Indian restaurant menus often serve different varieties of curries and the two mildest curries of all are - Korma (Navratan, Chicken) and pasanda (Paneer). Both Korma and pasanda are made in butter, cream, onion, nut paste, cardamom and curd. Both dishes have a smooth creamy texture.
Herbs like red bell peppers and ginger-garlic are added to complement the lighter flavours of Korma that has a garnishing of saffron which makes it look yellowish. Those who want to avoid heavy cream can use coconut milk to get a creamy texture.
Restaurants make use of different recipes to prepare such dishes. You can prepare the base of the dish with extra onion or can use more of garlic and ginger paste. The amount of herbs or spices is added as per predetermined standards. There is no set rule for the use of herbs, onion or nut paste.
Pasanda is whitish and it tastes milder than korma. To reduce cost, some restaurants do not use saffron in Korma, and some use almond paste instead of cashew paste to lower the overall cost of preparation of the dish.
Indian curry has been modified and adapted to the local ingredients and regional choices, presenting contrasting notes of sweetness, sourness, spiciness, and heat.
Some of the mildest curries are made from a blend of cream, coconut, yoghurt, khoya, cashew/almond nut paste, and specifically chosen fragrant herbs to deliver a nutty, sweet, tangy, creamy taste with very little heat but a range of other flavours and unique textures that promises a perfectly traditional incredibly delicious deeply flavoured unforgettable experience.
Mild curries are a blend of cream, herbs and yoghurt, coconut milk, almond or cashew paste, with extra cream and nuts bringing up a velvety, smooth texture having very little heat but a range of other tastes -sweet, sour, salty, tangy and creamy flavours.
The perfect dreamy combination of coconut milk, meat and vegetables simmered in herbs and essential spices, for instance, cumin, cardamom, coriander, turmeric, and cinnamon, that is sweet-milder soft infuse the vegetables and meat with deep nostalgic fragrant flavours.
Korma, made from milder spices, has low heat and can be made into chicken or lamb curry; it is never a bland dish but is one of the most delicious mild curries cooked in coconut milk, yoghurt, and cream. It is a smooth stew wherein the tender chicken or vegetable pieces float.
The korma curries are spiced not for heat but for flavour. Cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, and cardamom can be used to flavour the creamy soup made from butter or cream, and it can be combined with yoghurt–marinated meat or vegetable pieces which are then slow-cooked to get a zesty, delectable ambrosia.
Korma is a mild curry of yoghurt and cream that combines sweet and savoury flavours. It is a fulfilling dish, and it does not contain complex spices. It is spiced up with aromatic herbs that have a unique flavour and are not strong.
Pasanda curry is another popular mild variety which contains a thick sauce prepared from fresh yoghurt and cream.
Even the butter paneer recipe is mild in taste and is prepared into a thick, creamy, slightly sweet made from boiled cashew nuts and milk paste.
The aromatic butter chicken is mild on the heat scale, though it can be made into a spicy version with extra peppercorns and chillies. It is also known as Murg Makhani, where chicken pieces are marinated overnight in yoghurt and herbs such as ginger, garlic, lemon, pepper, cumin powder, turmeric, and red chilli powder are added to the final version.
The basic chicken chunks get a new, out-of-the-world, drop-dead gorgeous flavour as they are cooked in a clay oven.
The famous lentil-based curries prepared from overnight soaked black lentils and red kidney beans sautéed in a tomato-based sauce and gravy spiced with coriander seeds, chilli powder, and turmeric is a variation of mild curries, which is served with added creamy butter.
The rich, creamy texture combined with lentils, ginger and garlic gets a burst of fresh, smoky and nutty flavours, and the dish can be paired with naan or steamed rice. Traditionally, the lentils were left on slow heat in unglazed or glazed pottery in a clay oven overnight; people would leave the lentils to boil in clay pots on slow heat and go on work, and then they would return and add tadka with spices to the cooked lentils to get fresh flavours.
The creamy, velvety, cooked lentils sauteed in added tomatoes (with their juices), broth, thyme, bay leaves, ginger, salt and pepper served with garlic butter naan, steamed rice, or tandoori roti is just a mesmerising lip-smacking dish. Various compositions of herbs and chillies can be added to get the desired spiciness.
