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[Dr.Guru of Peru]

Oh for fuck's sake.

There is no such thing as 'curry'. In fact, I have no idea what people mean when they talk about curry. Is it a dish? A particular style of cooking? A collection of specific spices?

The only rough definition for 'curry' is that it's a dish that has gravy.

Other than that, you all have no idea what the fuck you're talking about.

I always thought "curry" was referring to Kadhi. I was surprised to find out it was a different word.

Anyways, there are some popular "dry" Indian dishes, mostly involving rice (pulao is the word for rice, I think). Mutter (peas) and chicken pulao were the most common dishes we had when growing up. Khichri and Tahiri (potato with rice) were also common. I didn't have much "curry" until I got older.

Chicken pulao:

Mutter pulao:

Khichri:

All are plain but cheap, and I think are the most common dishes for the poor in south asia (ie/the majority of the people). I doubt the TV show went and asked these people about what type of food they had. Its very bland food, which should surprise people who believe all Indian food is loaded with spices. We usually ate it with some yogurt as a condiment.

 

[woodchuck]

when eating rice or naans, why would we eat anything other than curry (unless with sambar or yogurt). curry just refers to different side dish (vegetable or meat, dry or with gravy). who eats rice or naans by themselves :lol

but their are tons of other dishes that don't use side dishes. When eating Dosas or Idlis, you don't have to eat them with curries.

there are also tons of great Indian snacks you can eat before the actual meal. My favorites:

Vegetable Kofta (usually made with zucchini. I don't like meat koftas)
Chicken 65
Vegetable Manchurian (more of a Indo-chinese dish)

 

[Walshicus]

I'm of Indian descent. I can actually cook what you would call 'curry' rather well. What I was pointing out is that it's a generic term of western invention that doesn't actually have any meaning - it's simply refers to a dish with spices. To someone familiar with the cuisine, it's bereft of meaning because what it in fact means 'a dish that white people aren't familiar with'.

So, no, curry does not mean side dish. It's part of a history in which English-speaking people, unable to subsume or categorize difference, negate it and make it generic.

Please excuse me for clarifying things for a white majority. You're right. I should just let the ignorance continue.

Now can I get you a fucking chai tea?

Spoiler

'Chai' means tea in Hindi.

I've got a question - why do none of the Indian people *from* India I know mention this when we talk about food and curry? Could it be that they understand the distinction between the original term and its new meaning in Anglophone culture? Hmm? Could they perhaps not be pedants?

 

[Haly]

Mmmm, curry. I like Japanese curry but it tends to be on the sweet side, Malaysian curry I enjoy a lot more.

 

[Masked Man]

I love all curry too, Thai, Indian, Japanese, all of it is yummy yummy.

Truth!

 

[Big-E]

God I love living in Vancouver. One of the benefits is the awesome Indian food I can get practically anywhere on either Main or Fraser Street.

 

[h3ro]

I've got a question - why do none of the Indian people *from* India I know mention this when we talk about food and curry? Could it be that they understand the distinction between the original term and its new meaning in Anglophone culture? Hmm? Could they perhaps not be pedants?

They might not feel like getting into the whole discussion and would rather snicker from atop their ivory towers of turmeric.

That being said, not enough love in here for Punjabi food. Any other Punjabis here on GAF? Give me some well made Cholay Kulcha any day. Sarso ka Saag and Makhi roti as well.

 

[tri_willy]

i'd say curry is a combination of various types of spices that can be used as a form of sauce or a paste for a soup. for indian cuisine, they would have such curry dishes like rogan josh, tikka masala, korma, vindaloo etc. whereas, south east asian cuisine will include stir fry curry dishes such as red/green curry (for thai/malaysian cuisine) or even as a soup base which a lot of vietnamese tend to associate with and the japanese for their katsumoto i believe. im probably missing out on info because im not a true expert, but i do know the gist of it...

 

[iamcool388]

They might not feel like getting into the whole discussion and would rather snicker from atop their ivory towers of turmeric.

That being said, not enough love in here for Punjabi food. Any other Punjabis here on GAF? Give me some well made Cholay Kulcha any day. Sarso ka Saag and Makhi roti as well.

HomerSimpsonDoWant.jpg

That dish is incredible... not many places here in Manhattan make it though. Kinda sad.

Also... how the hell did this thread go to shit so quickly? OP asked if Indian people only ate curry, and instead of giving him more recommendations about dishes he can try out we're arguing about the definition of curry? :lol

Lemme do my best to explain the difference between what westerners call curry and what curry in India means. Westerners tend to call every dish with gravy as curry... whereas in India curry (or kadhi) is one specific dish... this one, in fact.

