As cumin seeds splatter with oil on a heated pan, Vaishali Gala adds vegetables. She quickly stirs them on the pan and puts a blend of spices.

Gala, Hays senior, cooks curry once a week when she craves spicy foods. But for her, curry is more than just food.

“I grew up eating curry every day, so whenever I eat it, it reminds me of home,” says Gala, whose parents immigrated from India. She learned a variety of recipes from her mother and aunts.

Gala sometimes cooks curry for her American friends. They enjoy her curry but are often surprised because it is different from what they have eaten in a restaurant. Gala says many Indian restaurants in Kansas serve Punjabi curry. Curry tastes different from region to region. Hers is a Gujarat style and more dried, she says.

Secrets of curry ingredients

Gala defines curry as “a dish that has a lot of spicy east Asian flavors.” She says “curry” is an umbrella term that includes various Indian cuisines. It originated in India, but was also adopted by other East Asian cuisines, such as Thai and Japanese.

Turmeric, cumin, and chili pepper—a combination of many different spices creates curry flavor. But the roles of spices go beyond seasoning. Many studies reveal potential health benefits of such spices. Among them, turmeric increases attention, says Suzanna Zick, naturopathic physician and researcher at the University of Michigan Health System. She says many studies found anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties in curcumin, a substance found in turmeric.

Ingredients in curry, such as ginger, garlic and basil, can bring you other health benefits. Zick says ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper can warm up your body and lower your blood pressure. Fresh garlic can also lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, she says. Basil, which is often used in Thai curry, helps fight colds. Zick says basil is high in antioxidants.

Cook your own curry

Spices and ingredients in curry can possibly enhance your health. Now, why don’t you cook some for yourself?

1. Search recipes

A number of recipes are available on Curry recipes (www.curry-recipes.net) or CurryFrenzy.com (www.curryfrenzy.com). Dana Schmidt, president of the KU Culinary Club, cooked Prawn Madras Curry with the club. Schmidt, Wichita junior, found the recipe on CurryFrenzy.com. The recipe uses curry powder mix, which makes cooking easier, she says. Many of the club members like curry, but they had only eaten it in a restaurant and didn’t know how to cook curry. Schimdt says the Prawn Madras Curry was easier to cook than she thought and well-received by the club members.

2. Buy spices and curry paste

A variety of curry ingredients are available at Quick Stop, 1000 W. 23rd St. and the Mediterranean Market & Cafe, 3300 Bob Billings Parkway. You can cook curry from scratch with multiple spices, but using curry paste is easier for beginners. You can find Indian, Thai and Japanese curry paste at several locations in Lawrence, including Checkers Food, 2300 Louisiana St., World Market, 3106 Iowa St., and The Community Mercantile, 901 Iowa St.

Those pastes provide instructions for cooking. Vitaliy Karakuts, 2008 graduate, quickly learned how to cook curry, thanks to such paste. He often cooks Indian curry and eats it with brown rice.

Putting a lot of vegetables and using leaner meat makes the dish healthier. Invite your friends and boost your health with the zesty cuisine.