# ISO Curry and Paprika Info



## blissful (Oct 10, 2008)

I have already searched on here but cannot find more information on these two.
My curry, is something I bought out east, a couple cups of it. I've never eaten a curry at a restaurant. I don't know that anything I made curried was really made right. What does a 'good curry', taste like?
I have a large container labeled Paprika. It does not say hot, mild, smoked or Hungarian. It does not have a hot taste, nor a smoked taste. What can I use it in or how do I cook with it? I've only used it to sprinkle on deviled eggs. Any pointers? TIA ~Bliss


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## Andy M. (Oct 10, 2008)

It tastes like the curry smells.  I'm not sure how else to explain it.  

Paprika is ground chile pepper.  You can use it to flavor many dishes.  It's the primary flavor component of real Hungarian goulash and chicken paprikash.

Paprika, like parsley, gets no respect as a flavoring.  It is most commonly regarded as only a garnish.


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## blissful (Oct 10, 2008)

Thanks Andy.


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## Bilby (Oct 11, 2008)

I love using paprika!  Anything that has cheese to be melted on it, I sprinkle paprika.  Always add it to my soups, esp on top of potato and leek soup! Yummy!!  Great on potatoes.  Adds a lovely bit of colour to a baked dish. Try sprinkling it on some chicken before you roast it.  I sometimes use it instead of pepper as it adds the kick without that strong ground pepper flavour.  Also try sprinkling it on sliced eggplant before roasting.

When you want to serve something with a dip, try cutting up pita bread that you have sprinkled with paprika and then baked in the oven til they are crisp.

Oh and of course, omelettes, scrambled eggs and quiches!


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## blissful (Oct 11, 2008)

Thank you Bilby, I'll try it more.
I'm an absolute failure at curry, maybe paprika will be easier to deal with.

Last night I put a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and 2 heaping tablespoons of curry, and burned it! Threw it out, washed the pan.
I started over, and put a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and 3 tablespoons of curry, a teaspoon of tumeric (my curry is so brown and not so yellow), then onions, some garlic, some white wine, a little cornstarch, watched it carefully stirring and then added shrimp and some salt, heated it and served it over rice. 
It had some heat to it, it was grainy like it had sand in it (it wasn't the shrimp), and it was brown like mud and NO it wasn't burned. I am at a loss for why anyone would like this, or maybe it's an acquired taste I haven't acquired yet. It was a distinctive flavor but the texture throws me off and I wouldn't serve this MUD to a guest. 
Does anyone have a tutorial or picture show that can help me with this?


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## GrantsKat (Oct 11, 2008)

Hey bliss, I dont know if this will help you as I dont ever measure how much spice I cook with!! Im thinking that 3 tablespoons of curry may be too much......this is what I did the last time I made curry chicken-- I add a little olive oil to the pan, add diced chicken & veggies(I used onion,zucchini & a can of diced tomatoes) I dont use any thickening agents or wine or stock. I add my curry(I have the McCormick brand) and saute for a few minutes, then lower the heat cover and let simmer till chicken is cooked through. My hubby LOVED it! It wasnt muddy or grainy at all. It wasnt spicy either, but it did have wonderful flavor!
Maybe someone can help with a more "scientific" procedure
HTH a little


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## blissful (Oct 11, 2008)

GrantsKat said:


> Hey bliss, I dont know if this will help you as I dont ever measure how much spice I cook with!! Im thinking that 3 tablespoons of curry may be too much......this is what I did the last time I made curry chicken-- I add a little olive oil to the pan, add diced chicken & veggies(I used onion,zucchini & a can of diced tomatoes) I dont use any thickening agents or wine or stock. I add my curry(I have the McCormick brand) and saute for a few minutes, then lower the heat cover and let simmer till chicken is cooked through. My hubby LOVED it! It wasnt muddy or grainy at all. It wasnt spicy either, but it did have wonderful flavor!
> Maybe someone can help with a more "scientific" procedure
> HTH a little


Thanks GrantsKat, I have been reading recipes that cook the curry to bring out the flavor, prior to adding meats or veggies....which is why I made it in the order I made it in. I'll try it your way the next time.

Oh, and I'm sorry you had so much damage from the tornado, I hope your insurance company steps up to the plate. And I'm thankful no one in your family was hurt.


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## GotGarlic (Oct 11, 2008)

blissful said:


> Thank you Bilby, I'll try it more.
> I'm an absolute failure at curry, maybe paprika will be easier to deal with.
> 
> Last night I put a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and 2 heaping tablespoons of curry, and burned it! Threw it out, washed the pan.
> ...



