Curry The Easy Way

I don't like curry.  I don't like the spice.  I don't like the smell or the taste unless in very small quantities.  If a recipe I have calls for it I won't avoid it, but I'll reduce the amount by about 1/3 to 1/4 depending on my mood.  I've been known to just add a pinch.

That's why many years ago about 25 I was very surprised to find I really liked this curry dish.  A friend had made it and I just happened to come over for a visit.  She invited me to sit down for dinner.  I hate curry, but when someone is being so thoughtful and generous I put my juvenile dislikes aside and partake.  (That's how I ended up eating a tuna fish sandwich 30 years ago.  Another story.)

I took the smallest serving I could without hurting any one's feelings.  Then I began to eat.  To my great surprise it was good.  Even great!  It didn't taste like the curry spice I loathe and despise.  It tasted like it had a pinch of curry the way I would season a curry dish.  It was savory and delicious.  I asked my friend for the recipe and she snickered and held up the Vermont Curry Sauce Mix box.  "I just buy it at the grocery store and follow the directions," she said.  Even better how easy can that be.  I knew some day I'd make some at my house.  Being single at the time though I really didn't do any big cooking.

Shortly there after I got a boyfriend.  Wanting to impress him I invited him over for dinner and made the curry dish.  He loved it and to this day he's my husband.  Not saying making this dish will get you a husband, but hey it wouldn't hurt to try.

Over the years I've found it hard to find Vermont Curry.  The grocery stores generally carry the S&B Golden Curry Sauce Mix.  It's not bad and I'd even say it's good, BUT the Vermont Curry is REALLY GOOD.  I have found if you can find an Asian Market you will find Vermont Curry Sauce Mix.  The Asian market I frequent is about 30 miles away.  I really need to find one closer.  So, I actually don't go much.  I'll buy 3 sauce mixes and sometimes I'll just throw them in the freezer if I'm not going to use them any time soon.

It's simple to make the recipe it is right on the back of the box. 

1 box Vermont Curry Sauce Mix
Meat (beef or pork) or chicken (1 1/8 lbs.)
4 Medium onions (1 3/4 lbs.)
4 Medium potatoes (1 1/2 lbs.)
1 Medium carrot (1/2 lb.)
5 3/4 cups water

I have made a few small changes over the years.  I always use chicken breast.  That's our favorite, but beef is good too.  Recipe asks for 1 carrot, but we like almost as much carrots as potatoes.  I usually use 4 or more carrots.  Also when it calls for water I put in chicken broth.  I use to make my own chicken broth, but I use canned now days and it's still great.  Also the recipe calls for  4 med. onions.  That seemed like an awful lot from the very beginning.  I've always used 1 to 2 onions.  This recipe is for the 8.8 ounce bar which makes 12 servings.  The package does talk about using half for 6 servings.  The curry bar as I like to call it, because it looks just like a large chocolate bar.  The curry bar in the 8.8 ounce size comes sealed in 2 packages if you only want to use half.  I make the 12 servings, because I have teenagers right now and a hubby who likes to take leftovers for lunch.

The curry bars come in mild, med.hot and hot.  My husband likes hot food.  I do not.  So, I've been pretty cautious using the other bars.  What I've found is that the med. hot isn't that hot.  I haven't had the courage to use it exclusively though.  I buy a mild and a med. hot.  I use half of each for one batch.  I don't find it to be hot at all.   Last night I got a bit braver.  I used half of a mild bar, 1/4 of the med. hot and 1/4 of the hot .  This did give it a slight zing.  I still wouldn't have even called it hot by my standards.  Next time I'll try 1/2 a mild bar and half a hot.  I think though I'll only do a 6 serving batch in case it's too hot and hubby has to eat the whole thing by himself.