The regional spices give distinctive, rich colour and amazing texture to the humble delicacies. Each curry has a unique flavour, and the mildest curries are made on a low heat scale by using fewer amounts of spicy ingredients such as peppercorns, green chillies, and paprika, which is often added to neutralise the sweet flavours of cream, yoghurt, fruits, or lemon juices and sugar.
The mildest Indian curries, low on the heat scale, are some of the most delicious delights. Often, mild curries prepared from tomatoes, cinnamon, clove, coriander, and cumin have limited use of intense ingredients such as paprika or garlic.
The mildest curries, for instance, korma, have a thick creamy sauce made from almond paste, coconut milk and yoghurt, and Pasanda curry has some added spices. Pasanda curry is made from lamb legs, chicken and prawns.
The mild curry flavour is attributed to the yoghurt marinade and coconut milk. You add paprika, garlic, cumin and onions to the soup. It is one of the favourites of food lovers who like mild Indian recipes. These are the most palatable, kid-friendly, fragrant delicacies.
Korma prepared from yoghurt has cooling properties. It can be braised with vegetables or meat, and one can add extra spices to get a strong flavour, but with dairy and rich cream, the spices have a milder impact.
Malai Kofta prepared from vegetables is an alternative to meat kofta. It contains potato and paneer instead of meat or chicken. The curry contains tomato puree, turmeric powder, onions, coriander powder, cashew paste, cream and chilli powder, sometimes made into a mild soft version with added jaggery or sweetening agent.
Curries contain herbs rich in antioxidants that improve blood circulation and have many other health benefits. For instance, Safrron enhances the mood, has anti-inflammatory properties, and is a satiety enhancer and weight loss promoter. Nigella Sativa heals the body and is digestive and anti-diarrheal.
Carrom seeds contain fibre, regulate cholesterol and cure indigestion. Each herb has unique properties, but each must be combined in the right proportion with compatible herbs and added in the right amount to the curries to get the benefit.
Some everyday herbs, such as cumin, coriander, or turmeric, do not cause any effect. However, too much intake of saffron can cause drowsiness or nausea, and too many cloves can cause hypoglycaemia or essential oil toxicity.
It is necessary to use a safe amount of herbs in foods, and one must be careful to add herbs or spices at the right time to get the best texture, taste and aroma.
So, What is a curry? In Tamil, the word “Kari” means “a soup”, and the typical north Indian “kadhi” is a generic term used for yoghurt sauce made with gram flour, spices, yoghurt and herbs. It is part of Punjabi, Gujarati, Rajasthani, Sindhi & Maharashtrian cuisines, and they have their unique way of making Kadhi.
The word curry also depicts the cooking method rather than a dish. No matter your preference, all curries are prepared using distinctive techniques which can be customised to an individual’s taste.
There are many kinds of Indian curries prepared in different styles, which can have different levels of spiciness. Depending on the type of spices, the texture and soupiness of curries vary. The north Indian curries are thicker, and the south Indian curries have a diluted flowy consistency.
Curries can be prepared into a sweet, nutty, creamy base with nut paste, tomato, ginger, and garlic or a tangy sour mustard paste with added garlic, red chilli, and tomato.
Lentils and a unique combination of vegetables can be used to get different flavours. Herbs such as cardamom, cloves and cinnamon are not used in every curry, but cumin, turmeric, coriander and chilli are used in almost every curry preparation.
The popular north Indian Kashmiri curries are some of the hottest curries that contain fennel seed powder, saffron, red chilli, asafetida, nigella sativa, dry ginger powder, and a generous amount of almond, cashew and dry grapes.
Punjabi curries use a lot of cream and yoghurt, whereas Bengali fish curries are made from mustard or poppy seeds.
Some South Indian curries are also categorised into hottest ones containing grated coconut, groundnut, tamarind, fenugreek seeds, red chillies and curry leaves.