I'm not sure paprika is a traditional curry ingredient, but Cook's Illustrated magazine has an article about using paprika in Hungarian beef stew and said that their stew got really gritty when they added paprika. The way they got around it was by making a paprika cream: In a food processor, process 1/3 cup paprika, 1 12-oz. jar roasted red peppers, 2 tbsp. tomato paste and 2 tsp. vinegar together and use this as the paprika ingredient.

This was for making beef stew with 3.5 lbs. of beef, so you could probably experiment and use less for a curry recipe with 1 lb. or so of shrimp or whatever protein you want to use.

For step by step curry recipes, try this page: Chef Jeenas food recipes: Curry Recipes

Lots to choose from  HTH.


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## blissful (Oct 11, 2008)

GotGarlic said:


> I'm not sure paprika is a traditional curry ingredient, but Cook's Illustrated magazine has an article about using paprika in Hungarian beef stew and said that their stew got really gritty when they added paprika. The way they got around it was by making a paprika cream: In a food processor, process 1/3 cup paprika, 1 12-oz. jar roasted red peppers, 2 tbsp. tomato paste and 2 tsp. vinegar together and use this as the paprika ingredient.
> 
> This was for making beef stew with 3.5 lbs. of beef, so you could probably experiment and use less for a curry recipe with 1 lb. or so of shrimp or whatever protein you want to use.
> 
> ...


 
I'm not mixing my paprika problems with my curry problems. I'm just having difficulty figuring out how to use each set successfully.  Thanks for the link!


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## GrantsKat (Oct 11, 2008)

blissful said:


> Thanks GrantsKat, I have been reading recipes that cook the curry to bring out the flavor, prior to adding meats or veggies....which is why I made it in the order I made it in. I'll try it your way the next time.
> 
> Oh, and I'm sorry you had so much damage from the tornado, I hope your insurance company steps up to the plate. And I'm thankful no one in your family was hurt.


 
Thanks blissful!! I have already begun the insurance company "headache" LOL
I know how I make curry chicken is now where near traditional, but we like it & it works
I have also heard of cooking the spices first to bring out the flavor, but never have done it. I prefer to not have to fuss too much when cooking, since my time is limited
As I said maybe one of the more experienced cooks here will come along and give you better answers


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## GotGarlic (Oct 11, 2008)

blissful said:


> I'm not mixing my paprika problems with my curry problems. I'm just having difficulty figuring out how to use each set successfully.  Thanks for the link!



Oops, sorry I misunderstood that. 

I was just looking at a couple of the curry recipes and they do have long lists of spices  If you don't want to invest that much, you could just get some garam masala - it's a blend with a bunch of spices already in it. Whole spices that are freshly toasted and ground will have more flavor, but this might be a good way to start. btw, I have a second coffee grinder that I use just for spices, in case you want to go that route. That way, my coffee doesn't flavor my spices, or the other way around  HTH.


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## blissful (Oct 12, 2008)

GotGarlic said:


> Oops, sorry I misunderstood that.
> 
> I was just looking at a couple of the curry recipes and they do have long lists of spices  If you don't want to invest that much, you could just get some garam masala - it's a blend with a bunch of spices already in it. Whole spices that are freshly toasted and ground will have more flavor, but this might be a good way to start. btw, I have a second coffee grinder that I use just for spices, in case you want to go that route. That way, my coffee doesn't flavor my spices, or the other way around  HTH.


Not a problem thanks gotgarlic.
That second coffee grinder/spice grinder is a great idea, mine makes my coffee interesting


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## blissful (Oct 12, 2008)

GrantsKat said:


> Thanks blissful!! I have already begun the insurance company "headache" LOL
> I know how I make curry chicken is now where near traditional, but we like it & it works
> I have also heard of cooking the spices first to bring out the flavor, but never have done it. I prefer to not have to fuss too much when cooking, since my time is limited
> As I said maybe one of the more experienced cooks here will come along and give you better answers


 GrantsKat I feel your pain. We (neighbors) had a terrible flood this year and I've been working with the insurance company. I JUST replaced the furnace on last Tuesday and I have to shop now to replace a bunch of furniture. This all started in June and I'm still working on it.


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## Bilby (Oct 13, 2008)

If you are using a store bought curry powder such as Keen's, try sauteing the onions with the curry powder and start with only a tablespoon. Add the other veges and meat and when you have them all browned, taste for depth of curry flavour and add more powder if necessary - but go gently! - then when you have that right, add some water to the dish and let simmer for a while. The heating of the spice mix before adding ingredients is more important when you are making your own spice blend from scratch. When using one of the normal powders, heat it a little but not like you would a made-to-measure one.

