Curry is Good for You !

IVAN

The spice Turmeric (Curcuma / Curcumin / Kurkuma - in some languages) has numerous pharmacological properties.
Kidneys disease, atioxydant, anti-inflammatory, anti-radiation damage, anti-alzheimer's and more...

CURRY POWDER

Curcumin

Ayurvedic page

Dr. Sally Frautschy

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volga_volga

yeah, and loading up on saturated fat (esp coconut oil/milk) so widely used in curries

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sudheer poppa

Only problem is that spices in India are being heavily adulterated. Most of the hotels go for the cheap spices which invariably are adulterated. But more importantly, some restaurants use chemical colors to replace the look of spices which can be very dangerous in the long run. Next time you see a red tandoor chicken hanging in the doorway of a cheap hotel think of this before entering. Even many curries which use palak or are green in colour should not be trusted from low end shops.

For all the great cuisine of India, dont fall for the budget trap and end up with colored/ adulterated food. !

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SHIMLA

Some more information on Turmeric:
http://www.iisr.org/spices/turmeric.htm

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Tomi

Here's another good resource on spices, with useful lists of names of spices in many languages:
Gernot Katzer's home page
Gernot is an Austrian chemist that I have communicated with (and our fellow poster sgeneris also, I believe). He is very knowledgeable and helpful, and has travelled in India and SE Asia.

Turmeric is easy to find and cheap; I can even get it fresh here in Boston, in a Chinese supermarket called Super88. I doubt that it is ever adulterated, as there's no need.

My understanding is that the red in tandoori is always food coloring; there's no "adulteration" as such there, just bullshit red. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. I never use food coloring myself, just let the turmeric alone color the food, or sometimes add some paprika (which is just chili powder) to get it redder.

fat freddy's cat

Mmmmmmmmmmm Curry! Drool......
I love curry,but it has to be hot hot hot, none of that creamy mild stuff!
I'm totally addicted to Chilli peppers and have to eat them every day. Apparently they are really good for you and release happy endorphins, which may explain my addiction!

bijapuri

Byron went to our favorite Udupi restaurant here in sunnyvale, and said it had totally deteriorated in a mere 2 months. I think his month in India ruined him,

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MissJ

I've heard first hand (from a friend of my father's) that too much chilli will end up eating away your stomach lining, leaving you with ulcers and other horrid things!! eurgh! But, don't get me wrong - eat away - hot curries are my life food

SHIMLA

Right ! A consistent diet of hot and spicy stuff may also cause piles.

bijapuri

pepper is an irritant to the stomach lining, but most chillies, strangely, sre not. So I am told . . .

Ben

That explains why 80% of the population in India have to live without a stomach...

rab

Whilst we are on the subject can anybody help me?

I have lived in Adelaide for three months and am totally totally missing my curries. I have had just three curries in three months. In the UK we could eat curry every single week at least once at a restaurant or from a takeaway and another time at least once a week made by Mrs rab or me.

Here in South Australia the Indian restaurants are few and far between and are so unauthentic - I mean you get piped Oz rock music and are usually served by a disinterested teenager. When you get the food it seems so bland after the firey curries of the UK. I haven't found anything remotely like an Indian beer yet either - no Kingfisher, no Cobra, not even the home made Indian beer we get in UK.

As for at home we are staying with a non-curry eating family at the moment.

I know this is a long shot but can anyone help and recommend a good curry house in SA? In Britain there is a curry house on virtually every street.

IVAN

Spices can also be used as a dietary supplement.

Where I live, a small Ayurvedic products company sells special incapsulated mixtures, essentially based on spices. One takes a capsule after a meal.

For example, one of the mixes is Turmeric with Cinamon (with the addition of bear yeast and some oligoelements). It is mostly for regulating metabolism (cholesterol, fatty acids and sugar).

A metabolism stimulating mix is one with Ginger, basil, cinamon and black pepper (black pepper in small quantity, reportedly significantly increases the biological activity of the active principles of other spices)

A good thing about spices as dietary supplements is that they are cheap.
Turmeric for example is very cheap and has strong antioxydant and anti-inflamatory properties and, as the DR. Sally Frautschy studies have demonstrated (links in the original post) has strong anti alzheimer's and anti mental decay preventive properties, among other things.

Cinamon has very good effects on peripheric circulation, Ginger is also known for its health benefits, etc, etc...

Spices are a subject worth looking into.

sudheer poppa

A small correction on my earlier post. I touched upon two topics - a) adultered spices and b) dangerous colors ( many of them carcinogenic)

There are approved food coloring agents which can kill you a few years later as compared to the unapproved cheap ones used in the lower end eateries. These guys can give you the classic food poisioning a within minutes of consumption or unexpected complications later on continuous exposure.

I am not medically literate but two instances has scared the hell out of me. 1) My partner had fried rice in the street and about 3 hours later at night night started vomiting and bowels, non stop till next noon. Could not even take her to hospital. It finally stopped after a doctor came home and gave an injection. 2) my sister in law fainted once after having food at a touristy place, was in hospital for 2 days and had restrictions on food for more than a month.

Spices - (the pure ones) are one of the greatest treaures of India. Truly a treasure !

Please do not consider this as a Warning. Food is yummy and great but if in doubt on the quality DO NOT go for it. Spend more on food but anything else can be cut down.

One more update, both of them were having non veg. Vegetarian food is relativly safe, still if you see too much color - stay away.

MissJ

To all and Sundry: if you're in Brisbane, head over to the Curry Connection, in St Lucia...if you're craving that authentic Indian meal. It is seriously THE BEST you'll get in town (mind you, not a big town sorry, city)
there's a little plug for local tourism!