What is curry? Where did it originate?

According to the dictionary, Curry is a dish of meat, vegetables, etc., cooked in an Indian-style sauce of strong spices and turmeric and typically served with rice.

Alan Davidson has stated in the Oxford Companion to Food that curry comes from the Tamil word kari, or spiced sauce, which originally a thin, soup-like, spiced dressing served in southern India, amongst many other stew-like dressings for meat and vegetables. It was also noted in an English cookbook published in 1390s, The Forme of Cury, that “cury” originated from the word cuire, meaning to cook. Chef Cyrus Todiwala from BBC Two's The Incredible Spice Men explained that even though Portuguese discovered India and was credited with popularizing Curry, the country Britain was the one that brought the spice to the world. There were evidences that traces of cooked ginger and turmeric were found in starch grains in human teeth and cooking pot seen in the town of Famana, west of Delhi. Anthropologists believed that they might have found the evidence of a 4,000-year old "proto-curry". (Taylor, 2013)

There are so many types of curries in the world and one of the most interesting is the Japanese’s Curry Roux Cube. Curry Roux Cubes have flavors similar to bouillon, concentrated hits of spices and "umami" that releases when mixed with a liquid. These cubes are milder in flavor and sweeter than other curry bases and tend to produce a thicker sauce due to the presence of thickeners like corn starch or flour. Dishes like kare raisu (rice with Japanese curry) and katsu kare (thin, fried pork or chicken with Japanese curry) are almost always made from a box of Japanese curry roux. (Delany, 2017)

Three weeks ago, Primer Media Inc. sent me three brands of curry roux cubes from House Foods Sauce Mix, Japan, a well-known company established in 1913 as a producer of herbal medicines. They are now the largest spice manufacturer in Japan, and one of the most prominent producers of Japanese food products.

I admit that I wasn't familiar with Vermont, Java, and Kokumaro Curry Roux Cubes until I searched Instagram and saw thousands of posts of people from all over the world featuring their curry dishes using these three brands! That, my friends, made me more excited to try them!

Hubby and I were confused on what to try first since it was our very first time to use curry roux cubes. After listening to a friend’s recommendation that we should try Vermont Curry first, which she rated five stars, and following the cooking instructions, we enjoyed the flavor and seasoning of our delectable curry dish! It was so delicious! The dish had the right amount of sweetness and spiciness.  Perfect! Super sarap with hot steamed rice! Mapapa-extra rice ka sa sobrang linamnam!

Let me share with you our very own version of Vermont Medium Hot Japanese Chicken Curry.

To show you in detail, here is how we cooked our Japanese Chicken Curry using Vermont Curry- Medium Hot:

Ingredients

Chicken breast: 500 grams

Onion: 800 grams

Potato: 450 grams 

Carrot: 200 grams

Cooking oil: 30 ml (2 tbsp) 

Water: 6 cups (1,400 ml)

One package of Vermont Curry- Med. Hot 185 grams

Procedure

1. Drizzle cooking oil into a pot and heat it up. 

2. Put chopped onion into and fry it. 

3. After it’s cooked, put chopped chicken. 

4. After chicken is cooked well, put chopped carrot and potato respectively.

5. After every ingredient is well cooked, put water. 

6. Boil with medium heat and put the lid of the pot. 

7. Remove scum with ladle. 

8. Boil till every ingredient becomes tender.

9. Stop heating. Break curry roux into small blocks and put them into the pot. 

10. Stir it till curry roux melts completely. 

11. Heat the pot again with low heat until the sauce is thick enough. 

12. Stir the sauce while heating to avoid burning it. 

13. Serve curry with steamed rice.

Tada! Our finished product may not look like your typical Chicken Curry that is bright yellow in color but this tastes really, really good! My food blogger friend, Joy Gurtiza, was the one who encouraged me to use Vermont Curry (Med. Hot) first which she rated five stars and she was right! I strongly agree!

For more details and information about Vermont, Java, and Kokumaro Curry Roux Cubes, visit House Foods Sauce Mix, Japan's official website.

Have you tried cooking your favorite dish using Vermont, Java, or Kokumaro Curry? If yes, I will be glad to know your chika about it! Feel free to leave a comment! Salamat!

References:

Taylor, A. (2013). Curry: Where did it come from?. Retrieved http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/0/24432750

If you are an Light Rail Transit (LRT) 2 commuter, I am sure that you always see Uni-Pak Mackerel's #PakNaPak na #TatakUnipak easy to cook recipes. Even though they are being played in a few seconds, you can remember how they are made because the ingredients are very common and cooking procedure is not difficult. Even people who don't cook can follow them precisely.

Uni-Pak Mackerel's recipes are not just easy to prepare but also nutritious and economical, even families with tightest budgets can truly afford. I am not saying this to promote the brand alone. Unipak Mackerel with Natural Oil variant is part of our pantry. It's versatility and taste suit my family's preference.

Lasa'y Tumpak, Sarap Uni-Pak! I strongly agree!

Do you remember these #TatakUnipak recipes that I've shared before? 

UNI-PAK MACKEREL SISIG

UNI-PAK HEALTHY MACKEREL SANDWICH

See recipes HERE.

