Curry

It can mean either: curry powder is a dry spice blend, while a curry is a saucy dish seasoned with spices. The ingredients and nutrition of a cooked curry depend on what goes into it; curry powder and curry paste are not the same thing.

For a curry made with a spice blend, fry the spices briefly in oil with onion or other aromatics before adding liquid. Stir constantly for about 30 seconds, until fragrant, and lower the heat if they start to scorch.

Add it early enough to bloom in the cooking fat, usually after softening the onion and before adding tomatoes, stock or coconut milk. A small pinch can also be stirred into yoghurt or mayonnaise for a quick dip, without frying.

Keep it in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry, dark cupboard, away from the cooker and steam. It may lose its aroma over time, so smell it before use; stale powder will be much less fragrant.

Yes, but they behave differently: curry paste is moist and often contains fresh aromatics, oil and salt, while curry powder is dry. Fry the powder in oil with garlic, ginger or onion, then add liquid; start with less salt than you would with a ready-made paste.

No. Curry powder is generally a blend intended to season a curry during cooking; garam masala is a separate Indian spice blend, often added near the end for fragrance. Neither has one fixed recipe, so their flavour and heat can differ between blends.

Stir in a little coconut milk, cream or yoghurt to soften the chilli heat, or add more of the main ingredients and sauce to dilute it. A squeeze of lemon or lime can brighten the flavour, but won’t remove the chilli.

Rice, flatbreads such as naan or chapati, and cooling accompaniments such as yoghurt raita or cucumber salad all work well. Curry is also used in dishes such as chicken curry, vegetable curry and curry laksa.