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Get your free copy22 August 2011, 15:02 PM
- Retailers and shopkeepers can rejoice the popularity of curry by taking part in National Curry Week from 9th-15th October
Encourage customers to cook from scratch by selling spice kits that offer all the components needed to create an authentic curry.
The three spices found in most curries are turmeric, coriander and cumin:
Turmeric is a vivid orange colour, usually in powder form (although the leaves are used in Indonesian curries too). It has a slightly bitter earthy taste that’s mild rather than hot.
Coriander in the ground form is of the seeds and these have a citrusy flavour when crushed which add a nutty, spicy and fruity warmth to the dish.
Cumin is the second most popular spice in the world, after black pepper. Used for their distinct aroma, these seeds can be ground up to release an earthy warm flavour, essential for any curry.
Although they form the basis of most curries, they are by no means the only ones. There are a whole host of other flavours from Asafoetida and Fenugreek Seeds often used in Indian cuisine to Chilli and Kaffir Lime leaves traditionally used in Thai cooking; which contribute to the aromas, sensations and theatre of a cracking curry.
Camilla Bond, Bart’s marketing manager says, “Curries are all about experimenting. Being able to blend your own dried spices, combining new and inviting flavours which will complement fresh vegetables and meat or fish – the whole experience of cooking becomes absorbed into the final dish – which is so versatile it works brilliantly if you’re cooking for the family or entertaining.”
