In Search of The Perfect Curry
THE PERFECT CURRY IS, by definition, an elusive ideal. It means many things to a great many people. To those from the Indian subcontinent, whence the curry purportedly originates, the very word denotes something quite distinct from the nosh many hanker after on a Friday night. In the UK, where chicken tikka masala has become a national dish, or here in Australia, where butter chicken reigns supreme, a curry is a symbol of indulgence and intemperance, of late nights and loosened waistbands. Meanwhile, a moong dahl from the northern-Indian city of Lucknow, or a vegetable thoran from Kerala on the south-west coast, is a humble dish associated with sustenance and nourishment. Neither is loaded with enough chilli heat to anaesthetise a town.
But the search for perfection is not the same as the pursuit of authenticity. At least, not in Men’s Health’s book. We’re not interested in purity so much as enjoying the best that all worlds have to offer. At their most succulent and blessedly moreish, the beef shin biryani from London’s Michelin-starred Gymkhana or the Kashmiri Naan at Sydney’s Surjit’s take some beating in the satisfaction stakes. But, tempered thoughtfully, a curry brimful of fresh spices, bright vegetables, multiple proteins, healthful fats and complex carbohydrates can be a veritable superfood bomb, served conveniently and enticingly in a sizzling karahi.
This is what we mean by perfection: something that delivers both on macro- and micronutrients, as well as a sense of cheat-day gluttony. Which is why we enlisted the help of Karam Sethi, one of the best curry chef-proprietors around today to do just that. All you need to work out
