What? Madras is not an authentic Indian curry (2024)

Jun 28

Madras is another example of a curry that is unknown in Indian. It gets its name from the city of Madras (now Chennai) in the South of Indian, but it was name used by the British from when they arrived in 1604, to describe all dishes in the region around the city. In his 1903 book “Curries and How to Prepare Them” by Joseph Edmunds, he optimised the ignorance of the British about the subtleties of Indian cuisine stating that “in India there are at least three separate classes of curry, the Bengal, the Madras and the Bombay.” and that Madras was simply just a spicy sauce for meat, made from a spoonful of curry powder, some onions and tomatoes which he described as “the high old curry made perfect.“Since there is no authentic version of Madras curry, most modern versions of the dish have been developed in British Indian Restaurants, but it is generally a medium hot, spicy curry with a dark red sauce, usually made from tomatoes. My version of Madras curry is developed by building on my BIR curry base sauce and adding typical Madras flavours. The result is as close to an Indian Restaurant style Madras curry that you can make at home. You could try beef or shrimp as an alternative to chicken.

What? Madras is not an authentic Indian curry (1)

Madras Curry

British Indian Restaurant Style Madras Curry

Total time: 40 mins

Ingredients

  • 4 medium chicken breasts, chopped into bite sized pieces and pre-cooked
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 or 3 fresh chilli peppers (e.g serrano)
  • 300ml (10 fl oz) of crushed tomatoes (e.g passata)
  • a small handful of fresh coriander (cilantro) chopped as a garnish
  • 1 tbsp of fresh ginger purée
  • 1tbsp of garlic purée
  • 3 tbsp of vegetable oil
  • 500ml (1 pint) of BIR base gravy
  • 1 tsp of salt
  • 2 tbsp of hot chilli powder
  • 1 tbsp of paprika
  • 1 tbsp of ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp of ground coriander
  • 1 tbsp of fenugreek (methi) leaves
  • 1 tbsp of garam masala
  • 1 tsp of ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp of whole cumin seeds

What? Madras is not an authentic Indian curry (2)

Madras spices

Method
If the chicken is not cooked, quickly fry it in a large skillet in a little oil over medium heat for about 8mins. In a seperate pan, gently heat the curry base sauce. In a skillet or frying pan, add the oil and gently fry the onions, until translucent. Add the garlic, ginger, peppers and the spices and gently cook for a minute or so to release the aromatics. Add the base sauce and the tomatoes and cook on medium for about 20 mins. Add the chicken and heat for about 5mins. Season with salt to taste. Serve over rice or naan bread.

What? Madras is not an authentic Indian curry (3)


What? Madras is not an authentic Indian curry (2024)

FAQs

What? Madras is not an authentic Indian curry? ›

The flavours of this dish are overwhelmingly south India but the name is very much an English restaurant invention and 'Madras curry

Madras curry
Madras curry or Madras sauce is a curry sauce. Madras is orange in colour and is made with heavy use of chili powder. Raita is often used as an accompaniment to the dish.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Madras_curry
' is not used in India. English merchants found that the city of Madras (now known as Chenni) to be a hot, dry region which seemed to illustrate this style of curry perfectly.

Is Madras authentic Indian? ›

“Since there is no authentic version of Madras curry, most modern versions of the dish have been developed in British Indian Restaurants, but it is generally a medium hot, spicy curry with a dark red sauce, usually made from tomatoes.

What is the difference between Indian curry and Madras curry? ›

The main difference is the heat that the Madras brings, so a little spicier than the curry powder. This heat comes from chili peppers that are added into the spice blend, so it can have a little bit of a different color than regular curry, a little more red and darker.

What Indian food is not curry? ›

Dinner
  • Chettinad Fish Fry- These fish fillets are marinated in a blend of spices and tomato and then fried. ...
  • Galouti Kebab- Minced meat patties are spiced, fried, and served with a side of fresh vegetables or beans.
  • Lemon Rice- This dish is one of the most common dinners of South India.

What makes a Madras a Madras? ›

A madras curry is a fairly hot curry with a dark red thick sauce (the colour comes from the chillies and paprika). It's got slightly tangy notes to it from the addition of tamarind and fenugreek. The chicken is not marinated in this dish, and the spices are often dry-fried or roasted.

