indian kari, which means spiced sauce, according to the Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Wine. In India, cooks prepare a spice mix, masala, just prior to cooking a curry.

The British colonists in India in the 1800s grew fond of curries and created a spice mixture that they brought back to London with them. It's that ubiquitous blend, which gets its yellow hue from bitter turmeric, that many of us know and dislike today.

"It was a quick fix that the British came up with," Saran says. "It gave them everything they missed about Indian food."

Curry powder migrated to America decades later, first staking a claim in a Yankee dish Saran refers to as Sunday Chicken Curry.

Besides curry powder, it had raisins, chicken and pecans.

"Indians would never eat it; I would rather die," he says.

Going gaeng

When it comes to Thai cuisine, curry, or gaeng, refers to something completely different. The pasty blends rely on chile peppers (not generally found in Indian varieties) for heat and color and pungent fish sauce to hold it all together.

"One of the basic blends is a bunch of roots pureed with a little sugar and salt," explains Arnie Tellez, executive chef at Vong's Thai Kitchen in Chicago.

Red chiles yield red curry paste; green chiles the green version. Yellow curry paste gets its name from, you guessed it, turmeric.

The Thai people most likely adapted their curry from the Indian version centuries ago as the Indians moved into Asia. More aromatic ingredients, such as lemongrass and kaffir lime, provide bold layers of flavor. Tellez compared Thai curry to the rich moles of his home country of Mexico.

Thai cuisine often finds coconut milk paired with curry paste to cool piquant sauces.

A trip to an Asian market will yield the ingredients needed to make your own Thai curry paste, or check the Asian aisle at larger grocery stores for small jars of it.

Try these recipes: Now that you know more about curry, try one for yourself in these Indian and Thai versions.

Meet Suvir Saran

Suvir Saran will talk about and sign copies of his book "American Masala" at 7 p.m. today at Borders Books & Music, 830 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago.

"American Masala" isn't about traditional Indian food -- it's about adding the exotic flavors of India to the great American melting pot, using spices to liven up the old standbys, and enjoying dishes that are as exciting and comforting as your mother's cooking.

Saran also wrote the widely acclaimed "Indian Home Cooking: A Fresh Introduction to Indian Food" He is currently collaborating on a casual dining restaurant in Berkeley, Calif., scheduled to open in December. He is a contributing authority to Food Arts magazine, and teaches all over the U.S. and beyond.

Green Curry Paste

1 tablespoon oil

3 tablespoons shallots, chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon chopped galangal (Chinese ginger)

10-15 fresh green chiles

1 tablespoon minced lemongrass

½ teaspoon chopped kaffir lime leaves

1 teaspoon cilantro root or leaves

½ teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon shrimp paste

Add oil to a skillet over medium-high heat; add shallots, garlic and galangal and saute 1 minute until ingredients are fragrant. Remove and add to a blender with chilies and remaining herbs and spices; pulse the blender until all ingredients are mixed well and paste forms.

Will store for three months in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.

Variation: For Red Curry Paste, increase garlic to 4 tablespoons and use 10-15 fresh red chiles instead of green.

"Thai Kitchen Cookbook" (2006 Epicurean, $11.95)

Chicken Curry Coconut Soup

4 cups coconut milk

1 pound cooked chicken breast, small dice

8 ounces shiitakes, thinly sliced)

8 scallions, sliced

½ cup Thai fish sauce

½ cup lemon and/or lime juice

6 cups hot Thai soup base (recipe follows)

8 sprigs cilantro, for garnish

8 ounces cooked jasmine rice

Into eight soup bowls, divide the diced chicken breast, shiitakes, scallion, fish sauce, and lemon/lime juice. Ladled in the hot soup base and garnish with the scoop of rice and cilantro sprig.

Serves eight.

Nutrition values per serving: 460 calories, 34 g fat (27 g saturated), 22 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 22 g protein, 75 mg cholesterol, 1,360 mg sodium.

Chef Arnie Tellez, VTK, Chicago

Thai Soup Base

2½ tablespoons butter

8 ounces galangal, peeled and large chop

1½ ounces red curry paste (mae ploy)

1½ onions, thinly sliced

1-2 garlic cloves, smashed

2 ounces lemongrass, chopped

1½ Thai chilies

¼ bunch cilantro

8 cups chicken stock

Melt butter in a large pot then add galangal and cook on a medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Add red curry paste and allow to toast for about a minute. Add onions then cover pot and cook on a low heat for about 8 minutes.

