I have been slightly obsessed with Indian food lately and so I have been experimenting. I've been making traditional Indian food. And American food, but with an Indian flavor profile. Or so I thought….

As I started to delve into this new genre of food exploration I started looking into curry powder. To begin with, curry powder is so much more than the strong pungent orange powder that often discolors hands, counters and foods…but that is what we know and we think of when we hear “curry.” Curry powder has three primary color and flavor profiles. The yellow curry powder is sweeter and has a high turmeric content. It is most commonly a blend of coriander, turmeric, cumin, and chile powder. However, there is also red and green. Red curry tends to have a more bold and spicy flavor. I used this to flavor burgers the other day and it was delish. And the green has a brighter and sharper flavor. I have been having a hard time finding green. And all three curries are used to make different dishes.

Now, let’s take this curry powder discussion one step further. Curry powder is a mixture of spices and there is not a set combination. It is very similar to an Italian families sauce recipe in that the spice mixture is often unique to the family. But curry powder by name is just a commercial naming convention provided to a blend of spices. Yeah you won't hear an Indian family ask for curry powder.

But wait there is more….so, I know that I am not alone in the fact that I have been thinking a lot about white privilege in the last few months in light of what is occurring in our world. So, when I started to look into the history of curry powder I found another example of our white culture taking over and claiming another culture,food,tradition as their own…. Curry powder is actually not Indian, it came about during the British colonization of India and was created as a way to send a spice blend back to England. It was trendy!

Curry powder became very popular in the 18^th century and that was the first reference seen in a British cookbook to “curry powder.” It was also listed in 6 recipes in the Virginia Housewife that was published in the US in the 1800s, also making sense since we also were a British colony. Curry powder is not found in original Indian cookbooks.

Finally, I also learned that the term “curry” was often used by the British to generally describe all Indian food instead of learning or knowing the names of individual dishes. And if we want to take it one step further it was also known to be used in a derogatory context with racial connotations. If anyone is truly interested in reading more there is actually an entire book on Curry and its history and journey through the world. I found it fascinating.

So, curry powder was created by the British as a means of making money and sending exotic spices back to the mother land. It was a way of bastardizing flavor profiles from an area they conquered and making it their own, not paying respect to the tradition, the family legacy or the cuisine for which it was designed. Don’t get me wrong I love curry powder, but I also loved talking to my co-worker who told me she made her own, that it was the recipe from her family, and when I asked her about the British she responded with a “yes” as if it was common knowledge and I was the last to know. I will be curious to see if you all knew this and if I truly am the last to know.

This weekend I took a stab at making Curried Shrimp Biryani and let me be transparent and say this is a Food Network recipe and not traditional at all. But I love the flavor profiles, the slight spice, and the beautiful color the curry makes the rice. It is a one bowl dish that makes a great well rounded meal....actually I even ate the leftovers for breakfast this morning.

Here is the recipe:

3 large shallots, halved and thinly sliced

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Kosher salt

1 pound large shrimp

2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, finely grated

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon paprika

4 8.8-ounce packages microwavable basmati rice (or 7 cups cooked rice)

1 cup fresh cilantro and/or mint, roughly chopped

Yogurt and chopped toasted cashews, for serving

Put a rimmed baking sheet in the upper third of the oven; preheat to 475 degrees F. Add the shallots, drizzle with 1 tablespoon melted butter and season with salt; spread in a single layer. Roast until softened and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, butterfly the shrimp: Peel the shrimp; make a deep cut down the center of the shrimp's back from head to tail without cutting all the way through.  I honestly didn't bother butterflying the shrimp and it turned out great. I did peel and devein them though.Remove the vein with the tip of the knife. Open the shrimp along the cut so it lies flat. Transfer to a large bowl.

Combine the remaining 5 tablespoons melted butter, the ginger, garlic, curry powder and garam masala in a separate large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the spice butter to the shrimp; add the paprika, season with salt and toss.

 Add the rice, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup herbs to the remaining spice butter; toss.

Add the shrimp to the baking sheet with the shallots and spread in a single layer. Top with the rice mixture in an even layer and drizzle with 1/4 cup water. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake until the rice is hot and the shrimp are cooked through, 16 to 18 minutes.

Stir the shrimp and rice together with a fork. Season with salt and stir in the remaining 1/2 cup herbs. Top each serving with yogurt and cashews.