"Speak Up Mr. Brown...You're Through" - Curry! Quiz

Answer: True

As with many styles of traditional cuisine the world over, there are a myriad of combinations of spices that may be regarded to make up a garam masala in Asian cooking. My research shows that the most popular ingredients used in a good, basic all-round garam masala are black and white pepper, clove, cinnamon, cumin seed and ground cardamom in varying quantities.

Other popular spices found in combination in a garam masala are fennel and turmeric.

Answer: Jalfrezi

The word jalfrezi came into the English language during the period known as the British Raj. In colonial times this method of cooking would have been used to re-heat cold meat and potatoes. A jalfrezi that you would find in a modern restaurant will be a relatively dry curry with little sauce and will consist of green peppers, onion and lots and lots of fresh green chillies.

A jalfrezi is just the thing if you enjoy a curry from the hotter end of the spectrum. Rendang is a spicy dish that has its origins in Indonesia but is also very popular in Malaysia. Tikka and chat are both dishes from the Indian sub-continent and are often, but not exclusively, served as a starter to a meal.

Answer: Okra

Okra, otherwise known as lady's fingers, is the seed pod of a plant of the mallow family. They are widely used in many styles of Asian cooking and are indispensible as an ingredient in many curries. Okra is also served as a side dish with curry being known typically as 'bindi bhajee'.

Some find the preparation of okra to be an unpleasant task as the pods secrete a slightly sticky mucus when cut into slices. The production of this mucus can be reduced during cooking through the addition of lemon juice or vinegar. Okra, also known as gumbo, is an important ingredient in many southern US soups and stews.

Answer: Pasanda

Pasanda, sometimes referred to as lamb badam pasanda because it contains almonds, is a very mild creamy dish and was a court dish of the Moghul emperors, being made with very thinly sliced lamb fillet. Like many curries, pasanda curries can be made with any meat usually cooked slowly in a sauce containing cream, tomatoes and cardamom... lovely!

Answer: Vindaloo

Vindaloo takes its name from the Portuguese words for wine (vinho) and garlic (alhos) and has its origins in the Portuguese colony of Goa. Vindaloo was traditionally made with pork but it can be difficult to find it being made with its traditional ingredients today as many restaurant chefs, being Muslims, will not cook with this meat.

Many restaurant curries listed as vindaloo are simply a stock madras curry with added chillies for that certain 'extra effect'! Vindaloo is considered to be the hottest curry that would be served to you; unless, of course, you specifically request something extra special.

Answer: True

The first stage in producing a successful bhuna is to ensure that your spices are fried gently in copious amounts of oil to enhance their flavour; spices often used to make bhuna consist of cardamom, cumin and coriander combined with tamarind and paprika. Bhuna is another relatively dry curry having little sauce if made correctly and, although they usually hold a position toward the medium end of the curry spectrum some can, depending on the chef that made it, be considerably hotter than you might expect them to be!

Answer: Madras

The dish known as madras is a restaurant invention and has many variations; some are dark, some very red and are of varying levels of spiciness. Unlike many curries, madras is usually served with copious quantities of hot spicy sauce.

Answer: Balti

The balti, a word that means bucket, is believed to have its origins in the Baltistan region of Pakistan. The balti is a cooking vessel which looks very much like a Chinese wok but, instead of a single long handle, the Balti has a pair of small rounded handles, one on each side, similar to a karahi; the karahi or korai is another similar style of cooking vessel. Balti curries are often laden with fresh, bright green peppers, flavoured with coriander and are eaten straight from the balti with pieces of naan bread.

Answer: Kheema

Kheema or Qeema is a word that simply means 'minced meat' and this dish often contains peas and potatoes in combination with the minced meat which is often either lamb or mutton but any meat can be used. The kheema meat mixture can also be used as the basis for kebab and is often used as a filling for both naan breads and the small, fried pastry parcels known as samosas. Long, slow cooked kheema made with sweet, fresh minced lamb is one of my all time favourites!

Answer: Onion

Dopiaza means double or two onions and is another dish that was popular during the Moghul period. When made traditionally a dopiaza will use twice the weight of onions to meat content. Because dopiaza benefits from a longer cooking time in order to enhance the flavour of the onion, modern restaurants will use small pieces of fried onion in its sauce at the very start of its cooking time, adding larger segments of the vegetable that have been only lightly cooked at the end of its cooking time. Dopiaza curries are usually of a medium hot temperament.