The Origins of ‘Curry

People often think of curry as a spice, but in fact the Tamil word kari means soup or sauce, and refers to a dish cooked in a spicy sauce. However, the British mistakenly applied the word to the mixture of spices used to flavour these dishes, and “curry” has held this alternative meaning ever since. The real Indian curry is a wonder of coordination, and uses the precise spices that make a balanced dish…and is not skewed heavily in favour of chillies, as most international curry fans like to believe. Each single spice that goes into making the curry powder has a specific role in aiding digestion, toning the digestive system and helping the absorption of just the right nutrients from the food. Among these ingredients, cumin and mustard are warming herbs, stimulating the overall digestion. Fennel seeds are cooling in nature and also stimulate digestion. Turmeric is the best antiseptic known to man, and also an excellent blood purifier. Fenugreek has a rich concentration of Vitamin B and folic acid and is used for reproductive disorders. Even for healthy bodies, it stimulates blood and hair follicle development; helps fight against infections and tone the body. Coriander alleviates flatulence while black pepper stimulates appetite and is rich in chromium, fighting any tendencies to diabetes.