When is curry really curry?
Candycanejane e-mailed this week with this question:
Can red curry be used in place of curry for a recipe. Whats the difference? Thanks, Candy.
The word curry really refers to a blend of spices and aromatics and really could be based on an number of different spices. Asian countries tend to have curry blends that are particular to their cuisine. There are many different spice blends in Indian cuisine, either ground powders or pastes, that are all referred to as curry. What we think of as curry in North America is a powdered blend of spices derived from some version of Indian cuisine and containing predominately turmeric as its spice.
Red curry is a type of spice blend from Thailand or Vietnam. It usually contains very hot red chillies, garlic, galangal, lemon grass, lime and possibly a number of other spices. Red curry paste is quite different from curry powder.
The word curry also refers to the stew like dish that you make from these spice blends. Also, just to complicate things further, there is such a thing as a curry plant and the leaves from this plant are used in cooking by themselves (like a bay leaf) or within a blend of ground spices.
If you were to use red curry paste for something that calls for curry, you are going to end up with a very different flavour profile than the recipe intended and in equal quantities it would be mind-blowingly hot! So my answer is no – do not substitute.
Thanks for the question Candy. Disagree with my advice? Want to write in and try to stump me? Leave a comment and I’ll get back to you next Monday.
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I have successfully used curry pastes for many recipes that called for that drab North American (DNA) curry. The result… delicious! You do have to mind portions (and remember to mix the paste before use) but as I always say, never be afraid to experiment on guests
Guten Appetite!
PS: to be fair, I still use DNA in many places… fried eggs, roasted potatoes… yum.
PPS: Like the blog, thanks.
Jmy,
Yes – you can substitute curry paste for DNA (I like the acronym!) but Red Curry Paste has a very different flavour than an Indian curry paste. There are also curry pastes that you can buy that do not require mixing, you just scoop them out of a jar and use them. And I agree the flavour is much better than DNA although also agree DNA on roast potatoes is very good, try it also on spiced nuts.
Just realized I did not at all mention the types of curry pastes in my previous post. My fav are the Indian Curry Pastes. They do tend to settle in the jar, so to avoid having a mild oily experience the first time, followed by a close encounter with your tonsils the second time, remember to stir
The flavour is different than DNA, but still complimentary enough to use as a substitute.
Not sure I should be flogging product here, but for those on the hunt, one brand I found in most grocery stores is Pataks (from the UK).
Cheers