10 Types of Indian Curry We Bet You Can’t Resist!

By : Kishor677 | Comments Off on 10 Types of Indian Curry We Bet You Can’t Resist! | On : September 3, 2023 | Category : Uncategorized

10 Types of Indian Curry We Bet You Can’t Resist!

A culinary marvel, the Indian cuisine is more than just fare. Testimony to India’s stature as a multicultural epicenter, Indian cuisine brings forth a myriad of delicacies — as rich as the Indian culture itself.

The cuisine boasts of a variety of types of Indian curry, which collectively make up a significant part of it while individually accentuating it with each new blend of flavors they bring to the table.

Now do you know what makes these curries worth the hype they are? Well, let’s dive right into it!

Indian Curries Vegetarian Folks Adore

The term curry, and of course its aroma, is deeply ingrained in Indian society. A delicacy that singlehandedly brings back memories of ‘back in the day at home’, a curry is more than just a dish to Indians to whom the familiar flavors resemble their safe space. The vast variety of the types of Indian curry is a reflection of the rich culture India has nurtured with its cuisine over millenniums. Here are a few great ones every Indian longs for!

Korma

A yogurt-based mildly-spicy curry, seasoned with aromas, herbs and spices, Korma traces its origin to the Northern India. Inspired by Mughlai flavors, this comforting, velvety-soft curry gets a sweet and nutty flavor from blended nuts such as cashews, almonds, melon or poppy seeds. The curry goes well with an assortment of vegetables and meat which can be marinated, spiced and pan cooked before adding it to the creamy Korma.

Makhani

‘Makhan’ in Hindi means butter and the rich, creamy, buttery texture of this curry earns it the name Makhani. Originated in Punjab, a state in Northern India, this curry is a mass-favorite and is loved for the burst of flavors it leaves in the mouth.

Made using tomatoes, onions, cashews, ginger, garlic, and whole spices, the curry is cooked in a mixture of butter and oil, and served with cream and butter. It can be pre-cooked, refrigerated and stored for upto a month and added to vegetables and meat to quickly churn out a variety of gobsmackingly delicious dishes such as Paneer Makhani, Butter Chicken and Dal Makhani.

Dhansaak

A comforting, warm, nutritious curry, Dhansaak combines the goodness of lentils, vegetables and spices. Originated among the Parsi community in India, a blend of Persian and Gujarati flavors gives it a characteristic sweet-spicy taste. It’s usually served with candied pineapple that not only adds sweetness to the curry but also serves as a textural element. The curry can be served with any veggies or meat of your choice.

Sarson ka Saag

This North Indian curry gets its name from the primary ingredients used to make it. The word ‘Sarson’ means mustard and ‘Saag’ means ‘Greens’, making the translation Mustard Greens. This is a time consuming recipe since leafy greens like spinach are slowly cooked in a spice blend to infuse maximum amount of flavor. When served with cottage cheese or chicken with a flatbread on the side, it makes a wholesome, warm, mouth-watering meal.

 

Chettinad

An aromatic curry native to the Southern India, this is one of the spiciest Indian curries, celebrating Indian spices in their full glory. The delicious curry base is made up of freshly ground and fried whole spices, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, green chillies, tamarind and dry coconut, making it hot and irresistible. Served with chicken traditionally, this is one of the most ordered Indian curries worldwide.

 

Moilee

Inspired by Portuguese cuisine, this dish finds it origin in Kerala, a Southern Indian state, famous worldwide for the plethora of sea-food, spices and aromats found here. A sweet-creamy-spicy curry, it brings the best of both flavor worlds together by exploiting the heat from black pepper and green chillies while also using coconut milk to make the curry creamy. Popularly served with fish, the balance of flavors and an enticing aroma from fresh curry leaves makes it one of the most loved Indian curries.