And Indian curry isn't for everyone. The flavours are quite distinctive when made fresh and cumin, cardamon, etc doesn't always appeal. I know I have a bottle of ground cumin in my cupboard and each time I open the door, I wonder where the smelly socks are!! Still like curry though!! (Provided it is mild.) Personally, I prefer Japanese or Thai curries. Very different in flavour to Indian curries. Also North Indian curries are different in style and flavour to South Indian curries. Oh and an Anglo-Indian curry is different again!

The best bet for getting your curry right, IMO, is to go to the website of the brand of curry powder you have and look for a recipe there.


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## waaza (Oct 13, 2008)

problem is, a curry powder will not let you produce a good 'curry', all it can provide is a curry powder flavoured sauce. Proper Indian food uses individual spices (or a mix of just a few at a time) because they have different properties, and need to added at different times. The problem with a curry powder is that the flavour will always be the same, OK if you think 'curry' is just one dish, but in India there are hundreds of different dishes, and thousands of different variants.

If you must use curry powder, mix with a little water first. This will reduce the likelyhood of the spices burning. Heat the chopped onions and fry on medium heat in a mildly flavoured oil or ghee until golden (about twenty minutes). Also add garlic/fresh root ginger/fresh chillies to taste. Then add the meat you are using (or even veg.) and then, once browned, add the spice paste, and continue cooking until the water has boiled away, and pure oil/fat separates from the meat/onions/spices. Now, either add a little water or stock so that the spices don't burn, and repeat until the oil separates again, or add a water based ingredient, such as yoghurt or tomatoes. There are so many different ways, now its up to you.

If you feel you would like to try a proper Indian dish, using the individual spices, I'm sure you will find it produces a far better (and varied) flavour.

Ten spices should give you about 50 - 60 different dishes, enough to keep you interested for a year or two, and collecting more spices along the way will open up your choices even further. Try to look at regional dishes rather than the usual 'restaurant' types.
HTH

Waaza


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## blissful (Oct 14, 2008)

Got Garlic, that link to Jennas restaurant style chicken sounds worthwhile trying next.
Bilby, good advice.
This curry thing is very complicated and it sounds like I need to choose an area like Thai or Japanese and focus on one kind over another. I've just only had my mom's curry, pre ground mix off the standard grocery store spice rack.
Waaza, I have about half the spices, but, maybe for fun I'll get the rest of them and experiment a bit. 
Thank you for the advice! ~Bliss


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## waaza (Oct 14, 2008)

blissful said:


> Got Garlic, that link to Jennas restaurant style chicken sounds worthwhile trying next.
> Bilby, good advice.
> This curry thing is very complicated and it sounds like I need to choose an area like Thai or Japanese and focus on one kind over another. I've just only had my mom's curry, pre ground mix off the standard grocery store spice rack.
> Waaza, I have about half the spices, but, maybe for fun I'll get the rest of them and experiment a bit.
> Thank you for the advice! ~Bliss



My advice to you, Bliss, is not to experiment (this is where most people go wrong IMHO) get a very good recipe book on basic Indian food, and follow the instructions very carefully. Thai curries use little spice, relying more on fresh ingredients for the flavours. Japanese curry is usually made from a block of curry paste, very much like a chocolate brick, and is a poor example of spicing, IMHO.
HTH
Waaza


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## Bilby (Oct 15, 2008)

Japanese curries are much milder than Thai or any variant of Indian curries.  Anglo-Indian curry is usually mild (provided the person in control of the curry can has taste buds left!), but Japanese curry is sweeter than them all.  More closely aligned in flavour to the Anglo-Indian curry.

Curry powders, curry pastes and made-from-scratch curry blends all have their place in the world and all produce different effects.  And not every brand of curry is as good as another - same as any product.  

I like a good Thai green curry but there are so many different green curry pastes/powders/sauces out there that it becomes a case of trial and error.  When you find a brand you like, stick to it.


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## waaza (Oct 15, 2008)

Bilby said:


> Japanese curries are much milder than Thai or any variant of Indian curries.  Anglo-Indian curry is usually mild (provided the person in control of the curry can has taste buds left!), but Japanese curry is sweeter than them all.  More closely aligned in flavour to the Anglo-Indian curry.
> 
> Curry powders, curry pastes and made-from-scratch curry blends all have their place in the world and all produce different effects.  And not every brand of curry is as good as another - same as any product.
> 
> I like a good Thai green curry but there are so many different green curry pastes/powders/sauces out there that it becomes a case of trial and error.  When you find a brand you like, stick to it.