I would like to share with you videos of another easy to cook Uni-Pak Mackerel recipes that we love. These videos were styled and uploaded by food stylist, Chiqui Lloren. Watch, learn, and follow! 

UNI-PAK MACKEREL BREAD ROLLS

UNI-PAK MACKEREL GISING-GISING RECIPE

The first recipe is a sure hit to the kids while the second recipe fits a person like me who loves spicy food. Rapsa!!!

In consonance with this recipe sharing, I would like to announce Uni-Pak's good news! Uni-Pak is giving away again one (1) gift pack to one (1) lucky AAPM reader of the month. The simple mechanics are the same as the first one that I hosted. 

The giveaway is open to my readers residing in Philippines only. You don't have to be my social media account followers to join. Giveaway period is from February 22 to March 1, 2018 only. Winner will be chosen by random.org.

I'll announce the winner on my Facebook Page on March 1, 2018 and he/she will be notified through Facebook private message on the same day. Uni-Pak/SLORD Development Corporation will be responsible in shipping the prize to the winner. Thanks and good luck!

Like Rafunzel B. Medina, you can be the next winner! Join na!

Jolly Cow Condensada is available in leading supermarkets, and groceries nationwide.  For more updates, visit and like its official Facebook fan page: 

Paps and I are the ones preparing and cooking meals for our family. We seldom eat-out or order food for delivery because our kids prefer what we cook for them.

The advantages of cooking and eating home-cooked meals are tremendous since we meticulously do the shopping, hand-picking, and preparing our own food. We know that what we serve to our loved ones is clean, safe, healthy, and most of all, delicious.

Preparing delicious meals doesn't necessary mean that we have to make it grand in amount or appearance. Anthony Bourdain, one of the most influential chefs, authors, and television personalities in the world, said, "Good food is very often, even most often, simple food."  Indeed, we agree because our food is always simple but its flavors that tickle our palates and the benefits that it contributes to our well-being are amazingly satisfying.

Aside from handling our food with so much love and care, I am going to reveal our family's secret to our delectable meals and that is no less than, MAGGI. We may be using various brands of herbs, spices, and sauces but Maggi products are always in our pantry.

Why is Maggi part of our meal preparations for years? 

Whenever we choose products especially for ingestion, we always check if they are from reputable brands. Maggi has been in the market for decades. It's among the most trusted food brands in the world. Most of all, it's a product of Nestle, one of the world's leader in health and nutrition. Nestle products including Maggi is research-based and proven to be safe and healthy to use.

Maggi is not just safe and healthy. Napapasasarap naman nito talaga ang mga pagkaing aming inihahanda para sa aming pamilya kahit hindi na lalagyan ng salt o iba pang pampaalat. Maggi balances and enhances the flavor of every meal without making it too salty.

Our vegetable dishes are incomplete without a dash of Maggi Savor Classic Liquid Seasoning. This variant in particular is also best as dip for dumplings, fried dishes, roasted meats, and steamed or boiled veggies. 

We put salt and pepper to our oil-less pan fried chicken. When we discovered Maggi Magic Sarap All-In-One Seasoning Granules and Maggi Magic Chicken Meaty Seasoning Granules, we use them interchangeably and don't use salt anymore. Furthermore, our fried rice is incomplete without Maggi Magic Sarap.

Seared Pork Chops are my mom's favorite. The pork taste is enhanced when Maggi Magic Pork Meaty Seasoning Granules are added to the milk marinade.

Then we tried using it in our Ginisang Monggo because we lessened the pork. Mas lalo pang naging meaty ang flavor at lalong sumarap at naging malinamnam ito!

Why is it that our barbecue dishes taste great? Maggi Oyster Sauce ang sikreto riyan! My best friend, Grace Yanzon, served her Pork Barbecue with Maggi Oyster Sauce when she invited me for lunch in her home. Sa sobrang sarap ng barbecue niya, I never forget to stock up Maggi Oyster Sauce at home. It also makes stir-fry dishes flavorful.

Another milestone was unlocked, Our search for affordable, tasty, and not too salty soy sauce was over because of the launch of Maggi Soy Sauce in the market a couple of months ago. Our Adobo, Menudo or Igado tastes even better with it.

To sum it up, Maggi makes simple dishes taste magical! Parang laging may handaan sa aming tahanan dahil sa Maggi. Sa simpleng Sinigang, pritong ulam, o inihaw, #AllWeNeedIsMagic!

Maggi Watermelon Surprise Soup Base Mix and Maggi Magic Isda All-In-One Seasoning Granules for Fish ang susunod kong susubukan. Ikaw, ano ang kwentong Maggi mo?

It's been a a while since I've shared my most favorite recipes. This Mama is very, very busy for a couple of months now. As you all now, I am writing for PSST!PH since July (It's a dream come true, actually.) and our home based family business is doing good. I am striking the iron while it's hot!

While my hands were tied, I also had a quick decision to have my blog get an overhaul. It so happened that a good blogger friend and a very talented software engineer, Celerhina Aubrey, had a very nice and reasonable proposal and I took advantage of the opportunity.

