Curry needs salt

Post date: 13-Nov-2014 12:21:56

I know, I know, I know. We eat way too much salt these days. But curry needs salt, like bread needs butter. You can make curry without chillies, but leave out the salt, and your curry will be flat.

I recall my father telling us a story when we were children about a king who had three daughters. He asked them for presents that reflected how much they valued and loved him. The older two daughters gave gold and precious gems, but the youngest gave him some cooking salt. Livid, he banished her from the palace. The daughter returned to the palace disguised as a cook. She cooked delicious, tasty dishes for the king. Then one day, the king held a feast and invited royalty from neighbouring kingdoms to dine with him, boasting about his wonderful cook. However, the food laid before his guests was tasteless. Embarrassed and annoyed, he summoned the cook and asked her why she had set such insipid dishes before his guests. The daughter said she couldn’t understand why the king found the food tasteless, for as always, she had used only the very best and most expensive ingredients; the only ingredient she had left out was the common salt. The king realised his cook was none other than his daughter and acknowledged that her gift to him was had indeed been the most precious.

There are many versions of this story from all over the world, (just Google king daughters salt). The common theme is the importance of salt to make food taste good.

This is particularly true for curries. Don’t be misled into thinking that because curries have spices, they don’t need salt. It’s because of the spices that salt is needed. The right amount of salt harmonises and brings the flavours together. Too much or too little salt and the curry won’t taste right.

Today, however, salt is regarded as a villain and linked to a host of health issues. How do we address health concerns without compromising taste? What we tend to forget is that our bodies do need some salt. Not enough salt can cause health issues just as too much salt does.

Our high salt intake comes from eating highly processed refined foods. And I don’t mean just salt and vinegar chips (to which I am very partial), cheeses, pickles, etc. which everyone knows are salty foods. I’m talking about foods with ‘hidden’ salt - products like canned vegetables, and store bought breads and cereal - that we consume without thinking about salt intake. Cut down on these and you cut down on your salt intake.

Take control of how much salt is in your food: bake your own bread, make your own muesli and pasta (both surprisingly easy), grind your own curry paste/powder… and add salt to taste.