Depending on where you live, curry can mean a number of different things. Curry in India means a sauce, in the UK it means any type of savoury Indian food, and here in Canada most of us think it's a single spice that grows on a tree somewhere in Asia, which would be a very big wrongo!
My dream question on Jeopardy:
Mairlyn: I'll take Spice of Life for $500, Alex.
Alex Trebeck: A blend of spices consisting of tamarind, coriander, ginger, garlic, chili, pepper, cinnamon, turmeric, cloves, cardamom, cumin and nutmeg, just to name twelve.
Mairlyn: What is curry?
Alex Trebeck: You are right and that brings your total to $250,000.
Okay, my dream, my winnings.
Curry is that magical blend of spices that change depending on the location and the chef that created them. Curries vary from hot, like the vindaloo and Madras, to the mild kormas. You could probably say there are as many recipes for curry as there are families living in India without really exaggerating.
In Canada most of us use a premade curry powder instead of mixing or blending our own. Commercial curry powders are usually high in turmeric, which not only gives it its rich golden yellow colour, but may in fact be a bonus for your health.
Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, may ease inflammation. In Indian medicine turmeric has been used for thousands of years to treat arthritis and other ailments. Some research suggests that the anti-inflammatory properties turmeric displays may help in the battle against rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, and perhaps cancer. Lab research suggests that curcumin may slow the spread of cancer and may cause cancer cells to die; however, all of the evidence to date, while encouraging, is still far from conclusive.
Before you start sprinkling turmeric on everything you eat be warned, it may be a spice but it sure doesn't taste like cinnamon. Turmeric can be added to curry recipes, chili, soups and other savoury dishes, but you need to cook it in some fat at the beginning of the cooking process. When I use it I add it to sautéed onions and garlic and cook for about one minute, stirring constantly, before adding my other ingredients.
Here is a recipe from my best-selling book Ultimate Food for Ultimate Health and don't forget the chocolate! which I co-authored with dietician Liz Pearson. I have demmed this dish right across Canada and it's a winner everywhere.
Nutrition Packed Curried Lentils with Spinach
Makes — 5 cups (1.25 L) to serve — four — 1 ¼ cups (300 mL) servings
This recipe combines all the goodness of curry powder: with extra cumin, coriander, and turmeric, plus it has heart healthy lentils and tomatoes and just enough spinach to kick this from super star to mega star in the nutrition department.
- 1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. (20 mL) extra virgin olive oil or canola oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) curry powder
- 1 tsp. (5 mL) ground cumin
- 1 tsp. (5 mL) ground coriander
- ¼ tsp. (1 mL) turmeric
- one -19 fl. oz.(540 mL) can lentils, drained and rinsed
- one - 28 fl. oz.(796 mL) can diced tomatoes
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups (1 L) baby spinach
1. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat; add oil and onion, sauté for 2 minutes. Add the spices: curry powder, cumin, coriander and turmeric. Mix well. Cook for 1 minute stirring constantly.
2. Add lentils and diced tomatoes. Stir till well combined.
3. Bring to the boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove lid, turn heat to medium, add spinach and garlic, stir till wilted. Serve.
Each 1 ¼ cups (300 mL) serving contains
240 Calories, 5 g Total Fat, 0.5 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 300 mg Sodium, 36 g Carbs, 15 g Fiber, 13 g Protein
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