It doesnt need the pakora in it, but thats another way of serving it. In India, most people call every dish with its name, so there is no generic classification as 'curry.' I assume that it would be very difficult for a non-native-Indian to know all the names etc... so we also tend to give westerners a lot of leeway when they call everything curry. Hey, we're just happy they're enjoying our food.

Also... I cant resist posting a picture of makki di roti and sarson da saag. Damn you h3ro... damn you! Now i'm gonna miss it all day! :lol

P.S. Not to get too Indian, but anyone here like Dhaba food?

 

["God's Beard!"]

I just had Vindaloo last night, but I'm gonna go get some right now. Brb.

 

[victreeb3l]

Other than naan or roti, my favorite is Paratha. It's like a thicker, crispier roti and its amazing with anything, especially meat curries. Mmmmmm I'm actually about to have something similar to this right now:

Then there is Dalpoori, which is crispy roti with lenthils and other vegetables inside. So good. So good

My mom makes uses some kind of curry with shrimp which is like this thick, greyish glaze and it's kind of sweet. I wish I knew the name but that dish is win all over.

 

[h3ro]

P.S. Not to get too Indian, but anyone here like Dhaba food?

No restaurant in Manhattan will ever match the Dhabas in Amritsar and Jaipur. TRUTH.

I spent a few months in India last year and loved eating the Dhaba and vendor food. If you haven't had Kulchay and Cholay from a dhaba/vendor in Amritsar, you haven't lived. Didn't get sick once either (born and raised in NY btw).

Also, the only "curry" I eat is Kardhi, which is the yellow dish posted above by iamcool. Like others have mentioned, curry is now a generic term for pretty much any dish you get at an Indian restaurant that has a sauce.

It's harder for someone of Indian descent to comment on the mainstream take of Indian food since our take on it is so different as most of us eat it everyday and it's preparation is much different than it is in a restaurant. Also, the Indian subcontinent (Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and countries along the northern borders of India) is so varied in it's culture, language and definitely in it's food, that there is no definitive "Indian Food", just popular dishes that have different interpretations worldwide.

 

[iamcool388]

Other than naan or roti, my favorite is Paratha. It's like a thicker, crispier roti and its amazing with anything, especially meat curries. Mmmmmm I'm actually about to have something similar to this right now:

Paratha is actually huge in Dhabas... and the best are in North India, especially in Punjab. I remember I once went to Amritsar on a school trip and we stopped at some random roadside Dhaba. We asked for parathas... and the ones they sent were absolute huge and thick... and it was frickin swimming in ghee and butter. Terribly unhealthy, but i've never had a tastier paratha. They served it with yogurt, chopped onions with lemon and mirchi sprinkled on it, and mango achaar and mirchi achaar (pickles.) We were expecting a glass of lassi, and the only way I can describe what we got is a tumbler. I've never been fuller and more satisfied... and it was incredibly cheap as well!

Goddam i gotta order some indian food right now.

OP, if you are ever in India, you should definitely try this type of food. Its roadside restaurant food (generally found on highways), made very simply, is unhealthy as fuck but tastes divine. This is Dhaba food:

No restaurant in Manhattan will ever match the Dhabas in Amritsar and Jaipur. TRUTH.

Just saw your post... the dhaba I have the fondest memories of was in Amritsar! :lol ^^^^

 

[somuchwater]

I've got a question - why do none of the Indian people *from* India I know mention this when we talk about food and curry? Could it be that they understand the distinction between the original term and its new meaning in Anglophone culture? Hmm? Could they perhaps not be pedants?

Yeah, I know, I'm being an ass. I just don't see why I have to accept the distinction because 'people from India do' - like having an objection is a bad thing. If it were an innocuous generalisation, then fine. I don't think it is. I think it's part of a broader trend that homogenises other cultures, and it annoys me. I probably am being pedantic. Doesn't make me any less frustrated.

And my objection here is less b/c I'm 'Indian' and more b/c I'm an fastidious academic with an overly obsessive focus on language. Yeah, I'm awesome that way.

 

[Xal-Shoota]

I'm indian, and don't know what the hell most people mean when they say "curry"....
I mean, is it just the combination of turmeric, chili powder, cumin, etc. thats used in alot of dishes (at least the ones my mom makes...)???

If so, then yeah, everything is "curried" up, but in different variations. Their just spices, I don't see what the big deal is then.

 

[Zaptruder]

No restaurant in Manhattan will ever match the Dhabas in Amritsar and Jaipur. TRUTH.

