Sour cream curry can be consumed as a dip, a marinade, or as a heavy appetizer. It can be made following a wide range of recipes. As a result, it can be spicy, sweet, or even tart. The curry used in sour cream curry offers many health benefits, making it a great alternative to less beneficial food choices. Although ingredients such as mayonnaise or full-fat sour cream may make it higher in calories or fat, these ingredients can be substituted with healthier options, such as plain yogurt or reduced-fat sour cream.
One of the popular ways to use sour cream curry is as a dip. In general, the dip is comprised of a mixture of sour cream and curry powder. Sometimes other ingredients such as mayonnaise, cream cheese, and lemon juice are added to give it a fuller flavor and added tartness. If a sweeter dip is preferred, sugar, honey, or chutney can be added to the sour cream and curry mixture. In the alternative, if a spicier dip is desired, then horseradish, onion, and Worcestershire sauce may be used.
The sour cream curry dip may be served cold with a tray of raw vegetables. It is also popular to serve it as a fondue. In this case, chicken, vegetables, beef, lamb, or shrimp commonly are served to be dipped into the sauce.
Another popular use for sour cream curry is as a marinade. Generally, the sour cream and curry mixture is poured over chicken, beef, or even tofu to give it an Indian or East Asian flare. Sometimes, herbs such as cilantro are combined with the mixture to give the meal a southwestern flavor. After marinating for several hours to overnight, the meat or tofu can be grilled, baked, or cooked in a pan. Some recipes even encourage people to slow cook the ingredients over six to eight hours.
It is possible to create heavy appetizers and condiments using sour cream curry as well. For example, the sour cream and the curry can be mixed with cream cheese, spices and crab meat. This type of appetizer is often served with baguettes or tortilla chips, making it nearly as filling as a full meal. Also, it may be used as a condiment, similar to the way mustard or ketchup is used, for turkey burgers, beef burgers, or even portobello mushroom burgers.
The health benefits of sour cream curry may be surprising. Curry is comprised of several spices, among the most important of which is turmeric. Research has shown that the turmeric spice can help fight cancer and inflammation from diseases such as arthritis. In fact, the rates of colon, prostate, and breast cancer have shown to be reduced for people whose diets include high amounts of turmeric. In addition, the spice is believed to combat heart disease and lessen the likelihood of Alzheimer's disease.
The benefits of consuming sour cream curry cannot be denied, but there's also a downside. For example, sour cream and mayonnaise, both common ingredients for the dish, are high in calories, fat, and cholesterol. These negative aspects of the dish can be lessened if the sour cream and mayonnaise are substituted, at least in part, with plain yogurt. In fact, many people claim that plain Greek yogurt offers the same tanginess found in sour cream.