Curry magic

Allegedly it was the British colonisers of India in the 19th century who were responsible for what is now one of the world's most popular dishes.

Not only did they eat it while stationed there, but they pounded the spices together and sealed them in glass jars for taking home. It was normally labelled 'curry', consisting typically of dried red chilli, turmeric, coriander, cumin, fenugreek seeds, black pepper, and cardamom, to be used in various combinations.

One of the delights of curry is how many communities have adapted it to their own taste. A British 'korma' is unique, and South Africa's 'bunny chow' started as a chickpea stew. But to the curry lover, Thailand's herbs are superior for enhancing the taste, although even these must make way for the Sri Lankan's use of aromatic spices and coconut milk.

And to those of us who find it challenging to make a curry at home, Artificial Intelligence comes to the rescue. We only need to turn out our kitchen cupboards and photograph all the material that may be suitable.

With the tie-line 'curry' we will in a second get hundreds of recipes for curries based on what we have available. Curry magic.