I spent a few months in India last year and loved eating the Dhaba and vendor food. If you haven't had Kulchay and Cholay from a dhaba/vendor in Amritsar, you haven't lived. Didn't get sick once either (born and raised in NY btw).

Also, the only "curry" I eat is Kardhi, which is the yellow dish posted above by iamcool. Like others have mentioned, curry is now a generic term for pretty much any dish you get at an Indian restaurant that has a sauce.

It's harder for someone of Indian descent to comment on the mainstream take of Indian food since our take on it is so different as most of us eat it everyday and it's preparation is much different than it is in a restaurant. Also, South East Asia (Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and countries along the northern borders of India) is so varied in it's culture, language and definitely in it's food, that there is no definitive "Indian Food", just popular dishes that have different interpretations worldwide.

WTF. Are you redefining the indian subcontinent as south east asia now? I'm going to have to take exception to that.

 

[h3ro]

WTF. Are you redefining the indian subcontinent as south east asia now? I'm going to have to take exception to that.

Should I rephrase it as the Indian subcontinent?

No offense meant bud, I just always fill in South East Asian when I have to fill out forms. :lol

edited that part now.

 

[Mr. Sam]

I like plain rice.

Problem?

 

[Zaptruder]

Should I rephrase it as the Indian subcontinent?

No offense meant bud, I just always fill in South East Asian when I have to fill out forms. :lol

edited that part now.

If you're from one of the countries you listed, you're quite clearly not south east asian.

And yes, indian subcontinent. southern asia might also be technically accurate, but it's not really used (because it encompasses Iran and Afghanistan, which are more commonly grouped as middle eastern).

 

[cashman]

she told me they also eat something called samosa:

:lol This sounds really funny to me.

 

[cartoon_soldier]

I am Indian and Yes, we do have things other than curry.

Samosa:

Dhokla:

Chole Bhature:

Dabeli:

Papdi Chat:

Paneer Tikka:

Potato Subji

A lot of vegetables can be made dry, without any curry actually in there.

Okra subji

And many more.

Theres also other things which to foreigners might appear as just another curry, but is completely different like Gujarati Dal, Khadi, etc. They don't taste anything like the normal curry people eat in restaurants in the world.

 

[cashman]

This is Dhaba food:

I had no idea what you were talking about until I looked it up. That being said those are damn good. <3 panipuri in Mumbai.

 

[cartoon_soldier]

I'm indian, and don't know what the hell most people mean when they say "curry"....
I mean, is it just the combination of turmeric, chili powder, cumin, etc. thats used in alot of dishes (at least the ones my mom makes...)???

If so, then yeah, everything is "curried" up, but in different variations. Their just spices, I don't see what the big deal is then.

To me, when they say Curry, it means Indian dishes with the gravy in it. No gravy = no curry.

 

[SuperBonk]

To me, when they say Curry, it means Indian dishes with the gravy in it. No gravy = no curry.

I think masala is a much better word for it.

 

[VelvetMouth]

A heads up for people who like Chapati, Costco sells some great chapati that you cook up yourself. We've been eating everything with chapati even chapati hotdogs :lol

 

[Count Dookkake]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkwtehQ0G3I

Song is funny, slide-show is pretty lame.

 

[Acid08]

Curry and most Indian food is delicious as fuck.

 

[bionic77]

Isn't curry the national food of England now?

 

[Zyzyxxz]

Curry in general is so good.

Indian, Thai, Malaysian, Japanese, its all good.

I make one hell of a pork tonkatsu curry if I say so myself.

 

[minor effort]

Okra subji

:O

my word

 

[djtiesto]

Absolutely LOVE Indian food, the spicier the better! Thai food is very good as well, but I never really saw the big deal with Vietnamese cuisine.

 

[Davidion]

Absolutely LOVE Indian food, the spicier the better! Thai food is very good as well, but I never really saw the big deal with Vietnamese cuisine.

Heathen!

Screw the banh mi bandwagon that's been jumped way too many times over; it all comes back to a good bowl of pho.

 

[jax (old)]

ate a vindaloo for dinner just then and it nearly slew me. Can't wait for it to come outta my pores/sweat/bum.

SENSATIONAL

 

[krzy123]

As another member of Indian-GAF, I must agree that the whole "curry" term confused the heck out of me (because of Kadhi).

That said we hardly have any curry dishes in our household. It's mostly Subji's/shaks w/ roti plus rice and dal (and maybe a sweet). This is like the standard Guju meal. Another thing is doing something in one part of India, doesn't represent "all" of India. The foods/customs/style of clothing vary greatly from state to state.

