The unforgettable aroma of India is not just the heavy scent of jasmin and roses on the warm air. It is also the fragrance of spices so important to Indian cooking - especially to preparing curry. The world "curry" is an English derivative of "kari", meaning soice sauce, but curry does nit, in India, come as a powder. It is the subtle and delicate blending of spices such as turmeric, cardamon, ginger, coriander, nutmeg and poppy seed. Like an artist's palette of oil paints, the Indian cook has some twentyfive spices (freshly ground as required) with which to mix the recognized combinations or "marsalas". Many of these spices are also noted for their medicinal properties. They, like the basic ingredient, vary from region to region.

In the south, curries are mainly vegetable and inclined to be more hot. Specialities to look out for are Bhujia (vegetable curry), Dosa, Idli and Samba (rice pancakes, dumplings with pickles and vegetable and lentil curry), and Raitas (yoghurt with grated cucumber and mint). Coconut is a major ingredient of South Indian cooking. On the West coast there is a wide choice of fish and shellfish; Bombay duck (curried or fried bomnloe fish) and pomfret (Indian salmon) are just two. Another speciality is the Pharsi Dhan Sak (lamb or chicken cooked with curried lentils) and Vinaloo vinegar marinade. Fish is also a feature of Bengali cooking as in Dahi Maach (curried fish in yoghurt flavoured with turmeric and ginger) and Mailai (curried prawn with coconut).