Curry Flight

Flight 21 Summer of cold curry.

It is very hot again this summer. Indians who came to Japan are getting excited saying "Japan is so hot! They are even getting excited. Well, as Japan becomes more tropical every year, foods from the tropics become more and more delicious, which means that the Japanese curry and spice culture will flourish more and more.

Aside from that, I have been seeing the words "chilled curry" particularly frequently this year. Not chilled chuka, but chilled curry.
What?" Isn't cold curry and rice tasteless?" If you have ever thought, "No, it's not good cold curry rice. There are various kinds of curry, and some curry tastes better when it is chilled.

Is it an assumption that curry must be hot?

Even at a buffet lunch in a first-rate Indian restaurant, one often encounters curry that is cold. Some people have given harsh evaluations on gourmet food websites for curry that is served not at its peak. This is of course a big problem for those who have decided that "food must be served hot" and "cold curry is out of the question.
However, if you think about it, it is very interesting to note that the providers accept "cold curry" as acceptable, and that this can be seen not only in a limited number of restaurants, but also in many Indian-owned restaurants.

Aside from the fact that there are various types of Indian cuisine and that circumstances vary depending on TPO, in India, food is not always served "only when hot. Especially in popular restaurants in South India, where people eat by hand, it is quite common for food to be served at near room temperature. It burns you and it is too hot to begin with. Of course, the aroma of spices in the steam cannot be expected, but the aroma of whole spices in the mouth remains, and the fresh spiciness of green chili is more enjoyable when it is not hot.

Pachi Pulusu is a dish from the South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a cold version of rasam, a popular spicy tomato soup in South India. It is made by adding green chilies and onions to a base of tamarind water, and pouring oil with the aroma of the spices. It is a "chilled curry" that is cold, hot, spicy, and appetizing.

Hoya patch pulses served at Toraya Shokudo in Nishiogikubo.

Once you remove the assumption that "food must be hot," there are indeed tasty curries even if they are cold.

Summer 2022, cold curry trip.

Let's return to Japan in 2022.
As if in a year of record-breaking heat, many restaurants in both the Kanto and Kansai regions seem to be offering chilled curry.
This is very interesting. Because we can clearly see the creator's approach to the dish and the points of ingenuity in how to make the curry look like curry, how spicy, and how tasty it is in its cold state.

Chilled Meals at Tarikaro.

This is a cold meal at Tarikaro in Nishiogikubo, Tokyo.

Tarikaro, which serves dry dishes based on the cuisine of the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, and the aforementioned patch pulses (the curry on the far right in the photo), are well balanced meals with a good balance of cold and tasty South Indian dishes.
The chicken curry is interesting, not only because of the sourness of the tamarind and the patch pulses that penetrate through the refreshing spiciness of the green chilies, but also because of the chicken curry. The chicken, the ingredient, is kept out of the curry and arranged on top of the rice as a sour and spicy chicken pickle. What a great idea to pour the cold gravy here to make a cold chicken curry.

Cold curry from Spice Curry 43.

This is a cold curry from Spice Curry 43, one of the best idea men in the Osaka curry world.

Take-out Anmitsu? The packaging of this cold curry for takeout is eye-catching.

Pour the cold curry and tororo over the rice and stir to mix.
Neva! Toro! Cold! Spicy! The sourness of the pickled plums really brings out the indescribable enjoyment of the "hot" and "spicy" flavors.
This is a completely new food experience. I was surprised when I tried it. Not only at these two restaurants, but I have eaten a variety of chilled curry dishes and thought that not only the spiciness but also the effective use of sourness is an important point for the deliciousness of the dish.
Tamarind, vinegar, tomatoes, lemons, dried plums...

The world of "chilled curry" is still an unknown genre that allows chefs to show off their originality in abundance.

You can search for "cold curry" on social networking sites and visit restaurants where you can go.

It will surely be a HOT and COOL experience.

Now, what kind of Flight should we try next time?