Eat the World in 10 Curries at Parramatta

No single dish is called "curry" in its own country. It's a word British traders reached for to cover thousands of spiced, saucy dishes across Asia, each with its own real name, its own spice blend, its own way of being eaten. Pull the label off and what's left is far more interesting: the dal a Nepali family eats every day, a tangy dry fish curry from a single town in southern Sri Lanka, a Hong Kong street snack in yellow sauce. Here are ten of the best curries in Parramatta, and the stories behind them. 

1. Nepal: Dal-Bhat

Nepal's plate of the day, every day: rice, lentil dal, a chicken curry, greens and pickle, all mixed together and eaten by hand. At "Downtown Momo", the Nepalese chicken khana set comes exactly this way.  

Try it: "Downtown Momo", 12 Union St, Parramatta.

"We call it dal-bhat power. Eat it once a day, and it gives you 24-hour energy." — "Downtown Momo".

2. Sri Lanka: Ambul Thiyal

A curry from one town: Matara, on Sri Lanka's south coast. Fish (typically tuna) is slow-cooked with goraka (Malabar tamarind), pepper and spice until it's dark, tangy and almost dry. Ceylonia makes the Matara-style classic, alongside Jaffna crab curry and a dozen island regulars.

Try it: Ceylonia, 277B Church St, Parramatta.

3. India: The Classics

Korma, rogan josh, vindaloo, butter chicken; the curries that travelled out of India and met the world first, each with a home region back home (vindaloo is Goan, korma is Mughal, rogan josh Kashmiri). Chatkazz does an all-vegetarian version of the curry-house line-up in Harris Park's Little India.

Try it: Chatkazz, Shop 4-6/14-20 Station St, Harris Park.

"With our chickpea curry, we serve a deep-fried puff bread from the north of India. You eat it with your hands, pinch the bread, scoop the curry, enjoy." — Chatkazz. 

4. Thailand: The Classics

Colour-coded by their chilli paste, take note: green is the fiery one, not red. Then there's massaman, the odd one out: a Persian-influenced curry from Thailand's south, rich with cinnamon and cardamom. In the Mood for Thai cooks the full spread.

Try it: In the Mood for Thai, Shop 3/52-60 George St, Parramatta.

5. Japan: Katsu Curry

A curry that reached Japan the long way round (via Britain rather than straight from India) then remade milder and sweeter: a thick, glossy sauce served over rice with a crumbed, fried cutlet. Kanzo, a Parramatta sushi institution since 2011, makes a much-loved chicken katsu curry.

Try it: Kanzo, Shop 3/109-113 George St, Parramatta.

6. Indonesia: Rendang

Beef slow-cooked in coconut and spice until the sauce dries away and the meat turns dark and tender. Its name comes from the Minangkabau word for cooking slowly, and it's regularly voted the world's most delicious food. You can find it on Kampung Laksa’s Nasi Padang plate, with fried chicken, cassava leaf, balado egg and green chilli.  

Try it: Kampung Laksa, 1 Fitzwilliam St, Parramatta. 

7. Indonesia: Nasi Kapau

Nasi Padang's highland cousin, from the village of Kapau near Bukittinggi: same West Sumatran roots, but greener and tangier, with more vegetables piled over rice. Ria Ayam Penyet serves it with fried chicken, grilled chicken or beef rendang.

Try it: Ria Ayam Penyet, 312 Church St, Parramatta. 

8. Vietnam: Cà Ri Gà (Curry Chicken)

The mildest curry here: tender chicken in a fragrant coconut-and-lemongrass sauce. Pho Pasteur’s comes rich and aromatic, with steamed rice.

Try it: Pho Pasteur, 137 Church St, Parramatta.

9. Hong Kong: Curry Fish Balls

Hong Kong's favourite street snack: bouncy fish balls on a skewer in a mild yellow curry sauce, sold from carts across the city. At Fishboy Private Kitchen, the fish balls are handmade and served sans skewer but still swimming in curry sauce (the chef's own recipe).

Try it: Fishboy Private Kitchen, 55 Adderton Ra, Telopea.

 "This is our signature; he made the curry sauce himself. Traditional Hong Kong street food!" – Fishboy Private Kitchen               

10. Philippines: Kare Kare

Rich, hearty and packed with flavour, kare kare is a traditional Filipino stew made with tender beef and vegetables simmered in a thick peanut sauce. Often enjoyed with bagoong (fermented shrimp paste) to balance its richness, it's a beloved comfort food that's stood the test of time. Head to Smoky Cravings to try this iconic Filipino dish for yourself.

Try it: Smoky Cravings, Shop 1/20 Victoria Rd, Parramatta.