Talk by Colleen Taylor Sen and Lunch

Bhabi’s Kitchen
6352 North Oakley
Chicago

Podcast courtesy of WBEZ’s Chicago Amplified

Curry is one of the most widely used—and misused—terms in the culinary lexicon. Outside of India, the word curry is often used as a catchall to describe any Indian dish or Indian food in general, yet Indians rarely use it to describe their own cuisine. In her new book  Curry: A Global History,  Colleen Taylor Sen  answers the question, “What is curry?” by giving a historical and descriptive account of a dish that has many incarnations.

In her illustrated talk, she will describe the origins of curry and how it has been adapted throughout the world. Exploring the curry universe beyond India and Great Britain, she will discuss the elegant, complex curries of Thailand; the exuberant curry/rotis of the Caribbean; kari/raisu, Japan’s favorite comfort food; Indonesian gulais and rendang; Malaysia’s delicious Nonya cuisine; and exotic Western hybrids such as American curried chicken salad, German currywurst, and Punjabi-Mexican-Hindu pizza.

Copies of the book will be on sale, with the proceeds going to the CHC.

Bhabi’s Kitchen is one of Chicago’s most acclaimed  IndoPak restaurants, reviewed in the Chicago Tribune, The Reader, and the Smithsonian Magazine.

Luncheon Menu

Samosa

Lamb Qorma (lamb cubes in a yogurt sauce)

Chicken biryani (basmati rice, chicken and roasted spices)

Malai kofta (potato and cheese dumplings in a cashew sauce)

Bagarey baigan (Eggplant in an aromatic gravy)

Assorted breads, including Bhabi’s famous pistachio nan

Mango kulfi

Bhabi’s is BYOB. Suggested  pairings:

Beer

Gewurztraminer

A slightly chilled fruity zinfandel

CHC Member Colleen Taylor Sen is a food writer and journalist specializing in the cuisine of India. She is the author of Indian Cuisine and Culture and has written for such publications as Travel and Leisure, Food Arts, the Chicago Sun Times, the Chicago Tribune, and the Globe and Mail.