I enjoy Thai curries too, in fact I have eaten my third in as many days, but I had a chat with my local Thai store owner (who is a good cook in her own right) and she agreed that no paste is as good as a paste made from fresh ingredients. It is not difficult, it just might be difficult to source fresh galangal and lemon grass. If you can't do that, then it may have to be pastes, though the flavour will be much inferior, IMHO.

I'm not sure I agree with you that there is a place for curry powder/paste, I would rather not make a 'curry' than have to make it with curry powder, but each to their own. There again, I would never eater American burgers, dawgs or pizzas.


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## GotGarlic (Oct 15, 2008)

waaza said:


> There again, I would never eater American burgers, dawgs or pizzas.



Why not? Hot dogs I can understand, but burgers and pizza? How are English burgers and pizza different from American? And btw, there are lots of different kinds of both.


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## CharlieD (Oct 16, 2008)

You can add paprika to anything, curry as far as i am concern is only good in the garbage, I hate it, but that just me.


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## waaza (Oct 17, 2008)

GotGarlic said:


> Why not? Hot dogs I can understand, but burgers and pizza? How are English burgers and pizza different from American? And btw, there are lots of different kinds of both.




I was really talking about corporate food, McD, KFC and so on. They really are poor, IMHO. UK corporate food is just as bad, or is it just fast food in general the world over? quality pared to the bone for the sake of the bottom line.  No, I've had some excellent 'street food' in some countries, where they realize quality sells. Not to mention fish and chips from small outlets. But getting back to ethnic rofl, most 'ethnic' food I've tasted outside the land of origin has been a pale imitation at best, and inedible at worst.


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## waaza (Oct 17, 2008)

CharlieD said:


> You can add paprika to anything, curry as far as i am concern is only good in the garbage, I hate it, but that just me.



well, a billion Indians can't all be wrong, maybe you haven't tried the real deal, in good ole ethnic US of A.


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## Barbara L (Oct 17, 2008)

Please let's keep it friendly.  We are each entitled to our opinions.

Barbara


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## blissful (Oct 17, 2008)

I'm going to be super agreeable and not irritated.
One DCer said:


> "Ten spices should give you about 50 - 60 different dishes, enough to keep you interested for a year or two, and collecting more spices along the way will open up your choices even further. Try to look at regional dishes rather than the usual 'restaurant' types.
> HTH"


So I'm going to get more spices then try lots of different combinations.
Then another DCer said:


> "My advice to you, Bliss, is not to experiment (this is where most people go wrong IMHO) get a very good recipe book on basic Indian food, and follow the instructions very carefully. HTH"


This is good advice for someone that hasn't had 40 years cooking experience. I think I get better advice here and by looking up recipes and techniques on the internet than buying books. I totally enjoy the differing opinions, and I might find out if I LIKE curry or maybe I don't LIKE curry.

What's not to like about paprika? I was reading a penzy's catalog this week and there were 9 different curry combinations and 3 different paprika mixes. I haven't invested in any yet, but, WOW, what a cool catalog! ~Bliss  I'm a SA, believe that this is whatever acronym you like.


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## toni1948 (Oct 19, 2008)

I make my own curry spice blend, and have another brand, made in Trinidad, that I am quite fond of.  It's a matter of personal taste.  The problem with making your own curry is the keeping the ingredients fresh.  I cook a lot, so it's not an issue with me, but if you don't use the ingredients often enuf, they can go stale on you.


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## Michael in FtW (Oct 20, 2008)

I had a lady from India that worked in my lab for about 5 years - and Usha taught me a lot about curry, or maybe I should say curries. What goes into the curry depends on region, and from family to family (she brought 3 curry dishes to a pot-luck lunch one time and they were totally different) - akin to Italian tomato sauces vary from one grandma to the next.

Now, what curry has to do with either McD or KFC beats the pants off me!


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## waaza (Oct 20, 2008)

combine the last two posts, and you have it in a nutshell, IMHO. 'Curry' is not one dish, but hundreds of different dishes, as in Italian dishes like pasta or rissotto. In India you would be hard put to find the word 'curry' on any menu, except those catering for the tourists. Therefore, unless you think 'curry' is just one dish, it means different (and appropriate) spicing for each dish.

If you think curry is one dish, and use one spice mix ('curry powder' to make it) then I would lump it in with McD and KFC as far as taste(!) and conception are concerned. As Michael points out, different dishes can taste totally different, but its not like the Italian tomato sauce example, there they are just variations on a theme, different Indian dishes would be more like the difference between a burger, deep fried meat, a pot roast, a stew, a braise, etc. with many variations between each one of those.

