Simmered in the Kitchen is where everyday cooking slows down just enough to become intentional. It’s about what’s gently bubbling on the stove, what’s coming together in the pot, and how simple ingredients — used thoughtfully — can nourish far more than just hunger.
Long before modern nutrition advice, cooks relied on warmth, spices, and instinct to support digestion, balance, and well-being.
This series explores the foods and flavors that have stood the test of time, starting with curry — a dish rooted in ancient wisdom and still deeply relevant at the dinner table today.
What Curry Really Is (and What It Isn’t)
Curry isn’t one spice, one recipe, or one flavor profile. The word itself is a Western shorthand for a wide range of traditional dishes built on layered spices, slow cooking, and balance.
Across India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, and beyond, curry evolved as a method, not a formula. Spices were chosen intentionally — not just for taste, but for how they affected digestion, circulation, and overall vitality.
In other words, curry was never meant to overwhelm the body. It was meant to support it.
Curry Through the Lens of Eastern & Ayurvedic Medicine
In Ayurveda, one of the world’s oldest systems of medicine, digestion is considered the foundation of health. A strong digestive fire (agni) allows the body to absorb nutrients, eliminate waste efficiently, and maintain balance.
Curry dishes were designed to gently stimulate that digestive fire using warming, aromatic spices that work together rather than compete.
Key Curry Spices & Gut Support
Turmeric
Known for its anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric supports the gut lining and liver. When cooked with fat and black pepper — as it traditionally is — its benefits are more easily absorbed.
Ginger
A digestive staple across cultures, ginger helps reduce bloating, improves gut motility, and gently warms the system without irritation.
Cumin & Coriander
These grounding spices help reduce gas, support enzyme production, and make richer foods easier to digest.
Garlic
Used thoughtfully, garlic supports immune health and microbial balance in the gut while adding depth and warmth to a dish.
Together, these spices create a digestive support system, not a spicy challenge.
Curry & the Gut-Brain Connection
Modern research now confirms what traditional cultures have long understood: the gut and brain are deeply connected.
Balanced curry dishes can support this connection by:
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Reducing low-grade inflammation
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Encouraging beneficial gut bacteria
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Supporting steady blood sugar
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Providing warmth and comfort that calms the nervous system
This is why curry often feels grounding, soothing, and deeply satisfying — especially during times of stress, fatigue, or colder seasons.
Why Mild Curry Is Often the Most Healing
More heat does not mean more benefit.
Overly spicy or heavily processed curry pastes can irritate digestion and overwhelm sensitive systems. Healing curry is about balance, not intensity.
In my kitchen, I lean toward:
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Mild coconut-based broths
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Fresh garlic and ginger
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Whole spices used with intention
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Plenty of vegetables
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Clean proteins like haddock or shrimp
This approach delivers comfort and flavor without heaviness or digestive strain.
Curry as Everyday Food Medicine
When prepared thoughtfully, curry becomes more than dinner. It becomes:
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A way to support gut health without complication
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A grounding meal that nourishes body and mind
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A reminder that slow cooking and simple ingredients still matter
This is food that works with the body, not against it.
This Is the First Simmer
Curry is the beginning of this series, not the end. In upcoming Simmered in the Kitchen posts, I’ll explore individual spices more deeply — how they’ve been used traditionally, how they support modern wellness, and how to cook with them in simple, approachable ways.
If you’re new to cooking with spices, curry is the perfect place to start.