Interesting thread. There's not too much I can add to the already excellent information here and the linked off-site nice write-up by Cynthia (Cynthia, nice write-up! )
I'll just add a few comments and links to make this thread possibly a little more generally useful for those who may stumble across it - I had for some time been meaning to discuss curries but as is evident from the thread already, it's a complex topic and I haven't really been able to pin down my thoughts on it. So I'll jot my comments here, and if there is redundancy with what's already stated, please excuse that, it's only because my thoughts are coming out and I'm trying to keep things in context.

Curry (to me) really means gravy or sauce - not a particular flavor. The pervasive concept is for the most part British though the dishes are probably much more diverse.
Possibly (I imagine) the inclusion of turmeric (and/or ginger or ginger-family aromatics) conjures the Western* idea of a curry. Yet, classifying a dish as a curry (even from a region) based on specific ingredients would probably be a gross oversimplification. There are, for example, Indian curries (from various regions) with coconut milk and Thai curries without. And just like the Spice Girls, some curries endure without Ginger
* I won't use the term ‘gringo’ which I dislike - mainly because the majority of the readers here aren't really even gringos (culinarily) even if they are

The British popularized Indian curry is typically made from a base paste to which solids (proteins, potatoes, veggies) are added and simmered. This then is based on restaurant cooking that has been propagated. Such ‘balti' curries - from the balti houses or curry houses (especially in Birmingham; the term 'balti' actually means bucket, but let's skip that etymology for now) are essentially a corruption of Indian curries just as the word ‘curry' is a corruption of the Tamil (South Indian) word ‘kari’. Most of the British curry house curries are typically North Indian in style (Moghlai; muslim influenced) – and dominated by Bangladeshi chefs (culinarily not really distinct from India, generally speaking at least as far as such curries go). Also the style of cooking isn’t that different from some styles of Indian curry - just that the base pastes are made in advance (in the restaurants, which have their own signature concoctions) and depending on the order certain (solid) ingredients added to make the dish. Nothing wrong per se with that, but the sad part is the same base paste, get used for multiple dishes, and are passed off just named differently just because for example they have potatoes or not. As far as being the ‘national dish’ – I believe this goes back to a comment by Robin Cook, then Foreign Secretary which got blown out of proportion. Polls did show though that curries – particularly chicken tikka masala were more popular than say fish and chips (I think though at some point the British tourism board mentioned it (either CTM or curry) as a national dish, cementing its place in lore. CG, what is it now?
If you are interested in this line of discussion – see here
The site linked to - http://www.curryhouse.co.uk/ also has recipes - note that these are for restaurant style curries. For a fantastic read of how 'curry' has spread check the extremely well researched food anthropology and history text, Curry: A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors by Lizzie Colingham (Amazon link)

Anyways, the use of pastes - good ones at least - is fine (just as in making moles – Mexican curry in my book ). Sure it’s not as good as ‘from scratch’, and most commercial pastes will benefit (even require) from enhancements. Here’s a Thai curry pastes thread
In that thread, there is the mention of coconut cream and frying the paste in it. (Link to Erik M. post with link to Coconut Milk/Cream on Loha-unchit’s Thai food site (click here for direct link)

I'll repeat here that the coconut cream doesn't have to be bought separately, I simply don't shake can, open it then spoon out the cream, use that (reserving a tablespoon for garnish at the end) to fry the curry paste.
Curry ‘powder’ is also not unusual - but it's mainly more of an enhancement in ‘traditional’ uses - both at the beginning and for finishing. Here’s a thread on a curry powder I’ve enjoyed reading about -The Gift of Gaeng

And here's a Sri Lankan curry powder (I've only seen, never used).

