Curries are gravy-based dishes that include meat, vegetables, or lentils. Many different masala blends, like indori jeeravan masala, go into giving curry its distinct taste.

What makes curries so unique? 

India is a diverse country, and every region has its form of a recipe for preparing the curry. North Indian curries often have a tomato-garlic-onion base and are thick in nature, as North Indians prefer rotis with their curries. South Indian curries use a base of coconut and freshly roasted spices and are often watery in texture. The liquid nature allows South Indians to enjoy their curries with rice. Curries are further made distinct by using different masalas, aromatics, and seasonings particular to that region. They also differ based on the cooking medium.

Common masalas used in curries

Indian cuisines use nearly 40 different masalas. Some are extremely common, like turmeric (haldi), coriander (dhania), and cumin (jeera) which are used in curries. Some, like garcinia (kokum), are primarily used in south Indian cooking. Some spices, like a stone flower (patthar phool), are predominantly used in Maharashtrian cuisine. Masalas are used to marinate, especially meats, seasoning the oil for flavoring the food and, of course, in curries to spice it up.

Typical aromatics used in curries

Aromatics refer to the vegetable and herbs used for flavoring food. In Indian curries, you can find the use of sweet, pungent, or astringent aromatics which adds a whole new dimension to the flavor profile. Onions, ginger, and garlic are the most common aromatics used in Indian curries. Along with the masalas they combine in a variety of ways to create the curries that are so loved all over the world.

The traditional seasoning used in curries

Seasonings are added at the end of the cooking process to enhance the natural flavor of the food. The most common seasonings in curries include salt, black pepper, and acidic enhancers like lemon juice. The tempering often added to curries is a form of seasoning. North Indian curries often temper asafoetida (Hing) or cumin (jeera). South Indian curries, on the other hand, often use a tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Masala blends:

Often, Indian curries use blend masalas, a premade mixture of spices, aromatics, and seasonings. These masala blends save time and energy. Masala blends include garam masalas, chana masalas, pav bhaji masalas, biryani masalas etc. Masala blends are made by combining different herbs in measured quantities. The selected spices are then roasted and blended to produce different masala blends unique in nature. They impart an authentic flavor to Indian curries.

Conclusion

Whether you are from Northern India looking forward to making some lip-smacking chaat or from the south cooking your sambhar, you need to add the proper combination of masalas, aromatics, and seasonings for taste and flavor. You can make this easy by using masala blends from dave ka divya masala or pushp achar masala, the most prominent name in the spice markets of India. They are available at Indore Online, where you can buy all the masala you need from the comfort of your own house. If you want to purchase traditional spices like turmeric, cumin, etc., you can also get them at Indore Online from well-known brands like Pushp Masala.  So, don’t forget to place your order at Indore Online to make your culinary journey successful.