Is it True that Our Eastern Friends may Exist on 3 Curries/day?

https://www.cooksinfo.com/green-ginger#:~:text=Green Ginger can mean either,Jill Norman.

"Green ginger can mean either fresh ginger, or fresh young ginger, depending on which authority you read. Young ginger has a milder taste, a bit of pink at the tips, and don’t even need peeling because the skin is so tender ..."



http://kitchenthesaurus.blogspot.com/2014/07/what-is-green-ginger-root.html?m=1

"... After a bit of research, I discovered that green ginger root is ultimately the same thing as conventional ginger. The term "green ginger" does not refer to the rhizome's color, but to its maturity. Green ginger root is less mature than the more popular forms of the rhizome.

As a result, it is milder, less pungent and more tender.
Green ginger root is also called young ginger, spring ginger, new ginger, stem ginger, pink ginger or baby ginger ..."
 
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Anyway the 'uddruck' (adarak) green ginger in the OP recipie definitely refers to ginger root (Zingiber officiale) and not to wormwood

http://wiviwivi.blogspot.com/2013/01/asalute-to-recipe-no-26-in.html?m=1

"... Recipe No. 26 Madras Chicken Curry

Ingredients – Currystuffs: One dessertspoonful of coriander (dhunnia); quarter teaspoon mustard seed (rye); half teaspoon cummin seed ( jeerah); half teaspoon poppy seed (khus-khus); a couple of large pieces turmeric (huldee); a few dry red chillies (sooka mirrtchi); more if desired; half a dozen cloves of garlic (lusson); one piece of green ginger (uddruck); one large piece of dry coconut ( sooka Nariel) one medium sized onion (piaj) ..."

etc ...
 
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Seer said:
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This is a screenshot? Can you supply the links? Just because it's written somewhere doesn't make it true?
 
RJM Corbet said:
...Just because it's written somewhere doesn't make it true?
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Indeed, "Medicine is a science of uncertainty and an art of probability." William Osler
https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/probability-quotes

Your saying that the stated addition of Wormwood berries to curry powder is probably untrue
and I agree with you that on the basis of the literature describing the deleterious effects you're probably right. Literature on the deleterious effects of tobacco and alcohol and our knowledge of their use provides a rational glimpse into the limited scope of probability however, and without an assay on the thujone content of the berries I can only agree with you that it is not a likely additive to curry based on what I have read.

But a hundred and twenty years ago when the cookbook linked in the first post was published Wormwood with it's speculated benefits on health and as a curry additive was "true".
 
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Seer said:
Indeed, "Medicine is a science of uncertainty and an art of probability." William Osler
https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/probability-quotes

Your saying that the stated addition of Wormwood berries to curry powder is probably untrue
and I agree with you that on the basis of the literature describing the deleterious effects you're probably right. Literature on the deleterious effects of tobacco and alcohol and our knowledge of their use provides a rational glimpse into the limited scope of probability however, and without an assay on the thujone content of the berries I can only agree with you that it is not a likely additive to curry based on what I have read.

But a hundred and twenty years ago when the cookbook linked in the first post was published Wormwood with it's speculated benefits on health and as a curry additive was "true".
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I've learned stuff from the discussion. Educational thread. Thank you
 
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Me too, not the least of which is that mugwort repels codling moths from fruit and my hazel nuts, which is a worthwhile experiment in interplanting for me.
 
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No, we do not use green ginger in our curries. The problem arose because in the cookbook 'Uddruck' (Adarak) was translated as green ginger, which it is not. But another development, Wikipedia says that it grows in Kashmir valley. My family left Kashmir about 150 years ago, so I do not know if they use green ginger for their curries in Kashmir. I will ask someone who is more closely related to Kashmir or make another check for it in Google Search.