Kadhi

A creamy, vibrant yellow curry made by slow-cooking a batter of yoghurt and gram flour, this curry has multiple regional variants and is a true reflection of India’s culinary diversity. It gets its name from the Hindi word ‘Kadhna’ meaning slow-cooking and anyone who has ever prepared Kadhi will vouch for the fact that the longer you cook it, the tastier it gets. The distinct aroma the curry is famous for comes from a tempering of highly-clarified butter (ghee), curry leaves, dried red chillies and black mustard.

Jalfrezi

A tangy, spicy, tomato-based thick curry, Jalfrezi originated in the East Indian state of Bengal.  Colloquial Bengali words jhāl, meaning spicy food and porhezī meaning suitable for a diet give the curry its name. Tomatoes slow cooked in an assortment of powdered spices, topped with vinegar and lemon juice give the curry its signature tangy flavor. Sautéed and spiced vegetables/meat can be added to the curry and served with flatbread to make a wholesome meal.

Vindaloo

This Portugese-inspired curry named after its inspiration dish, carne de vinha d’alhos, tops the spice meter and is a crowd favorite. The use of garlic, green and red chillies add to the heat in this no tomato, no onion curry while vinegar makes it tangy. These ingredients are coarse-blended along with whole spices and aromats to make a thick curry paste that can be used to marinate chicken, fish or lamb. The meat is then slow cooked till it releases its oil and served hot with flatbread, turmeric and saffron rice and salad.

Tikka Masala

Is there anything better than marinated, seasoned and roasted chunks or cubes (tikka) of cottage cheese cooked in a smooth, velvety, rich and flavorful curry. Probably not and that’s why Tikka Masala makes it to almost all Indian restaurants across the globe. The orange-coloured curry is prepared by cooking onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and cashews with whole spices and blending the cooked mixture till smooth. The burst of flavors this smoky, spicy, tangy curry offers will leave you asking for more.

Types of Indian Curry Powder To Spice Up Your Curries!

As varied as the types of Indian curries themselves, the myriad curry powders India boasts of aren’t any less fascinating either! There is no one-size-fits-all curry powder that goes with every curry you could possibly imagine.

Indian households, rather, tend to have their own unique blend of spices and powders that vary across families, cultures, states and beliefs for the exact same curry delicacy. However, there are quite a few widely-accepted curry powders that tend to work their magic on curries that embody them.

Garam Masala

Garam Masala translates to ‘hot spice blend’  in English, quite literally. This mixture though, in contrast to what the name implies, isn’t necessarily spicy. A blend that’s considered staple in dishes across the nation and abroad, Garam Masala is a curry essential that has a pungent warming flavor with a hint of sweet taste to it.

It’s categorized by its aromatic and fragrant spices that light up even the most bland meals. Made with* the goodness of coriander, cumin, cardamom, black pepper and nutmeg among other spices you may add, this magic blend imparts depth to dishes like Chicken Tikka Masala, savory curries and seafood.

 

Madras Curry Powder

A generic curry powder in Indian cuisine is a rarity. This versatile blend of flavorful spices, however, seems to bridge at least some gap with its earthy and hot-sweet touch that’s common to all recipes of this blend. Rooted in South, Madras curry powder is a nation-wide phenomenon, as spices like fenugreek, curry leaves, and turmeric make it a hearty blend that’s has a taste stronger than Garam Masala.

Chaat Masala

Chaat is the love language that’s music to every Indian’s ears! Chaat Masala is the essential finisher that, when paired up with chutneys, make the chaats worth their hype.  Amongst the tougher to make mixes, Chaat Masala typically contains more than tens or even twenties of spices including amchoor (dried mango powder) and kaala namak (black salt), both of which contribute to its tangy, sweet and savory taste that rejuvenates and enriches all senses.

Goda Masala

A special spice blend unique to Maharashtra, this curry powder or masala gets its name from the Marathi word ‘God’ meaning sweet. The aromas and spices that go into making it give it a subtle, sweet aroma, hence the name. It has a very unique flavor profile and depth, making it an irreplaceable addition to traditional dishes from the Central India.

