After using Sun’s Madras curry powder in a big tin from the restaurant store, I was ready to use larger quantities. I got this other product, Frontier Co-Op’s 1 pound sack of curry powder. This is a comparison and review.
I could have sworn that I’d reviewed Sun before, but I guess not. It’s an English style curry powder, and has a mild flavor, except that it contains a lot of salt. So, it’s really good for making a style of curry without too much “sauce” after it’s done.
FC’s curry powder has a very spicy flavor, and needs to be made a bit less fiery by diluting it with some roux. The powder tastes OK, but isn’t as well rounded as Sun. Once diluted, it makes a nice spicy sauce that is pretty close to Japanese style curry. It doesn’t contain salt, so you need to boost the flavors with salt or soy sauce.
When I used it, wished it had a more well-rounded flavor. Having eaten Sun’s mix, which, aside from too much salt for me, is good and well rounded. I’ll probably get a tin of Sun, and cut it with this FC to boost the hotness and cut the salt.
I purchased mine at Swanson Vitamins.
Ingredients Compared
Basic Chicken Curry
4 to 8 chicken drumsticks, or other parts
5-10 Tbsp curry powder
Oil
1 onion chopped
1-3 tomatoes chopped (depending on how tomatoey you want it)
Water
Warm 1/8 to 1/4 cup oil in a pan, and add 5-10 tablespoons curry powder, and cook it a minute until fragrant. Add the onions and tomatoes. Stir and fry a bit, and then add the chicken. Add water to bring the water up, maybe to 1 cm deep. Add salt to taste. Cover and simmer over low heat at least 15 minutes.
If you want it more “Japanese style”, make a roux, and add roux and water, cook until it’s like a gravy. Add soy sauce for saltiness.
Roux is made by frying around 1/4 cup of flour in around 1/8 cup of oil, adjusting the oil a bit to keep the mix smooth. Stir and fry it over low heat until it just starts to brown.