Make a sachet using the garlic, lemongrass, chilies and cilantro. Add chicken stock and sachet and let simmer for 25 minutes. Strain sachet and galangal.

Makes about 8 cups.

Nutrition values per cup: 130 calories, 9 g fat (5 g saturated), 7 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 6 g protein, 45 mg cholesterol, 135 mg sodium.

Chef Arnie Tellez, VTK, Chicago

Red Curry Pork with Tomatoes

1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk (regular or lite)

½ cup chicken or vegetable stock

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon red curry paste

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 pint cherry tomatoes, stems removed, and halved

12 ounces pork, cut into ½-inch strips

½ cup chopped snow peas

In a 2-quart saucepan, simmer the coconut milk stock sugar, red curry paste, fish sauce and tomatoes over medium heat for 7-10 minutes. While the coconut milk mixture is simmering, cut meat into ½-inch strips.

Add pork to the pan and simmer for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until the meat is completely cooked. Add the snow peas, simmer for an additional minute and serve over cooked jasmine rice.

Serves three to four.

Nutrition values per serving: 320 calories, 24 g fat (19 g saturated), 8 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 21 g protein, 50 mg cholesterol, 400 mg sodium.

"Thai Kitchen Cookbook" (2006 Epicurean, $11.95)

Goan-Style Shrimp Curry

Marinade

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon ground peppercorns

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons lemon juice (from about ½ lemon)

1 pound large or extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Sauce

1 cup water

¼ cup canola oil

24 curry leaves, roughly torn (optional)

4 dried red chiles

1 teaspoon ground peppercorns

1 3-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced

1 medium red onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

2 teaspoons ground coriander

½ teaspoon turmeric

2 cups canned chopped tomatoes

1 teaspoon Sambhaar or ½ teaspoon curry powder

1½ cups coconut milk

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

For the marinade: Place all of the ingredients in a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag. Add the shrimp, toss to coat, and refrigerate.

For the sauce: Set ½ cup water next to the stovetop. Heat the oil with the curry leaves (if using) in a medium pot over medium-high heat until the curry leaves start to sizzle, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the ground peppercorns and cook for 1 minute longer. Stir in the ginger, onion and salt, and cook, stirring often, until the onion is browned, about 8 minutes, sprinkling with water and stirring whenever the onion and ginger begin to stick to the bottom of the pot.

Add the garlic, coriander and turmeric and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the tomatoes to the pot. Cook, stirring and scraping browned bits up from the sides and bottom of the pot, for 1 minute.

Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer for 1 minute, stirring often. Stir in the Sambhaar and cook for 1 minute, and then pour in the coconut milk and ½ cup water. Bring to a boil and add the shrimp and any accumulated juices. Bring to a simmer and cook until the shrimp are curled and opaque, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and serve.

Serves eight.

Nutrition values per serving: 230 calories, 17 g fat (9 g saturated), 6 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 14 g protein, 110 mg cholesterol, 280 mg sodium.

"American Masala" by Suvir Saran (2007 Clarkson Potter, $35)

Andra Country Chicken Curry

2 pounds skinless bone-in chicken thighs

½ cup plain nonfat yogurt, at room temperature

½ teaspoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons oil

2 cups finely chopped onions

6 whole cloves

4 green cardamom pods, cracked open

1 tablespoon minced peeled gingerroot

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons coriander powder

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt to taste

1½ teaspoons Andra garam masala (see note)

3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Rinse chicken and pat dry thoroughly.

In a bowl, stir together yogurt and cornstarch to a creamy consistency. Set aside.

In a saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, cloves and cardamom and saute until golden, 8-10 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add chicken and mix well. Saute until chicken is browned on both sides, 6-8 minutes.

Add coriander and cayenne and saute for 2 minutes. Stir in 1½ cups water, yogurt and salt. Cover and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink inside and gravy is thickened, 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle garam masala over top. Garnish with cilantro. Serve over steamed rice.

Serves four to six.

Cook's note: Andra Pradesh uses garam masala freely, the result of Moghlai influence on Hyderbadi cuisine. It is different than the North Indian garam masala blends because the main ingredient is a distinctive local variety of black cumin (shah jeera). It is readily available in Indian markets and is a distinctive feature of Andhra cuisine. Regular garam masala is acceptable to use.

Nutrition values per serving: 250 calories, 14 g fat (3 g saturated), 9 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 22 g protein, 75 mg cholesterol, 85 mg sodium.

"The Complete Book of Indian Cooking" by Suneeta Vaswani (2007 Robert Rose, $27.95)