I don’t know about you, but I could do with some cheering up. Between Covid-19 and all its ramifications and effects throughout the world, and the yet-to-be announced result of Guyana’s March 2, general elections, I am weary. I am not an emotional eater but there are certain foods and dishes that I turn to that comfort and feed my soul, such as curry. It matters not if it is meat, seafood, vegetable, or ground provision such as eddoes, just as long as it is cooked as a curry.
In times like these when the purpose is to soothe, sustain and renew, I go all out working from scratch.
First comes the masala of whole spices that I always have mixed and bottled. The spices are tipped into the frying pan and placed over medium low heat to warm up and be toasted to release their oils. There is a light crackle and pop as the spices are heated, such as the coriander, jeera, and mustard seeds. Holding the handle of the pan, I shake it and swirl the spices around getting them evenly toasted. I know they are done
toasting as the aroma perfumes the air and the spices are a shade richer. I could opt to put them in the coffee grinder that I use as my spice grinder and make quick work of the process, but that is too mechanical. I want to feel and engage with everything about the curry I am making so instead I use a lorha and sil. The spices musically crack and pop as they are crushed under the weight of the lorha pressing them against the sil; there is a steady rhythm as I move my hands back and forth with the lorha, grinding the spices to a powder.
I remove most of the ground spice mix to a bowl still leaving a little on the sil as I add cloves of peeled garlic, several large maiwiri peppers, a few chopped pieces of fresh ginger, onions and some chopped fresh coriander/cilantro and celery, along with a light sprinkling of water and grind it all to a paste. I can smell how good the curry is going to be. The ground spices and herb paste are combined along with a bit of extra ground turmeric to make a rich, flavourful paste that will be the base of my curry.
Blue flames cradle the bottom of the karahi as it heats up. Oil is poured into the karahi and then swirled around to coat the pan. I want the oil hot but not smoking hot because I do not want to burn the masala. A loud sound of frying and spitting emanates from the pan as the masala hits the hot oil, my nose tickles, I sneeze, and I laugh with joy. Stirring the masala, I add salt to season and lower the heat so that the rawness of the spices, herbs, and aromatics dissipate while the flavours meld, joining forces to develop into an inviting curry.
With the heat raised, the main ingredient is added and tossed to mix with the cooked masala. This for me is the second most important part of making curry – you have to give the ingredient and masala time to work together, to get intimate, become one. As the masala and ingredient cook together, it is as if by magic, the masala transforms into a creamy coating all over the meat, poultry, or vegetable. It is cheery, it is beautiful watching the process take place. With all the naturally sprung moisture dried out, time to add the liquid – water or coconut milk – to cook the curry and create a delectable, finger-licking, sauce/gravy. As the curry bubbles, steam rises, the kitchen is flooded with the aroma. Ah. Life. Curry is life.
I want to eat as soon as the curry is done cooking, but I wait impatiently for 15 minutes giving the curry time to settle. Curry, I eat with my fingers – mixing the hot white rice with the sauce and a piece of meat. If I am eating the curry with roti, I tear off a piece of the paratha/oil roti and drag it through the sauce, as if wiping; with the sauce clinging to the roti, I pop it into my mouth. The first mouthful is always an experience; it is as if I am eating curry for the first time or after a very long time. I am tasting and marvelling at the combination of spices and aromatics united to create this phenomenal dish called curry.
I can be cheered every day with curry, for there are so many things to curry, so many masala combinations to use and different ways to make curry. But my favourite curry is and will always be a Guyanese curry. Wherever you travel in Guyana, each region seems to have something special about their curry. A Corentyne curry tastes different from a Wakenaam curry, as is a West Coast curry from an East Coast curry and every place in between. Each household also has its own special garam masala mix that makes its curry stand out. As I said, curry is life.
Make something this weekend that will cheer you.
Cynthia
cynthia@tasteslikehome.org
