15 Ways To Add More Flavor To Curry

Although we often think of a smoky kitchen as a sign that the fire alarm is about to go off, smoke can also be an essential tool for the accomplished chef. The problem lies in recreating these flavors in your home, which is often unachievable for the home cook.

Enter the dhungar method. The technique begins by heating natural charcoal until it's burning, then placing it into a small bowl, before pouring hot ghee (or fat) over the charcoal, which causes it to smoke. Placing this smoking bowl in your curry pot and then covering the whole thing with a lid will capture that gorgeously smoky, sweet, and subtly bitter flavor within your curry. You don't want to smoke most curries for longer than a few minutes, or the delicate balance of the smoky aroma will be upset, pushing the dish toward overwhelming bitterness.

You can utilize the dhungar process across a wide array of curries. Although it perhaps complements the flavor of red meat best, there's no reason not to experiment with smoking vegetable curries, paneer curries, fish curries, and even lentil curries.

Are garnishes the key to an attractive presentation or an afterthought? What if we told you they play a vital role in building flavor? For example, fresh slivers of julienned ginger combine with rich and aromatic sauces, infusing a warm pepperiness. Meanwhile, a sprinkle of pomegranate arils introduces vibrancy and counteracts intense spiciness with its subtle tartness. There's no limit to the imagination: Pink-tinged pickled onions and twisted lime both provide acidity, toasted nuts (we recommend almonds, peanuts, and fried cashews) add an oft-missing texture and nuttiness, and fresh herbs such as mint and cilantro, chives, or fried curry leaves will deliver earthy zestiness.

Don't shy away from culinary-grade edible flowers, either. Most edible flowers, such as chive flowers, daikon, and nasturtium, contribute a mild flavor: oniony, bitter, and peppery, respectively. Even floral, heavily fragranced flowers — rose and jasmine — can elevate the character of a creamy, rich, and thick Mughlai-inspired curry. Two caveats: Make sure you identify flowers correctly, as some can be poisonous, and many blooms look alike. Secondly, avoid any blossoms sprayed with pesticides.

You may have added tomatoes to provide umami, caramelized your onions to bring a hint of sweetness, and added a dash of salt — but did you account for acidity? Adding acidic ingredients in large quantities will fulfill the sour component of the five taste sensations. In limited quantities, astringent elements counterbalance excessive sweetness, bitterness, or spiciness in foods and help to enhance latent flavors.

Tangy ingredients are a traditional addition to many Asian foods, including curries. These include liquids such as tamarind paste — or the shortcut version, tamarind chutney — lemon or lime juice, and natural yogurt are all prime examples. The benefit of liquid acids is that the ingredient spreads uniformly throughout the dish. Alternatively, you can sprinkle ground spices over a curry while serving or add them while cooking. The most common additions include amchur powder, also known as dried mango powder, and dried pomegranate powder, called anardana powder in Hindi.

Ultimately, sour ingredients add brightness, freshness, and a distinctly tart flavor to foods. It's an excellent and easy way to add additional seasoning. The best part is flavoring with acidic components doesn't require complicated techniques or excess time.

Hundreds of miles away in South Asia, crispy onions — locally known as birista — are indispensable. The versatile ingredient is most commonly employed by home cooks and professional chefs to add texture between biryani layers. Yet, looking beyond their most stereotypical use is a world of flavor.

One method to incorporate crispy onions is while cooking your curry. You can even substitute them for the usual cooking onions. This simple swap expedites your curry-making process and introduces extra sweetness, robust umami, and a heightened depth of flavor. Traditionally, the crispy onions pair with traditional meat-based curries from the North-West Indian regional cookery schools. However, vegetable curries — often lacking in natural umami — can also benefit from the added flavor. If you would rather retain the crunchy texture of birista, use them as a garnish. You'll still benefit from the intensely sweet aroma.

To make your own crispy onions, finely slice sweet onions and deep-fry the pieces over low heat until golden brown. The leftover oil has a gorgeous aroma and can further flavor your curries. Alternatively, save time and purchase crispy onions at any specialty South Asian store.

Dairy has two primary purposes: Adding flavor and muting the effect of overpowering ingredients, like chili. Indian cuisine — particularly North Indian plates, Punjabi being the most recognizable — heavily depends on dairy for flavor.

Thick yogurt counteracts punchy flavors while contributing a distinctively creamy, smooth texture and hint of sharp acidity. If you need to add brighter, robust flavors with a sour undertone, then yogurt is the right choice. In contrast, dairy-based cream provides a mellow, buttery flavor and barely noticeable sweetness. These characteristics make it superior for rounding out flavors. While both yogurt and cream are typically stirred through during the cooking process, they possess the increased potential to be drizzled or dolloped atop bowls, creating an intriguing and contrasting effect.

Southeast Asian curries are more likely to rely on coconut milk than dairy. While they both provide the same thick, creamy, and velvety texture to curry sauces, the flavor is utterly different; while dairy has the ability to be sour, sweet, or mild, on the other hand, sweet, nutty, and tropical aromas dominate coconut milk.

Most of us don't have access to a vast array of peppers. So, what's the solution, and how do you cook with chilis? Firstly, consider using both fresh and dried chili peppers in your curry cooking. Fresh chili peppers have a less intense, bright, and slightly sweet flavor when compared to their smoky, bitter, and fiercely spicy dried versions. Using both instantly adds more dimension to your curry sauce, and with so many types of peppers out there, there's no harm in buying what you can find in your area and going to town with them in your curry.

Interesting chili varieties to look for include fresh Thai bird eye chilis, ideal for the fragrant, sour, and pungent Thai curries; powdered Kashmiri chilis, which provide mild heat but fantastically vibrant coloring; and fresh ghost peppers (bhut jolokia) from Northeast India, known as one of the most potent varieties in the world, with a dangerously hot and fruity essence.

When you have spent so much time perfecting the flavor of your curry base, it's tempting to throw your main ingredients — seafood, meat, cheese, or vegetables — into the sauce and leave it to cook. But wait — a whole world of flavor is waiting to be unlocked, with the key being the art of marination.

Of all the cuisines that enjoy curry, India is the one that most frequently employs marination techniques. If you've ever eaten tandoori-style chicken, you know that leaving your meat to tenderize in a rub made of yogurt and smoky spices infuses it with a whole new depth of character. Interestingly, we can apply the same procedure to more delicate proteins, including seafood, paneer, and vegetables — simply marinate them for less time. Once they've marinated, grill them until charred, then chuck them into your curry sauce and savor the new nuances on your palate.

Across many home-cooking communities, spice blends have a poor reputation. There's a reason someone might recoil at the mention of spice blends — we typically think of curry powder, which in its true origins was a messy attempt by British colonists to capture the flavors of traditional Indian cuisine. In the modern age, many other countries have adopted unique variations of "curry powder," including Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Other modern spice blends, such as pav bhaji masala, chole masala, and butter chicken masala, to mention but a few, are now widespread across India. Cooks use these easy, premixed spices to enhance the flavor of their homemade curries.

But what about age-old, traditional, and regional spice mixes? Warming and fragrant garam masala may be the most renowned, but to add an unusual and memorable flavor to your curry dishes, opt for the pungent goda masala, named for its sweet aroma. Made with stone flowers, among other specialistic spices, it's the perfect way to infuse those flavors without buying individual packets. Traditional curry blends aren't limited to the Asian continent; Northeastern Africa boasts a hot and peppery berbere mix, while North Africa enjoys smoky harissa.

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