First report: Yes, it it used for medicinal purposes in Kashmir and the researcher suggests its use in animal feed, however very carefully.
https://www.thepharmajournal.com/archives/2017/vol6issue8/PartC/6-7-100-515.pdf

It does not seem Kashmiris have a very high opinion of Wormwood:
TEITHVENA OR WORMWOOD ( Artemisia absinthium)
“Ye kyaazi chhu hokhaan ? Ye hai balaai chhu khevaan. Amiss ma chhe aam. Diss tethveina phekhaa.”
“ Why is he so thin and weak even when he keeps eating so much? Maybe he has worms. Give him some wormwood ”
Word Teithvena ( wormwood ) was also used sarcastically in the Kashmiri language.
“Vuchhaan chhukh na me kotaah khaer korus. Amiss zun log teithvena.”
“ See how many favours I have passed on to him. But all this worked like bitter wormwood for him.”
"ya ha chhu theithvena hue tyoth. Maarun chhusaai, ba na sa khyema na ya"
"This is as bitter as wormwood. Do you want to kill me? I can't eat it."
http://autarmota.blogspot.com/2017/06/kashmiris-and-wormwood-or-theithvena.html
 
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Aupmanyav said:
No, we do not use green ginger in our curries. The problem arose because in the cookbook 'Uddruck' (Adarak) was translated as green ginger, which it is not. But another development, Wikipedia says that it grows in Kashmir valley. My family left Kashmir about 150 years ago, so I do not know if they use green ginger for their curries in Kashmir. I will ask someone who is more closely related to Kashmir or make another check for it in Google Search.
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Over one hundred years ago I imagine we all would have been exercising more and probably required more calories which would account for the three curries a day I suspect. But I find it difficult to conceive in this day and age of someone requiring 3 whole meals a day for maintenance. Perhaps a little fruit early in the day followed by cookies and tea at midday and the curry at eventide?
 
A big traditional family pot of curry made on Wednesday lasts until Sunday, when a new lot is made. A good curry takes hours to make; the spices preserve it in hot weather and it improves with keeping,

It isn't always eaten as a full meal with rice and all the trappings. Indians I have worked with even use the family curry on their sandwiches for work. And the sandwiches taste real good!
 
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Seer said:
But I find it difficult to conceive in this day and age of someone requiring 3 whole meals a day for maintenance.
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We had to do that. Your mention of three meals reminds me of that. We were in Srinagar visiting our relations and having food with them is considered essential (I had married a girl from a family which was a more recent migrant from Kashmir than us). So the two meals were settled but then a third uncle cropped up and would not take no for an answer (actually he started weeping that we would not visit his home, may God rest his soul, he is no more).

So we had to visit and have the third meal. Now, no Kashmiri meal is complete without non-vegetarian fare, lamb meat, and in copious quantities, and they are not happy if you do not eat what is offered. So we were more than full after visiting two places. To manage the third we had the Kashmiri salted green tea. It really helped and we were able to satisfy the third uncle also.
 
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One thing I discovered about Indian food since marrying into the culture. You can have your fill without putting on much weight. By golly it blows through like Grant took Richmond! :D
 
Namaste Jesus said:
One thing I discovered about Indian food since marrying into the culture. You can have your fill without putting on much weight. By golly it blows through like Grant took Richmond! :D
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My list so far:

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£1 from the supermarket, lol
 
We get our curry powder from Fiji. The wife's family grows all the ingredients themselves, dries, toasts and grinds them by hand. Nothing like the store bought variety sold around here, which is often cut with turmeric. We get that from Fiji as well. ;)
 
Namaste Jesus said:
We get our curry powder from Fiji. The wife's family grows all the ingredients themselves, dries, toasts and grinds them by hand. Nothing like the store bought variety sold around here, which is often cut with turmeric. We get that from Fiji as well. ;)
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Would they mail it overseas if I waved some cash in their direction?
 
Your chitchat reminds me that I need to purchase my favourite curries from The Spice House (they grind/blend almost daily.) Oh, and while I'm at it, I ought to pick up more of my personal/purrsonal pumpkin pie spice blend... Here's their site https://www.thespicehouse.com/

Sorry for derailing the chat. :oops:

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine
 
I think it proper curry is not complete without fresh curry leaves; the dry ones don't have enough flavour. The curry leaves should go in late, during the last hour of cooking, with the potatoes.

Another thing is to fry the dry spices in the hot oil before adding the onions, and of course not to fry the garlic with the onions but to add it along with fresh chopped ginger along with the tomatoes, once the onions are transparent -- because otherwise the garlic becomes bitter.

Fresh chilies gave a much better flavour than dried ones, imo
 
Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine said:
Your chitchat reminds me that I need to purchase my favourite curries from The Spice House (they grind/blend almost daily.) Oh, and while I'm at it, I ought to pick up more of my personal/purrsonal pumpkin pie spice blend... Here's their site https://www.thespicehouse.com/

Sorry for derailing the chat. :oops:

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine
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I'm experimenting with ginger in my pumpkin pie.
 
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