On Friday, 29 March 2013 10:15:31 UTC+10, Janet wrote:
> Timo says...
> > On Friday, 29 March 2013 06:31:18 UTC+10, dsi1 wrote:
> > > On 3/27/2013 11:19 AM, Timo wrote:
> > >
> > > > Premade powder is the authentic way to make English curries, pre-made paste block is the authentic way to make Japanese curries.
> > >
> > > What is in an English curry? Thanks.
> >
> > Usually leftover cooked meat, sauce flavoured with curry powder (any of the pre-made powders with brand names like "Clive of India" are spot-on) and thickened with flour), often apple and/or sultanas, and onions. Often no vegetables other than onion and fruit. Sometimes peas and diced carrots.
> >
> > The classic recipe from the mid 19th century (From Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management):
> >
> > INGREDIENTS. - The remains of cold roast veal, 4 onions, 2 apples sliced, 1
> > tablespoonful of curry-powder, 1 dessertspoonful of flour, 1/2 pint of broth or water, 1 tablespoonful of lemon-juice.
>
> I doubt very much anyone has made or eaten that in the last century.

It's the kind of thing they were teaching as "curry" in Home Ec classes in schools here (Australia) in the '80s.

With the multiculturalisation of English and Australian food (for Australian food, mostly '80s+, but might well have been earlier in England due to general colonial backwardness), these trad curries declined. Common, more common than Indian or modern Anglo-Indian curries, in institutional food into the '90s, if not beyond.

Minced/ground beef was often used as a substitute for leftover cooked meat, even back then. Not keeping English-style curry powder in the house, I sometimes do an Indianised version to use leftover roasted meat - borrowing works both ways.

One style of old English curry (and a good style, IMO) fossilised as Japanese curry. I've seen Japanese curries done with pre-cooked meat, chopped meat, and minced meat.

> What is meant today, by "English curry" is recipes like chicken
> vindaloo or tikka masala, which are not authentic Indian/Asian recipes,
> but introduced for British tastes in the 1960-70's by Indian/Asian
> immigrant restaurants and takeaways when they became widespread in UK
> .Those recipes are *not* made with leftover cooked meat, as you
> describe.
> Nor are they confused, (here), with real Indian /Asian food and
> curries, which are also popular and well known here.

Cuisines evolve. As for terminology, I've seen "English" used for the old-style traditional English, and "Anglo-Indian" for the '70s+ dishes. There are authentic Indian (or at least Goan) vindaloos; the English should pick a new name for their version.