Curry

The term curry stems from the Tamil word kari (lit. sauce; gravy) and denotes a variety of dishes prepared in a thin, soup-like spiced sauce. Curry can mean two things: a stew of curry-spiced meat, fish or vegetables that is traditionally served with either rice, bread or cornmeal, or a dish seasoned with either curry powder or curry paste, both of which usually consist of turmeric, cumin, coriander, chilies, and fenugreek.

Even though it originated in the Indian subcontinent, curry is today a global dish, served in Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa, Mauritius, Singapore, Germany, United Kingdom, and the USA. Since it is prepared throughout the world, there is a huge variety of different curries: the creamy Ceylon curry made with coconut milk; the hot and spicy pork curry called vindaloo; Persian rogan josh made with yogurt-marinated meats; the stir-fried curry with pre-cooked meats, onions, and tomatoes called jalfrezi; British phall, made using eight chilies and known as the spiciest curry dish, and the list goes on...

Along with being one of the most internationally acclaimed dishes, curry is also extremely healthy, since turmeric—the key ingredient in curry—plays an important role in preventing and lowering the risk of diseases as diverse as arthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, psoriasis, and Alzheimer's.