 

[beelzebozo]

lately i find curries to be pretty boring.

the new hotness for me with indian food is CHUTNEY. i want to try every fucking chutney in the world, i want it with crispy samosas chock full of spicy potato.

 

[TheExodu5]

Curry is grossly overrated.

All Indian curry tastes the same. All Thai curry tastes the same (but with coconut).

Tasty now and then, but it would get very old, very fast if you had to eat it all the time.

 

[pj]

I read the word "curry" too many times in this thread and it lost all meaning in my mind

 

[capslock]

I gotta say. Indian curry is my least favourite sort of curry (of the curries I've tried anyway).

And Japanese sushi is my least favourite type of sushi.

 

[EvilMario]

Curry is just a side dish. It's what you add to other food. You eat rice with curry because plain rice is stupid. You eat roti, naan, whatever Indian bread you want with curry. You don't just "eat curry" in the way foreign folks seem to think of it with the curry as the main dish and the other stuff as the side dish.

Steamed white rice is delicious, and you'll never convince me otherwise! NEVER!

 

[baultista]

The word curry literally means side-dish.

 

[capslock]

I am Indian and Yes, we do have things other than curry.

Samosa:

[/IMG]

In Bangladesh we call them Singaras, Samosa are flatter (triangle shaped) and use a flakier, thinner pastry.

 

[beelzebozo]

whatever you call it, it has an amazing flaky pastry crust that tastes good dipped in tamarind chutney. VIVA CHUTNEY. VIVA.

 

[dem]

At my old job there was this indian guy who stunk like curry. He would leave my office and it would still stink for like an hour. I could smell him before he got into my office.

 

[mcmonkeyplc]

Wow I love the way this has turned into some Asian food bitching contest! Grow up!

All Asian food is awesome in my experience. Yes Asian includes Indian cause...it's part of Asia now, a couple of million years ago it wasn't now it is.

As for Indians eating curries all the time. I think not. As exaplained throughout this thread curry is an ubiquitous term with many meanings.

As someone of Indian origin, though born and raised in the UK, even I find this thread offensive.

 

[Esch]

kofta is fucking amazing

om nom nom

 

[jorma]

I was watching tv and they had this program on where they went around india trying to find people who ate something other than curry. They didn't find anyone. They went to peoples houses for home cooked meals, went to an elementary school and searched kids lunches and every single one of them was curry.

I thought it was really surprising something that seemed like a stereotype was actually quite true. So I'm wondering, India GAF, I know most of you don't live in India, but is it true Indian people eat nothing but curry?

Well if you read gaf you can easily get the impression that the only thing americans ever eat is fastfood, most likely a hamburger with fries. And american tv shows pratty much never show anyone having a home cooked meal. (unless it's a thanksgiving episode) Its a bit freaky when you think of it.

Do americans never cook at home? Or is it an untrue stereotype?

 

[crazy monkey]

Well if you read gaf you can easily get the impression that the only thing americans ever eat is fastfood, most likely a hamburger with fries. And american tv shows pratty much never show anyone having a home cooked meal. (unless it's a thanksgiving episode) Its a bit freaky when you think of it.

Do americans never cook at home? Or is it an untrue stereotype?

I was going to reply the same. First there is nor curry thing, its just western word.Its not even dish. You can say Gravy. Al the dish that you can eat with gravy ca n be eaten fry too. And yes tv promotes stereotype all the time.

 

[UpperCaseN]

I love curry, but only if it is medium or mild, my spicy tolerance is weak sauce. My Vietnamese mother often made curry for us but I never knew it was curry; with her accent she called it "keree" accent on the last syllable, so I thought it was something else. She'd put carrots and potatoes in it, we'd eat it with rice and dip bread right into the sauce, soooooo good.

 

[Rocket Punch]

:lol :lol :lol

You people will augue over anything.

It's not people's fault that they refer to these dishes as curries. In my local east indian restaurant there are sign over the dishes that distinctly say: Curry Beef, Curry Chicken, etc. Granted they are there for the advantage of those not raised eating such dishes but you're arguing unecessarily.

Most people in NA know what is meant by curry dishes. Dishes that use curry, cumin, tumeric and garam masala, etc. as spices. These spices are of distict indian origin and typical of indian cuisine and are usually labelelled under the name 'curry'. Incorrect? Yes. But like anything foreign, we give them our own label for easy use.

 

[phalestine]

kofta is fucking amazing

om nom nom

Kofta is pretty good, especially turkey kofta. BUT kofta in south asia I believe is cooked with a curry. While the middle eastern one is cooked by it self (which is better IMO).