The Curious Case of Curries
Found across Southern Asia, and enjoyed by many for its versatility and inviting flavors, Curry is a world of flavors unto itself. Younger consumers and millennials are on a continuous look-out for a flavor-full escape from their day-to-day life – this love for global-spicy and unknown-yet-exciting foods have increased the appetite for culinary curry experiments.
Get ready to add creative curries to build a buzz –
Butter Chicken – Leading the pack
Butter chicken is now a ‘household’ name across North America. This tomato-based curry known for vibrant orange color and its creamy-velvety texture that’s mildly sweet, spiced with cumin, turmeric, up & coming garam masala, and red chili powder to attain a distinct color and taste. Hailing from the kitchens of northern India, it’s commonly paired with steamed long-grain basmati rice or fluffy naan. With the millennials’ desire for elevated food experiences, flavor-upgrade your pizza with juicy butter chicken chunks as a new topping, a ready-to-heat and eat pot pie, or as a new twist on a Canadian poutine.
Massaman Curry – A tale of two cultures
Reigning from southern Thailand with Indian and Malay influences, Massaman curry is one of the milder curries. It’s an exotic blend of warm creamy coconut, with the freshness of lemongrass and peppery spice of galangal. This multi-cultural yellow curry offers just the right amount of heat from bird’s eye chili. Unique flavors from whole spices like bay leaves, cumin, and cardamom adding an herbal warmth. This stew like dish made with potatoes, chicken or beef is a proven-hearty meal. Give your consumers a vegan or vegetarian option by using additional veggies, tofu or paneer. Make it an easy workday lunch in a ready-to-eat format paired with rice—just heat and eat. Taste it to know it, ask us for samples here.
Vindaloo – It’s getting hot, hot, hot
This one is all about its taste, rich-red color and extreme heat! Vindaloo curry is well-known for being extremely spicy with the earthiness of cardamom, fenugreek and sourness of vinegar that balances the heat. Originating from western India influenced by a Portuguese dish ‘vinha d’alhos’, this is the preferred curry of those that chase spice. Consumers who are up for a fiery-hot challenge would adore its enticing flavors. Commonly made with goat meat and served with rice, now make your fans explore the mouth-watering taste in spinoffs like a Vindaloo Lamb Burger or go for Paneer making it appealing for flexitarians and vegetarians.
Hariyali Curry – The coolest of all
Hariyali, meaning green, refers to the color of the dish driven by the herbs used—cilantro and mint leaves. An added punch from green chilis is blended together with a hint of garam masala to bring out the aroma to leave your diners craving more. Chicken pieces marinated in the green paste for hours before being cooked makes it so juicy and tender. This curry promises a light and bright sensory experience perfect for those summer nights on the patio. Serve it as an over-the-top dish on a bed of rice or a filling for roti, use as a marinade to expand into well-known formats like a Hariyali Chicken Tikka.
Thai Curries- The deliciously comfortable curries
Often spotted on menus, retail shelves and to-go meals across North America, Thai curries are one of the top-of-the-mind dishes for its flexibility in altering their spice levels and multiple applications. Red, Green or Yellow – each uses diverse ingredients to offer distinct flavors, built on curry paste, coconut milk, vegetables and meat or seafood.
Red Thai Curry originates from central Thailand, the core ingredient, red chilis deliver the famous appetizing color and taste. Added to the paste is a blend of shallots, garlic, ginger and lemongrass creating an aromatic base. The most versatile of the three, this curry’s flavors make a blissful combination with a baked salmon, steamed brown rice or as a fiery-silky red curry soup or even add your own peanut butter to create a Panang curry.
The hottest and the most recognizable for its smell and look, Thai Green Curry will have your customers saying ‘WOW’! The fine-herby green color comes from a green paste made with Thai basil, green chilies, garlic, lemongrass, peppercorns and cumin seeds. The heat is balanced with makrut lime, saltiness of shrimp pastes and the silky texture by coconut milk. Your foodie fans can try this versatile south Asian curry served on rice either paired with chicken or with a bunch of veggies like peppers, eggplant, onions and green beans. Substitute chicken for tofu to make it vegan-friendly, you have options for different builds. Experience these curries in their full presentations when you sign up for our collaborative ideation sessions.
Last but certainly not least, we have the milder of the three—Thai Yellow Curry. Slightly sweet in taste, known for its golden color from turmeric and a luxuriously thick sauce look from the use of both coconut milk and cream. Combining cinnamon, coriander, cumin and fenugreek together makes it a comfortable to savor while the cayenne pepper awakens the tastebuds with a subtle kick. Typically, it’s made with beef or chicken, potatoes, carrots, and onions, but has been popular as an addictive noodle dish or bao stuffing. Dreaming already? Our chefs help you create these fusion foods with globally-inspired flavors, contact our food guides today to support you with any project that you have on mind.
The endless possibilities of these curries provide your consumers with mouthwatering flavors. Our state-of-the-art Culinary Innovation Center helps our R&D team and chefs custom-craft, improvise and produce the perfect sauce with you for your consumers. With our live kitchen at the Innovation Culinary Center, you are immersed into a dine-in experience where creativity and science come together. Let us strengthen your brand recall with our specially developed value-adds like curries, custom sauces, marinades in frozen meals, ready-to-eat kits, deli, bottled jars, bulk orders for your private label, foodservice businesses or any other business segments.
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