Actually, I don't know any Indians here at all. :)

I'm sure there are NRIs buy curry powder because they've become too Americanized, or are too busy to cook. The point I'm making is that you can't just use curry powder to make curry, as there is no generic curry. The curry powder (although honestly, I think even NRIs buy garam masala rather than curry powder) is just a base to start things off, as it were. Kind of like buying a pie crust and making the filling rather than making the entire pie from scratch.

I use curry powder to make curried chicken-and-chickpeas on occasion. I have used whole spices in that past, but for one person, that becomes highly cost-ineffective.

The generic term "curry" implies that the contents were simmered in a broth (or gravy, if you prefer) containing the main ingredients of curry powder. I add a ton of fresh garlic, fresh ginger, cinnamon sticks, and chili to mine.

I'm assuming that in the U. K. the expression "going out for (or taking away) curry" means South Asian food in general?

As a digression, the first time I went to a Sri Lankan joint in NYC, I was a bit flummoxed by "deviled beef", which does not come from an Underwood can!

Italian seasoning - indeed how absurd!

Just as bad as those who would throw together some paprika, cayenne, oregano and cumin, calling it "Cajun", or mix some lavender, fennel, thyme, basil and friends, into a "Provencal" seasoning...

And don't even get me started on "Chili powder"...

:p

I wonder if anyone is aware that "Italian seasoning" is an actual product. I'd really like to know what is "absurd" about it. I'd judge that the number of companies producing it is a sign it is popular. If you have a big customer base, it is not "absurd" to do it.

Popular ≠ authentic.

But I guess I will never educate the Philistines here, so enjoy your curry powder. :D

Oh, and next time you're in a Mario Batali restaurant, ask him how many of his dishes use pre-mixed "Italian seasoning."

Oh, what a cut. Philistines! Watch out for Hamas. They don't like being lumped with those of us who buy curry powder.

I'm confused. What's not authentic about putting basil, thyme, oregano in an Italian dish?

Have you ever seen any of these ingredients added to veal marsala or fettucine alfredo? Adding basil, thyme and oregano does not make a dish Italian. Similarly, throwing curry powder onto something does not make it Indian.

The fact that there are hundreds of different "curries" should make it obvious that a single "curry powder" could hardly be an ingredient of most of them.

Oh, did someone suggest that you could throw curry powder on a quesadilla and call it Indian?

Well, you can look at it that way. Or you can say, "I'm likely to need basil and oregano if I want to make an Italian dish". And you can say "If I'm making an Indian dish, I'll probably need turmeric. Yeh, taking cream of mushroom soup and flavoring it with turmeric doesn't make it Indian. But I can testify that adding "Indian spices" to un-Indian dishes sometimes improves them a lot. Heck, Betty Crocker discovered that maybe 80 years ago.

I believe it was in San Diego that I espied an Indian - Mexican "fusion" joint.

Best curry on Guam is from Song Huong. Open 24 hours a day.

It seems we still haven't gotten an answer on this one: Was it authentic?

So did someone actually call a quesadilla Indian because it had curry on it? Where and when? Betty Crocker never did that. She named things like "curried eggs" or tuna with curry sauce. Seems very reasonable to me. When I made up fusion recipes, I always put a Norsk on the front to acknowledge that no Indian would ever cook it.

I'm not sure why we've gone so far off track. My original statement was that "curry powder" is a bit of a joke to most Indians I know, and is not really authentically Indian. It is mostly an invention for export, created by the British.

I haven't yet seen anyone use facts to contradict my assertion. I have no idea why quesadillas were introduced into the discussion.

re: Indian - Mexican fusion joint
 

I didn't dine there, just walked by

Yes.

Apparently there were several replies from people who had added curry powder to their tiramisu/ceviche/pesto pasta, and then called it "Indian".

Why introduce Mario Batali in this discussion. he certainly is nobodies idea of genuine anything, is he? Oh, maybe Brooklyn imitation Italian at high prices. Entertaining on TV but really, do you think he does anything especially good? In NYC would any same person consider a Batali restaurant if there were a possibility of getting into Il Mulino?

Philistines? I use no premixed ingredients of any kind other than Herbes de Provence, and make all curry from fresh ingredients, something few Indians do. Still, I appreciate that many people who do like fine food have neither the time nor the expertise to cook everything from scratch. I would not denigrate them for that, but I would try to convince them that the extra effort is well worth it, and is enjoyable in and of itself.

I give away lots of turmeric, ginger, coriander, basil, thyme and rosemary. Doing so has helped convince a few people to do better preparations at home.

Philistines? No, I don't think so. Just people with little time, training or inclination. I don't want to eat their food, but I'll not call them by pejorative names.

I'm really into duck red curry at Thai restaurants. I had some in Boston last week and I've been craving it ever since. I just wish it always came with carrots.

I love curry at airports.. I dropped my parents off to catch their plane and literally jet upstairs for quick eats before jumping back into the vehicle.^

Oh, literally? There's an inter-terminal plane?

Interesting...

:p