Three myths about Indian food

There is a whole lot more to Indian food. Calling curry a spice is like calling ‘stew’ a spice. Curry originates from the Tamil word «Kaari» meaning gravy. It is a style of cooking that uses multiple spices in proportions that can vary according to a chef's preference. There are also dishes without Curry like Tandoor or Biryani. Those are normally combined either with Curries or with Raita (a Spiced yogurt).

Curry is a spice
The first commercial curry powder was developed in Madras – a generic blend of most commonly used spices, mainly for export to the U.K. A concept very similar to «Italian Spice». Most Indian cooks prefer to combine their own herbs and spices.

It's all hot
Much like any place else in the world, South India with its proximity to the equator has hotter food than in the north. The hot food helps people sweat more and thereby maintain body temperature. As you go farther north, food does tend to get milder. Spicy does not necessarily equate to hot. For example, the mild creamy korma from the north of India is replete with spices but generally has very little chilli powder. Regardless of where they originate, almost all entrées can be made mild, medium, or hot by simply varying the quantity of chilli powder or fresh chilli peppers.