The secrets of “Indian cuisine”
The secret lies not only in the large selection of spices, but above all in carefully coordinating them and treating them during cooking so that their aroma is fully developed.
Only a pan on an open fire or a tandoor (traditional charcoal-clay oven) is used as a cooking device. The tandoor is the universal oven of the Indians. This universal device is mostly jar-shaped and has a cavity lined with burnt-on clay, on the bottom of which charcoal is ignited. A pan or a saucepan can be placed on top. The tandoor can also be used as an oven. The plate-shaped nan (flatbread) is glued to the outer walls, which are heated by the embers, and baked there, which takes a few minutes.
Nan is not only a side dish to the “curries”, but it also replaces the cutlery, the Indian uses nan pieces to take his food and use it to spoon the sauce.
Finally, a few remarks on the Indian “curry”. The word curry is a phonetic misinterpretation brought to Europe by the British. The Tamil word “kari” (dip) is said to have been the origin for this name. The word is often used synonymously for all Indian dishes, sometimes for dishes that are prepared with a typical sauce. But sometimes only for the "curry spice" we know
There is no such thing as a “curry spice” in India. Rather, it is a combination of different spices that - each individually coordinated - always tastes different. Every housewife and every cook uses their own typical mixture of curry and spices, the composition of which is kept like a secret.
We wish you a "Bon appetit"