Currying flavor

"No self-respecting Indian has a curry spice blend in their kitchen," says Raghavan Iyer, author of the forthcoming cookbook "660 Curries."

If they did, all Indian food would taste the same, which as the title of Iyer's book indicates, it doesn't.

To Indian chefs, curry simply means "sauce," typically one with spices — sometimes many of them — liquid ingredients, thickeners such as nut pastes, and souring agents, such as tomatoes or tamarind.

These sauces then are married with meat, vegetables and seafood. The combination of spices varies widely by dish and the region of India from which the dish originates. And generally, the spices are blended fresh for each meal.

India is a large, diverse country. Recipes change as dramatically by region as they do in Europe, depending on the local harvest, climate, season, religion and whim of the cook.

"We are really magicians of spices," says Madhur Jaffrey, author of many Indian cookbooks, including "Madhur Jaffrey's Quick & Easy Indian Cooking."

"We know the properties of each spice, and the way we blend them brings out different aspects of the spice," she says.

Northern India serves up America's more widely recognized "Indian food." These dishes rely on ginger, garlic, cardamom, cinnamon, cilantro, mint, garam masala (itself a spice blend), yogurt and cream.

Northern Indian dishes tend to have rich, creamy sauces with a complex blend of spices, sometimes more than 90 of them. Southern and coastal commu-

nities, on the other hand, rely more on fresh ingredients, including curry leaves, coconut, fish and shellfish, and simpler spice blends.

But don't let the complexity intimidate you. Many delicious curries are easy to create.

Before embarking on your curry journey, take stock of your spice pantry. And don't bother with that prepared curry blend. Blending your own mix of whole spices will reward you with honest and delicious Indian food.

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GARAM MASALA

The spice blend garam masala often is added to Indian curries just before serving. It is enjoyed for its warming, sweet and aromatic properties. It is readily available at most grocers, but homemade is easy and much better. Each region has its own version, but this basic masala from Camellia Panjabi, author of "50 Great Curries of India," will work in most recipes.

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