And to Blissful, even with 50 years of cooking experience, I am still learning about how to use spices. I recommend a book because the author should be well known (to produce recipes that work) and they know how they compare with other similar recipes. Too often, recipes pasted on forums and other web sites are not tested, they are historical documents of what happened when the cook cooked it. It is probably not optimized, and sometimes the cook hasn't really any idea of the processes involved. 

IMHO, spicing is difficult to get right; following old recipes which have had maybe 100's of years to develop would be my suggestion, modern Indian recipes rely too much on added flavour rather than developed flavour, and suffer because of it. And if bliss doesn't like one 'curry' move on to another, there are several hundred kinds, and thousands of variations.

I recommend you look closely at a good Indian recipe book, see how different spices are used, and when they are added, and why using a 'curry powder' is a recipe for disaster, or at best, will be in the same league as McD and KFC.


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## CharlieD (Oct 23, 2008)

waaza said:


> well, a billion Indians can't all be wrong, maybe you haven't tried the real deal, in good ole ethnic US of A.


 
well, billion Indians do not eat beef, but who cares, I still do not like curry.


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## blissful (Oct 23, 2008)

CharlieD said:


> well, billion Indians do not eat beef, but who cares, I still do not like curry.


Which made me think....what do billions of Indians do? hmmm, well, they work on Dell's technical help and accounts receivable, I know, I talk with them all the time. I've never asked them about curry, maybe I should.


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## waaza (Oct 24, 2008)

it is true that beef is not eaten in most states, in fact only in Kerela is it freely available, but in the other states, for those who wish to eat meat (state depedent, but from 15% - 60% eat meat, though not necessarily every day) there is water buffalo. The commonest meat (other than fish) is goat, euphamistically called 'mutton'.

[its just 1 billion Indians]

one thing they do is eat Indian food, most of which is nutritious and healthy, not to mention the benefits some spices are said to offer.
Maybe Bliss should ask what the person he/she is talking to has/had for lunch, then he/she maybe more enlightened. I'll even supply a recipe for Bliss to try, but not one using curry powder 

Namaste Blissful


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## CharlieD (Oct 24, 2008)

Well, they also eat pork and chicken but I still say who cares, i still do not like curry.


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## blissful (Oct 24, 2008)

waaza said:


> Maybe Bliss should ask what the person he/she is talking to has/had for lunch, then he/she maybe more enlightened. I'll even supply a recipe for Bliss to try, but not one using curry powder
> Namaste Blissful


 
This kind of made me chuckle! I like being mysterious-



> And to Blissful, even with 50 years of cooking experience, I am still learning about how to use spices.


Wow, you ARE old.  Namaste Waaza



> Well, they also eat pork and chicken but I still say who cares, i still do not like curry.


So Charlie, are you saying:
I would not eat it in a box
I would not eat it with a fox
I would not eat it here or there
I would not eat it anywhere?


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## Yakuta (Oct 24, 2008)

Some strong sentiments for and against curry 

I am Indian but I am not offended by Charlie, it's all about tastebuds.  My husband does not like pasta and italian food in general.  I tell him there is a lot more to italian food than just pasta but he does not care to explore.  

I am more adventurous but then again I myself prefer Asian food - Thai, Chinese, Japanese and Indian over American food.  I would prefer my simple dal and rice with pickle and fire roasted papad over the best gourmet meal in the world. 

I think Indian food has a long way to go in US.  There is good Indian food in New York, New Jersey, California and Chicago but it's not like U.K.  I just got back from Denver and I found the Indian food terrible there and we went to an extremely popular restaurant that had a 5 star user rating. 

Remember all Indian food is not curry and not all pungent but that's the general impression of people in US.  

If you want to get a good book on authentic Indian cooking I recommend a book by Sanjeev Kapoor.


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## Claire (Nov 13, 2008)

I agree that "curry" is an acquired taste for many who didn't grow up with it.  When I was 19 and a newlywed, I decided to try to make it.  It was nauseating, and the trailer smelled of it for months.  It was years before I tried it again; I was in my late twenties and had the Hawaiian version, the Thai,  and the Indonesian versions and I loved them all.  Then we went to Hong Kong.  We had never really had Indian food, and we went to this little place in the basement of one of the multitude of skyscrapers, and simply put our fates in the hands of the maitre d'.  We loved every dish presented to us and haven't looked back.  I now have a curry plant brought in for the winter, and I brush it with my fingers every time I pass by for the lovely scent.  To each his own.


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