660 Curries : Curry is Salmon with Garlic and
Turmeric. Curry is Grilled Chicken with Cashew-Tomato
Sauce. Curry is Asparagus with Tomato and Crumbled
Paneer. Curry is Lamb with Yellow Split Peas, Chunky
Potatoes with Spinach, Tamarind Shrimp with Coconut
Milk, Baby Back Ribs with a Sweet-Sour Glaze and Vinegar
Sauce, Basmati Rice with Fragrant Curry Leaves. Curry is
vivid flavors, seasonal ingredients, a kaleidoscope of
spices and unexpected combinations. Presented by the
IACP award-winning Cooking Teacher of the Year (2004),
Raghavan Iyer, "660 Curries" is a joyous
food-lover's extravaganza. Mr. Iyer first grounds
us in the building blocks of Indian flavors--the
interplay of sour (like tomatoes or yogurt), salty,
sweet, pungent (peppercorns, chiles), bitter, and the
quality of unami (seeds, coconuts, and the like). Then,
from this basic palette, he unveils an infinite art.
There are appetizers--Spinach Fritters, Lentil Dumplings
in a Buttermilk Coconut Sauce--and main courses--Chicken
with Lemongrass and Kaffir-Lime Leaves, Lamb Loin Chops
with an Apricot Sauce. Cheese dishes--Pan-Fried Cheese
with Cauliflower and Cilantro; bean dishes--Lentil Stew
with Cumin and Cayenne. And hundreds of vegetable
dishes--Sweet Corn with Cumin and Chiles, Chunky
Potatoes with Golden Raisins, Baby Eggplant Stuffed with
Cashew Nuts and Spices. There are traditional, regional
curries from around the subcontinent and contemporary
curries. Plus all the extras: biryanis, breads, rice
dishes, raitas, spice pastes and blends, and rubs.
curry, n.--any dish that consists of either meat, fish,
poultry, legumes, vegetables, or fruits, simmered in or
covered with a sauce, gravy, or other liquid that is
redolent with any number of freshly ground and very
fragrant spices and/or herbs.