Curry Al-annatra

Curry is eaten in almost all parts of the Indian subcontinent and outside, namely India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, it has its varying degrees of style, taste and aroma, depending on local ingredients used.

Photos by SDeluz

Curry powder is a spice mixture of widely varying composition developed by the British during the days of the Raj as a means of approximating the taste of Indian cuisine at home.Masala refers to spices, and this is the name given to the thick and pasty sauce based on a combination of spices with ghee (clarified butter), butter, palm oil or coconut milk. Most commercial curry powders available in Britain, the U.S. and Canada, rely heavily on ground turmeric, in turn producing a very yellow sauce. Lesser ingredients in these Western yellow curry powders are often coriander, cumin, fenugreek, mustard, chili, black pepper and salt. It should be reiterated that curry powders and pastes produced and consumed in India are extremely diverse; some red, some yellow, some brown; some with five spices and some with as many as 20 or more. Besides the previously mentioned spices, other commonly found spices in different curry powders in India are allspice, white pepper, ground mustard, ground ginger, cinnamon, roasted cumin, cloves, nutmeg, mace, green cardamom seeds or black cardamom pods, bay leaves and coriander seeds.

This is a recipe I learned while eating out in a famous Italian restaurant here in Bonn. It is a self-service restaurant and the cooks prepare the food opposite you on a kitchen counter. Be adventurous. Try it!

Ingredients:

1/3 package pasta of choice

1 carrot thinly sliced

1 small onion (chopped)

250 gms. chicken breast fillet or peking duck (cut 

1 handful peanuts

garlic powder

salt and pepper

grated cheese

1 box cream

1/4 tsp. curry

Procedure:

1. Cook noodles in a boiling water with olive oil and dash of salt until al dante.

2. In a separate pan, roast peanuts a little bit. 

3. Add chicken breasts or peking duck slices. Fry until well done.

4. Add onion, fry until transparent. Put in the carrots.

5. Pour in the cream, salt and pepper.

6. Mix in curry and garlic powder until incorporated.

7. Throw in the noodles and toss with tongs.

8. Serve with grated cheese on top.

I love curry but the smell is quite overwhelming sometimes. A trick for Filipinos abroad so as not to have your neighbors complaining. Boil a pot halfway filled with water mixed with fabric conditioner. This will cover up for the smell. Enjoy!