What Indian curry is like Madras? ›

If you like madras-style curries, here is an option to experiment with, a Rajasthani-style curry called laal maas, which translates as 'red mutton'. Traditionally made with game meat, the intense heat was added to mask the strong gamey taste.

What is a typical Madras? ›

The key features of a madras are that it hot and fiery with a piquant flavour. It has a wonderful vibrant deep reddy brown colour which is achieved from chilli powder (or paprika for a milder flavour), the tart tanginess from fresh tamarind, and it's very slight aniseed fragrance from using of fennel seeds is key.

Is garam masala the same as Madras curry? ›

The main difference between Madras curry powder and Garam masala is turmeric. Turmeric is a primary ingredient in curry powder and is not typically included in a garam masala mix.

What's the difference between Madras and vindaloo curry? ›

Vindaloo curry powder is known for being very hot. The extreme heat is the most noticeable addition by the Goans. Madras curry powder is hotter than standard curry powder, but not as hot as vindaloo curry powder. The difference in the amount of chile pepper in each blend also leads to another difference: appearance.

What is the difference between Malaysian and Madras curry powder? ›

The Malay is a fine powder consistency, while the Madras has a coarser texture where you can see the curry leaves. The Madras has a gentle warm heat with really nice notes of ginger and coriander; while the Malay has almost a smokey flavor due to the clove & galangal working together.

What foods don't Indian people eat? ›

All of India's most widely practiced religions have dietary laws and traditions. For example, Hindu texts often praise vegetarianism, and Hindus may also avoid eating beef because cows are traditionally viewed as sacred. Muslim teachings, meanwhile, prohibit pork.

Which is not a type of curry? ›

A masala is not a curry, it's not even a dish as all it means is a mixture of spices. So the word itself is often used in a description such as Chicken Tikka Masala (a mild sweet curry) or Garam Masala (a hot spice mixture) or Chaat Masala (another spice mixture made for side dishes such as Aloo Chaat).

What is the most eaten curry in India? ›

Here are the top 6 most popular types of Indian curry:
  • Chettinad Chicken.
  • Chicken Tikka Masala.
  • Kadai Paneer.
  • Kashmiri Dum Aloo.
  • Egg curry.
  • Mutton curry.
Dec 11, 2023

Is Madras always spicy? ›

Madras curry always has a hot, citrusy, spicy and even herbaceous flavor. Unlike most curries, Madras doesn't rely on warm brown spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and anise. Every family in India has its own Madras curry recipe, and even store-bought versions vary a lot.

What are the two names of Madras? ›

The original name of Madras is Puliyur Kottam, an ancient Tamil name. Tondaimandalam was ruled in the 2nd century CE by Tondaiman Ilam Tiraiyan who was a representative of the Chola family at Kanchipuram. The modern city of "Chennai" arose from the British settlement of Fort St.

Is Madras curry sour? ›

The result of the signatures of Madras curries can be achieved through different means; the result often being that of: red colour; roasted spices; the sour-sweet fruitiness of tamarind; a slight liquorice flavour of anise; ginger; a range of other spices (sweet and savoury and earthy) and the flavours of salt, sweet ...

What nationality is Madras? ›

Chennai, formerly known as Madras, is the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu and is India's fifth largest city. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal.

Who are the Madras Indians? ›

The small group of South Indians who came as part of the indentured labour migration to the Caribbean still form a significant presence in Guyana, and to a lesser extent Trinidad.

Where are Madras people from? ›

distribution in India

The Kekayas, Madras, and Ushinaras, who had settled in the region between Gandhara and the Beas River, were described as descendants of the Anu tribe. The Matsyas occupied an area to the southwest of present-day Delhi.

Is Madras an Indian word? ›

former Indian state (modern Chennai, a Tamil name), the name sometimes is said to be from Sanskrit Mandra, a name of a god of the underworld, but it is perhaps rather from Arabic madrasa "school" (see madrasah) or Portuguese Madre (de Deus). The British fort there dates from 1639.

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