Jamaican AND Indian curry chicken questions

Double Cream is sort of like heavy cream (but better :lol: ) Garam masala is like curry powder. Iirc, the term means "warm spices."

Jamaican curry powder (Jamaican Choice brand) has: cumin, coriander, turmeric, fenugreek, black pepper, garlic, red pepper, and allspice. Very heavy on the turmeric. If you have Indian curry powder, just add more turmeric. Won't be quite the same, but will be closer.

Double cream? I'd guess it's a NW Indian version if it's authentic. There are probably hundreds of ways to make authentic Indian "chicken curry", since every region does it differently. That's nice because you have so many to choose from. In my experience, most are not creamy, but there are so many kinds I haven't tried.

Double cream is the name given to a quality of British cream. Single, double, extra-thick double, clotted are all used in cooking for different purposes.

I would suspect that with the word 'double' in the recipe list, it is written for either a British audience or a country where the British once had colonies!

You can make your own Garam Masala. There are many variations, here is a simple one.

2 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cardamom seeds
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 (3-inch) stick cinnamon, broken up
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon saffron (optional)
Instructions:
Put the cumin, coriander, cardamom, peppercorns, cinnamon, and cloves in a dry heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Toast the spices, stirring occasionally, until they turn several shades darker and give off a sweet smoky aroma, about 10 minutes. Do not raise the heat to quicken the process, or the spices will brown prematurely, leaving the insides undercooked. Cool completely.
Working in batches if necessary, transfer the mixture to a spice mill or coffee grinder and grind to a powder. Stir in the nutmeg and saffron. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
Garam Masala keeps for 3 months.

1. Why toast the spices? Wouldn't toasting lead to premature degradation of spice flavor?

2. The are, I think, 3 colors therefore flavors of cardamom seeds: green, white and black. So the choice of seed color can affect the flavor that you're trying to achieve.

Dry roasting or toasting is a way to boost flavour. Heating a spice, whether roasting it dry or frying it in a bit of oil, further enhances its flavor, giving the spice a fuller character and a deeper, nuttier flavor.

Spices have two main oils – the first is an essential oil that gives the spice its aroma; the other is a series of oleoresins or non-volatile oils, which are responsible for the flavour. By dry roasting spices, both oils are released, thus enhancing the flavor and aroma of food.

Whole spices have four times the shelf life of ground spices because their seed coatings and barks protect their flavors, which aren't released until they are ground or heated. Whole spices work best for dry roasting because ground spices can burn easily.

You are correct that toasting and then grinding will degrade flavour over time, but not in the short term. This is why I only toast and grind what I need for a particular recipe. I also only buy whole spices in small amounts, we've probably all got some spices at the back of the cupboard that have been there years! These need to be thrown out. I clear out any old spices after a maximum of 12 months and replace with fresh.

<<...These need to be thrown out. I clear out any old spices after a maximum of 12 months and replace with fresh...>>

You might try using these old spices in a rub for barbecuing.

I guess I could but where i'm from I have access to cheap spices so i'd rather use fresh. Also, we don't get much barbeque weather here!!:(

You're right about garam masala, Indian Wells, there are numerous versions. But I can't imagine it without the addition of rosebuds.

My favorite mix comes from our own Suvir Saran, and can be found in his book American Masala.

1 tbls dried miniature rosebuds
1 tbls green cardamom pods
A 1-inch piece cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
1 tbls whole black peppercorns
2 tsp whole cloves
1 dried red chile
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup cumin seeds
1/3 cup coriander seeds
1/8 tsp ground mace

If the roses have stems, break them off and discard. Heat the roses with the cinnamon, bay leaves, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cardamom pods, whole peppercorns, cloves, and chile in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the cumin becomes brown, 2 1/2-3 minutes. Transfer to a spice grinder or coffee mill, add the nutmeg and mace, and grind until powder fine. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 months.

BTW, his notes on garam masala, and how it changes region to region, are alone worth reading the book for.

If caraway or dill seeds were used in breadmaking, would you recommend roasting the seeds prior to adding them to the dough?

Absolutely! Roasting activates the oils, and intensifies the flavors of the spice.

what would u guys say the differences are?

india has a vast wealtho f curry history

jamaica does too but it has become somewhat more streamlined. while there are hundereds of distinct indian curries, im guessing that in jaamica there are less.

i would say that allspice and dnutmeg are popular in jamaica and i see them on bottles of jamaican curry powder

by the way jamaicatravel and culturewis an excellent websiter

i would like to research who in jamaica still makes their own poweders and what techniques they have kept from india

i would think there are several other tips on a jamaican curry

they like lots of gravy and usually dont do dry curry which is sometiems eaten in idnai or in other west indian countries like guyana or trinidad.

i cant remember then name of the dry curry.. its usually cooked with spices, meat veggies and oil and hardly any water or stock or cream or coconut milk...

but jamaican curry uusally ahs lots of sauce....

green onions are popualr in jamaicas as is thyme

scotch bonnet/habanero... use at ur own discretion

so a jamaican curry qwoudl definitely ahve soem green onins and ginger and allspice in it as well as the others, cloves, cumin, tumeric, cardamom, fenugreek

i dont know if jamaican cutries have the kari (curry leaves) or noit...

west indians always have a hinto f lime in their meet preperation as they use it to clean the meat before cooking

i like chicken curry qwith some potatos and maybe a little carrot but definitely some potatos in it

....

i love curry and finding out abotu the curries in india, thailand, jamaica, trinidad, kenya, srti lanka andf wherever else they hav ethe curry influence (iran, for example)... trade even brought curry powder to austria and france

i think you'll find that the East India Company was responsible for the shipment of many spices around the world. It is also why curries are such an integral part of British cuisine. Dishes such as kedgeree and curries were brought back by EIC employees and British regiments - and became part of the culture.