Re: Lentil Curry, April 23
Nowhere in the ingredients or the directions is curry ever mentioned. Some of the ingredients in the list are unfamiliar to me — did I miss something or was it inadvertently left out?
Susan Lee
The Lentil Curry recipe adapted from “Vij’s Elegant & Inspired Indian Cuisine,” does not call for curry powder because the spice mixture itself — turmeric, asafoetida, cumin and cayenne — forms the “curry.”
The word comes from the southern Indian word for stew but in the English-speaking world refers to the spice mixture that can include up to 20 spices such as cumin, cardamom, mustard seeds, turmeric and fenugreek. Asafoetida, an herb whose strong aroma abates when cooked, and garam masala, another spice blend, are sold in Indian stores. If you can’t find them, use ground cumin instead.
