C urry has been an Indian staple for thousands of years, but it’s now a truly global dish. During the British Raj, the army (who were fed versions of ‘curry’ to help stretch meat rations) introduced it to the Japanese military. ‘Kare’, as it’s called in Japan, became a household favourite there. Japanese kare, a spiced meat stew thickened with a roux, is sweeter than the Indian original, and is nearly always made using a shop-bought curry paste.
As Indians emigrated, and slaves were transported across the world, curry moved too. To Indonesia, Malaysia, Burma, the Philippines, Singapore and even China – wherever it went, it was adapted and absorbed into the existing food culture. In south-east Asia, for example, a curry might include candlenuts (Indian walnuts) to thicken it,…