Over the years, the humble curries influenced by the regional styles have been used in preparing multiple meat, lentils and vegetable-based dishes. No universal curry composition exists, and a single fix cannot replace the typical dish-making style.
Some of the mildest curries accommodate every palate’s preferences. The spicy variations of curies can be paired with milder options on the menu, such as firey vindaloo, which can be paired with steamed rice and yoghurt-based sauces to balance the heat.
Kerala-style chicken (also known as Nadan chicken Ishtu) stew is a mildest yet flavourful chicken curry cooked in coconut oil with coconut milk and mild spices in a traditional style. It is taken as a breakfast staple paired with rice hoppers.
Regionally grown herbs such as cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves are paired to make a sweet, aromatic soup. One can add beans, potatoes, carrots and other vegetables to get a unique fresh texture.
Hundreds of varieties of curries are prepared from seasonal fresh vegetables, chicken and meat using the basic curry masala or garam masala. The vegetables are cooked to get the vegetable-based soft curries, and herbs and spices are added to enhance flavours.
Some curries are prepared with lentils, for instance, Rabod, where lentils are prepared into crisp nuggets and then cooked into a flavourful tomato onion soup.
Seafood curries are very popular in the coastal regions. Malvani fish curry is made from fish marinated with tamarind, red chilli powder, garlic, ginger, and Malvani masala.
Bengali Macher jhol is prepared with ginger, garlic, onion, tomato, and extra chilli paste and cooked with spices.
The spicy, creamy, tangy tikka masala guarantees an extravagant meal; often prepared for special occasions, it is unmistakably flavoursome and prepared from a unique combination of cumin, garam masala, ginger, coriander, and other herbs.
Some popular mild curry dishes are korma, butter chicken, pasanda curry and malai kofta. Vegetable (and paneer-based) recipes such as aloo-baingan, aloo-gobhi, matar-aloo, and matar-paneer can be prepared into a milder version with fewer spices.
Korma and Pasanda are two different preparation styles; these are not the names of one recipe. For instance, korma can be prepared from vegetables, meat or chicken. Globally famous Gosht Avad Korma is prepared in a typical style that belongs to the Avad region of North India.
Pasanda vs korma - Korma looks pale yellow due to creams, spices, saffron and turmeric. It contains black pepper, ginger, and a lot of saffron, which gives an orange colour, and ground almonds are used to enhance the nutty, creamy texture.
Pasanda curry is a kid–friendly preparation. It is called Pasanda because it is liked by all, even the picky eaters. The flavour of ground-boiled cashews and cardamom is dominant in Pasanda. The cream is also added at the end of the preparation, giving it a mild white taste. Pasanda is milder than korma.
Pasanda curry can be prepared as a vegetarian variety with chunks of paneer or made into chicken pasanda curry with small boneless chicken pieces.
There are countless vibrant tapestries of Indian flavours and aromas presented by Indian curries, which are the jewels in the gastronomic crown. You can bring the curry flavour to your home and recreate masterpieces using the simple curry masala in a small amount to saute or grill vegetables or chicken pieces.
To get a sweet, creamy, soupy curry, add some coconut milk and cream to the preparation, whereas to get fiery exotic flavours, add some more chilli flakes, paprika or peppercorn to the soup at the end of preparation.
One of the simplest is the butter chicken curry, which can be prepared at home by cooking chicken in tomato puree, cream, butter, paprika and ginger-garlic paste. Spices are added to the tender pieces to get an irresistible burst of flavour. The harmonious blend of herbs, tangy-sweet cream and tomato balances the flavours that leave you craving more.
The typical yellow curries are prepared from yellow chillies, vegetables, or meat cooked in turmeric powder, saffron, cumin, and coriander. Turmeric powder and saffron give yellow colour to the curry, whereas green curries are prepared from leafy vegetables (such as spinach or fenugreek leaves) or peas. Palak Paneer is a famous recipe made from spinach and paneer.
Palak paneer and Palak – potato curries have deep flavours but can be prepared into milder, soupy curries. Green curries can be prepared into the hottest curries by adding extra green chillies or green chilly sauces. Most Thai curries prepared from green chillies are considered the hottest curries.