Curry Culture

In the summer of 2003, I stepped off a plane in Toronto and prepared myself for the challenges of university life and living alone in a foreign land.

Duly warned by friends and family about the difficulties of finding a decent Indian meal in North America, I had resigned myself to the fact that I might have to survive on pizza and burgers.

To my surprise, my first meal in Canada was a typical North Indian thali, a traditional method of serving food on a large round steel tray with a selection of dishes, including rice, lentils, vegetables, rotis (traditional Indian flat bread), pickle, salad, and a sweet. Ah, all the spices I’ve come to love.

Recent studies have shown that some of the most common spices used in Indian cooking have abundant health benefits. Spices such as turmeric may help reduce joint pains in people with arthritis as well as help protect against heart disease and Alzheimer’s. India’s population is known to have one of the lowest rates of Alzheimer’s disease, perhaps because of the presence of turmeric in the daily diet.

Indian food is full of flavour and is suitable for both vegetarians and meat lovers. An Indian-inspired menu at any dinner party is almost always well received.

Recipes

• Dahiwali Chicken Curry in Yogourt-Based Gravy
• Jeera Alu: Potatoes Fried with Cumin