(I'd never seen one so black and I haven't the foggiest how it's used or tastes. more on this in a future post)

When using a base ‘paste’- commercial or from scratch - one of the most important things (IMO) is properly frying it. Tatterdemalion mentions this – bhunno-ing in his post (linked above by Amata), in the thread on curry pastes linked above and vaguely mentioned above by JoelF (“whenever things smells awesome”). I look for the visual cue - when frying the base for a curry, the oil separates out. To achieve this, it is necessary to add small amounts (2-3 tablespoons) of water from time to time and stir – every 5 to 8 mins. or so, about 3 or 4 or so times – to prevent the paste (sofrito? ) from scorching whilst the spices aren't cooked fully yet (I've long held that one of reasons some restaurant cooking doesn't agree with the stomach is that the bhunno-ing is not done well/fully, so the spices are still somewhat 'raw').
Here's what I mean by visual cues in bhunno-ing -

In an Indian style curry (involving adding spices, some herbs, aromatics and tomatoes to already browned onions):
Start of process (tomatoes etc. just added) all images clickable for larger views


Bhunno-ing almost done (tomatoes broken down, look at edges – oil separates out rapidly where the spatula is drawn across the bottom of the pan


In CG's Methi Chicken (Chicken curry with fenugreek) thread, the pictures above are what is aluded to in the recap of the recipe.

Since then, I planned to post on bhunno-ing and took some additional pictures (below), but I fear my amateur crastination is turning pro and that's not currying any favor, so I'll put it here. I do want to enjoy the benefits of being an active LTH participant

In a Thai style curry (involving canned coconut milk (Chaokoh) and canned panang (IIRC) curry paste (Maesri) and enhancements) –

Just started, the coconut 'cream' is fully mixed in with the paste and I've drawn a spatula across the bottom of the pot


Ten minutes or so later. It's not yet done, but where the bubbles appear there's more oil starting to show (but I don't consider it anywhere near ready). A spatula drawn across the bottom of the pan doesn't elicit oil at the 'paste' edges (2nd pic – taken immediately after the first)


Another 10 mins or so (and water added a few times etc. as described earlier) and the bhunno-ing is done. See the prominent oil separation where the simmer bubbles are and also the immediate separation of the fat when the spatula is drawn across the pot bottom.




At this point I add the chicken and other vegetables, potatoes and other liquids (coconut milk) as appropriate, then let it simmer very low, covered, about 45 mins. or so. Typically for curries like these with chicken I prefer using the richer legs and thighs, as breast meat tends to dry out; unless I'm putting in an entire chicken, then the breast is cut into at least a couple of pieces.

As far as the Thai curry goes – I'm not saying that the above is the way to do it, it's just my way, or rather the way I do it based on my experience (not extensive at that) with some Indian curries. Still, the method above is not inconsistent with what I've come across in Thai recipes/procedures.

(Unrelated to the above commentary, but since this is general thread on curries) – I'll add a link to a Thai curry thread: Hangleh Science

Finally, seebee, if you end up making the chicken 'Kerala', I'll be interested in your comments (here, better there, or pm even) – the flavor profile is significantly different from typical North Indian style curries that dominate the awareness (though I note you are familiar with the more South Indian flavors such as from curry leaves).

sazerac wrote:Interesting thread. There's not too much I can add to the already excellent information here and the linked off-site nice write-up by Cynthia (Cynthia, nice write-up! ).

Thanks, sazerac. And your write up is pretty amazing. Makes me want to get into the kitchen -- though maybe not right now, as it's past midnight. But I'm definitely inspired.

I've been reading this thread with great interest, but haven't had much time to participate.

sazerac wrote:

Since then, I planned to post on bhunno-ing and took some additional pictures (below), but I fear my amateur crastination is turning pro and that's not currying any favor, so I'll put it here.

I knew you'd finally have to succumb to this ! (I've been bugging sazerac for a while to detail the bhunno-ing process, among other things...) If there was any instruction that needed to be repeated to me by my mother, it was this one. And sazerac, your theory about restaurant curries not settling well with the stomach is interesting, never thought about that, but it makes sense to me.

tatterdemalion wrote:I've been reading this thread with great interest, but haven't had much time to participate.

sazerac wrote:

Since then, I planned to post on bhunno-ing and took some additional pictures (below), but I fear my amateur crastination is turning pro and that's not currying any favor, so I'll put it here.

I knew you'd finally have to succumb to this ! (I've been bugging sazerac for a while to detail the bhunno-ing process, among other things...) If there was any instruction that needed to be repeated to me by my mother, it was this one. And sazerac, your theory about restaurant curries not settling well with the stomach is interesting, never thought about that, but it makes sense to me.

And, from a previous incarnation, during the early-stages of the construction of the above post concerning this technique, I was very kindly-provided with links and info(PM'd) when I was working my way through methi murgh. Thank you both again.