Curry ain't Curry (standard:non fiction, 466 words)
Author: Juggernaut	Added: Oct 22 2012	Views/Reads: 2661/1918	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Thai curry whether it is red, yellow, green, chicken, beef or fish ain't curry without curry leaf.

Curry ain't Curry 

Subba Rao 

The locals on the Big Island love food particularly Thai food. 

Every other restaurant on east side is a Thai restaurant.  Juggernaut 

visited a very small Thai restaurant In Hilo there the chef come 

waitress and the owner was a friendly Thai woman.  The menu has a list 

of curry dishes; Yellow, Red, Green, Penang, Massaman, Buddha and Rama 

Curry. 

“I love curry, could a get a sample of each curry you have on 

the menu as a special order for me,” requested Juggernaut. 

“Sure, no problem, I can get it from you, I see you are an 

Indian and they love curry,” said the petite woman. 

“Sure, I love curry,” Juggernaut settled down to drink Thai 

Iced Tea, an intensely sweet drink taste more like milk shake with 

condensed milk in it. Then the waitress brought a large plate with 

small quantities of all the curries on the menu with red rice on the 

side.  The curries look delicious with strong colors and favors but 

none of authentic curry leaf aroma. The experience was no way close to 

eating curry served in Indian restaurants. 

“You know I love these curries with great taste but I don't 

smell curry leaf in any one of them,” juggernaut put it very politely 

to the Thai chef. 

“Is not hot enough for you,” said the waitress and brought a 

small bottle of hot pepper sauce. 

“No, I don't need hot sauce; I don't smell curry leaf in these 

dishes.” 

“What curry leaf?” the waitress looked innocent. 

“When you made this curry have added curry leaf?” 

“No, we have special curry sauce to make each curry,” 

“Well, for an Indian, a curry without a curry leaf is not a 

curry. I enjoyed your tasty dishes but I missed the true curry flavor.” 

“I am sorry, where can I get curry leaves?” 

“You can get fresh curry leaves at ethnic grocery stores or you 

can buy a curry plant at a nursery to grow your own plant for fresh 

curry leaves,” 

“How you use the curry leaf in making curry?” 

“The easy way is to add few crushed curry leaves at the end of 

the cooking just before serving, some like mild and other like me 


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