While Aubrey was fixing the look of my website, Paps and I were focused on our kids while doing our own jobs and helping each other with mom on our family business. Wala kaming hangin and a day is not enough to cover all our duties. Having a writer's block from time to time also refrains me from even touching the keyboard of our PC. Sakit ko na yata ito especially when the year is about to end.

Furthermore, there are so many ongoing issues and concerns in my life. To slow down a bit, I always write my musings on my Instagram account. By the way, it's my most updated social media account and I invite you to check it out. There I write almost anything that pops on my head. I also browse my past photos from time to time and that is when I came across with Mrs. Patty Cuyugan's Mexican Rice Casserole Recipe na pagkasarap-sarap!

It has an authentic taste of a cheesy, meaty, and spicy Mexican food. Dahil nakita ko na naman ang photo na ito on Instagram I have this urge to cook it again and enjoy it with my family. I also encourage you to try this. You'll surely love this too! Madali pang iluto.

When you cook this, tanya-tanya lang.

Ingredients

old rice 

 pork giniling 

 taco seasoning 

crushed tomatoes 

minced onions 

corn 

bell pepper 

cheese 

Procedure

Saute all the ingredients except cheese in taco seasoning. When everything was mixed thoroughly, place grated cheese and a little sauteed pork giniling on top and turned off the stove. 

Isn't it super easy? When you smell and taste it, feel na feel mo ang Mexican flavors. It fits perfectly what Kate Mclennan of thekateringshow.com once said, "Mexican food is so full of colour, life, and music. It's like a pinata exploding in your mouth."

Thanks for sharing this recipe, Patty! I will be sharing again more home cooked recipes in the days to come! Feel free to leave a comment once you have tried and tasted it. Maraming salamat, Mars at Pards!

Most kids nowadays are picky eaters and my sons are no exception. There are days when our menu just keeps on rotating over and over and that includes Fried Chicken and Fish and sandwiches that are so easy to prepare. Paps and I do our very best to be creative in preparing our meals to encourage our kids to eat more healthy food choices but sometimes we are too tired and busy to sustain our habit. Nevertheless, we still do our best to extend our effort.

It is obvious that food preparation takes time and it is our duty as parents to do it properly no matter how very busy and exhausted we are. Hindi basta nakasanayan ay the best na.

Just recently, a friend from Uni-Pak sent me a gift bag with cans of Mackerel in Natural Oil and a desk calendar with recipes on it just in time when we were thinking of other interesting and healthy quick and easy meals to cook. I really felt happy and relieved because Uni-Pak Mackerel in Natural Oil could give us hearty meals in no time.

Why is Uni-Pak Mackerel in Natural Oil healthy and safe? An oily fish such as mackerel is known to help fight cardiovascular disease, dementia, loss of vision, and prostrate cancer. It's one of the best sources of protein, selenium, vitamins B and D, and omega-3 fatty acids--- vitamins, minerals, and fat that are necessary for good health. Uni-Pak is a flagship brand of SLORD Development Corporation, the company that specializes in toll-packing quality canned goods that is trusted by domestic and international companies since 1985. 

Moving on, here are two of the great-tasting and healthy dishes that I cooked using Uni-Pak Mackerel in Natural Oil:

3-4 cloves garlic

1 medium-sized onion, minced

1 piece red chili (siling labuyo), minced

oil or 1/8 stick of butter for frying

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 teaspoon soy sauce or liquid seasoning

Optional seasoning

2 pieces kalamansi

spring onions

Procedure

1. In a cooking pan, heat oil or butter.

2. Saute garlic and onion.

3. Put in Uni-Pak Mackerel flakes, liquid seasoning or soy sauce, and red chili. Cook for 3-5 minutes

4. Remove from heat and transfer it to serving plate.

5. Put kalamansi, mayonnaise, and spring onion. Mix well.

***Uni-Pak Healthy Mackerel Sandwich***

Ingredients

1 can of 425g Uni-Pak Mackerel in Natural Oil, drained and flaked

2 tablespoons red onions, minced

Procedure

1. Mix the mackerel, minced onion, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, sugar, and pepper.

2. Spread the mackerel mixture on slices of bread.

These recipes are so easy to prepare and so delicious and nutritious that even busy individuals can do hastily and picky eaters can appreciate. They can save the day from being chaotic! Hindi rin siya malansa. Kaya basta Mackerel, dapat tatak Uni-Pak!

Do you want to get a #PakNaPak na Uni-Pak Mackerel in Natural Oil gift pack for free and cook your own #TatakUnipak recipes? Uni-Pak is giving away a gift pack to one of you and it's so easy to join. Just do the following steps:

a Rafflecopter giveaway
The giveaway is open to my readers residing in the Philippines only. You don't have to be my social media account followers to join. Giveaway period is from July 8 to 21, 2017 only. Winner will be chosen by random.org.

I'll announce the winner on my Facebook Page on July 23, 2017 and he/she will be notified through Facebook private message on the same day. Uni-Pak/SLORD Development Corporation will be responsible in shipping the prize to the winner. Thanks and good luck!