Chicken madras

IN THIS week’s edition of the Ticket, the award-winning Shimla Spice restaurant’s manager Iftikhar Hussain will be discussing the world-famous chicken madras curry.

Chicken madras, or any madras, such as chicken, lamb or vegetables, is always a very popular option for diners at restaurants.

Madras is a curry which is a fairly hot curry, strength-wise it is slightly less hot than the vindaloo. At our restaurants we can serve the madras dish in the following varieties: chicken, meat, vegetables, fish, prawns or king prawns. Even a mix madras is an option.

History

Madras curry is a blend of herbs and spices that originated in the South of India. This curry can accompany chicken, meat, vegetables and seafoods and it can feature a wide range of ingredients, although chilli peppers are usually a fundamental ingredient.

Many Indian restaurants offer various foods with this curry, ranging from chicken to lentils. Many stores sell a spice powder or paste for people who cook at home, and it is also possible for cooks to devise their own version of this popular Indian seasoning.

The curry is named for the city of Madras, now known as Chennai. The heat of Southern India is ideal for growing chili peppers, and as a result, many Southern Indian foods are heavy on the chilies.

The spicy Madras curry ended up being a big hit with British colonists in the region, and it is commonly available in Britain as a result. Classically, people think of this type of dish as being much hotter than other curries, although it can actually be quite variable in terms of heat.

In addition to chili peppers, Madras curry can also contain spices like turmeric, coriander, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, fenugreek, allspice, black pepper, and curry leaves.

A flavourful sauce is made with the curry in a base of fried onions, garlic , ginger, and tomatoes, and the result can be both fiery and slightly oily.

People who are unaccustomed to hot food might want to go lightly on the curry while they experiment with it. They may want to advantage of classic sides for Indian curries like rice, breads such as naan and raita, a cooling sauce made with yogurt depending on the region.

Many Indian restaurants are also able to adjust the level of spiciness of their curry, for people who want a more mild version.

At home, cooks can use a purchased curry paste or powder, or they can try formulating their own. For the best result, chefs should use fresh spices and grind them as needed to conserve the flavour.

One of the delightful things about Indian food is the range of side dishes and variation in individual recipes; “Madras curry” means many different things to different Indians, and as a result, cooks have a great deal of leeway with ingredients and the level of spicing that they want to use.