Could you define what “curry mix” means to you? And region? Flavor profile?

There are some shelf stable products from India, usually dal or some other vegetarian dish, that are curries. You could use one as a base if you wanted a jiffy curry out of leftovers. American curry powders, with a lot of turmeric and cumin, added to a white sauce or reduced stock, can make an ersatz curry inspired drape for steamed or roasted veg and/or leftovers (or cook whatever first), simmered in the sauce.

There are also jars of “simmer sauces” on the market which aren't bad. You can get a madras curry sauce, for example, or Thai red curry, Jamaican curry, etc.

Most of the ones I've tasted aren”t bad, like a middling takeaway with Mexican line cooks. Neither authentic nor fantastic, but palatable.

Colleen, it's an old American recipe. It's as authentic to its origins as tamale pie. Notice it uses "curry powder." We use curry powder in chicken salad too. :) Real curries are very popular, but WalnutCreek asked for a "kit". The only way I know how to make a real Indian style curry is to start with toasting and grinding whole spices and building layers of flavor, and while it might take someone who learned from her mom only a few hours, it takes me all day. Not a kit.

Coronation Chicken is chicken salad with a curry (powder) mayonnaise, and curry powder is also good in egg salad. But I digress.

You can make a fairly decent traditional Indian curry with a good quality (produced by Asians) curry powder for the basics- you fry off the spices in ghee for a few minutes before adding the meat. Most recipes add some extra spices as well- fresh ginger, maybe a little extra turmeric, mustard seeds, garlic, fresh chillies- at the beginning. It doesn't take too long.

But yes, curry with white sauce, I'm not surprised curry hasn't caught on in the US :-D

Colleen, I so agree!

A curry doesn't have to be long or complicated. Here's a link to a really simple curry. And another secret......you can use any any curry mix you have to hand instead of the garam masala.....sshhh. just don't tell anyone. If you don't have coconut milk, use yogurt or cream.......cooking is using what you have.

https://www.easypeasyfoodie.com/easy-chicken-korma/

LOL! Colleen, I understand. I haven't had it in decades, but it's really good over steamed vegetables. I don't understand your reference to curry not catching on here. I don't know about Australia—I've only been there once and mostly far from cities—but Indian curry became a thing in England with colonial army and fortune hunters gaining a taste for it in India, and wanting it after the returned and immigration of so many from the sub-continent. Tat nice here is occupied by Mexican food, but where there are Indians, there's good curry, and Indian groceries where you can get the real ingredients. Thai is more popular where I live, including Thai curries. I can make Mexican kitchen-style food in the way you and Islay describe curry, but there's an Indian restaurant a mile away with Mama cooking, where the curries are so deep and exquisite, that I'd far rather have theirs tham make a big mess trying to do half as good.

Bad on my part in my hurried request last evening. What is am looking for is a really good curry powder by brand; I have never made a curry, but want to make a decent one using a decent, well thought of curry powder. That is why I asked for brand, also. TIA for your comments.

I'm not sure that there is such a thing as a really good curry powder, since what makes Indian curry so good is the fresh spices built in layers. There isn't a big difference in the American name brands. Whole Foods Muchi Curry Powder is good in the chicken salad.

It's pretty easy to find Japanese curry powder at a Japanese market.

Curry can be Japanese or Indian/Pakistani. The Pakistani curry powders that I have bought tend to be too salty and too spicy, and so if you want an Indian style, stay away from anything made in Pakistan.

If you want an Indian curry powder, go to your local Indian market; if you want Japanese curry powder, go to your local Japanese market. If you do not have local markets, you can search for the powders on line.

I prefer to make my own curry powders so that I can control which spices they have - certain ones I like to avoid, such as star anise. I also prefer to use less cinnamon, but a little is okay.

For me, there is no good commercial curry mix on the market that I know of. Any commercial brand that I have bought I had to doctor.

Here's an organic Indian curry that you might want to start with.

I love Frontier Co-op's curry powder, but I sincerely doubt it's authentic. I don't use it to make curry, but as a seasoning blend for a number of things. It makes a delicious chicken salad with mayo, celery, apples and raisins, and I use it to make roast chicken, and also lentil soup.

I like the flavor of Spice Island curry powder......and Penzeys is good....but a bit different...less "sweet" but the Spice Island stuff contains no sugar.

Does anything like this exist in the States?

https://www.thespicery.com/curry-legend-gift-box

I use this and it's great as I don't need to buy loads of different spices in order to make a lovely selection of curries. Couldn't live without my indian food!

This article is interesting. It's not easy to describe cuisine from such a vast country such as India.

https://www.tastepak.com/p/difference-between-indian-and-pakistani-food#:~:text=Indian%20food%20tends%20to%20be,more%20often%20in%20Indian%20recipes.

Dozens of decent curry and Garam Masala spice blends available. You will get the basic seasoning profile from just about any of them. Then add some fresh produce like ginger, garlic, onion sauté...then the curry blend. Get the spice nice and toasty till dry in the pan, then add stock, chopped tomato, chicken, diced potato, or what the recipe requires.

I've have come across Islay's link to the 4 spice gift blends exactly. So it is available US. (I think it was around the holidays on a gift-giving posting...maybe NYTimes)

I've been making my own spice blends for a dozen years but before that I used the top one in the tins being so readily available in most US groceries. Sort of the OldBay of India. If wanting to purchase today via Amazon I would probably choose the garam masala in the bag based on reviews.

Very popular for office/work groups on Fridays. Never a line or a wait....having the event hall as a seating overflow area.

Why we rarely crave Indian food at home. I make a batch maybe once a years during the winter months.

When an older recipe like Mulligatawny soup uses “curry powder”, I use Penzey’s Maharajah Curry Blend.

"Good" curry is highly subjective. I like Spice Islands' curry powder which is easily available and what I have on my shelf right now. I also like some of the varieties of curry available from the Teeny Tiny Spice Company. Since I don't much care for fenugreek, I don't like Penzy's curries, although in general I like their spices.

https://www.teenytinyspice.com/certified-organic-kosher-spice-blends-seasonings-tins/