The curry masala is a proportionate blend of black pepper, cinnamon, sesame seeds, cobra’s saffron, niger seeds, black and green cardamom, bay leaves, cloves, dried red chillies, poppy seeds, star anise and stone flower. Though it takes close to an hour to prepare 250 grams of this curry powder, it can be stored in an air-tight container for 1 month.

Biryani Masala

Ever wondered what’s the secret ingredient that sets the flavor and aroma of crowd-favorite Biryani apart from the other rice dishes! Every vegetarian and non-vegetarian Biryani is incomplete without the addition of Biryani Masala, an aromatic, spicy and mildly pungent blend of whole spices. The goodness of a myriad of anti-inflammatory and digestive spices that constitute this curry powder not only make adding depth and flavor to rice dishes easy without the addition of multiple ingredients but also make the food healthful.

Sambhar Masala

Any South Indian meal is incomplete without a flavorful, wholesome, warm bowl of a vegetable and lentil stew called Sambhar. What essentially imparts flavor and aroma to this soupy stew is a spice blend unique to southern-India. The spice mix combines the goodness of coconut oil, cumin and fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, dry red chillies, turmeric and split black and Bengal gram. While this mildly-spicy, aromatic curry powder can be conveniently store-bought, it can also be easily prepared at home in under 10 minutes and stored for upto an year.

Tawa Masala

The word ‘Tawa’ means a flat pan in Hindi. This special spice blend is unique to Indian dishes cooked on a flat pan. Vegetables and meat are slow simmered, roasted, tossed well in this aromatic spice blend and cooked on a hot, oiled flat pan till crisp and served hot.

The curry powder imparts a mildly smoky flavor to these crispy dishes, making them utterly delicious and a mass favorite, especially during winters. The spice blend that can also be added as a condiment to enhance the depth of flavors in Indian and Asian curries. While it’s easy to prepare this spice mix, the key to getting the apt amount of heat and smokiness is dry roasting the whole spices to perfection.

 Podi or Gunpowder Masala

The origin of this spice blend can be traced to Southern India.  Prepared by dry roasting and coarsely grinding split Bengal and black gram, sesame seeds, salt and dried red chillies, this powder is popularly served as a dipping condiment to jazz up the flavor of South Indian dishes.

It gets its name from the south Indian word ‘Podi’ meaning powder and it’s sharp and spicy taste have earned it the name Gunpowder in the recent times. It is often combined with highly-clarified butter (ghee), coconut or sesame oil to further enhance the flavor profile, aroma and richness of the spice blend. Since the recipe uses minimum, easy-to-source ingredients, preparing it at home is quick and hassle-free.

Pav Bhaji Masala

Originated in central India, specifically the state of Maharashtra, Pav Bhaji is a wholesome, scrumptious, satiating fast food comprising of a mashed vegetable gravy (bhaji) served with bread buns (pav). It is loved for its enticing aroma and bold, tangy flavors, credited to the use of an aromatic, moderately-spicy curry powder, the Pav Bhaji Masala.

The spice blend can be prepared by roasting whole spices such as coriander, fennel, cloves, cinnamon, black peppercorns and red chillies on a skillet or drying them under the Sun, before mixing them with powdered dry mango, black salt and ginger powder.

Panch Phoron

The name translates to ‘a mixture of five spices’ in English. Originated in the eastern states of India, this is a rather unique curry powder as it incorporates the goodness of five varied spices that, although contrasting, complement each other extremely well.

This blend brings together ingredients like fenugreek seeds, cumin, black mustard, fennel and nigella seeds — all in equal proportion with the exception of fenugreek seeds owing to their bitterness.

Authentically used in cooking everything from vegetables to chicken and in tempering, a pinch of this powder can spruce up any dish.

Now that we have guided you through some of the most delectable curry delicacies and equally lip-smacking curry powders that make them the hit they are, which of these types of Indian curry are you excited to relish first?