Forms: (6 carriil, 7 carree), 8 carrye, curree, kerry, 8– currie, curry. [a. Tamil kari sauce, relish for rice, Canarese karil, whence Pg. caril, and earlier Eng. and Fr. forms; mod.F. is cari.]
A preparation of meat, fish, fruit, or vegetables, cooked with a quantity of bruised spices and turmeric, and used as a relish or flavoring, esp. for dishes composed of or served with rice. Hence, a curry = a dish or stew (of rice, meat, etc.) flavored with this preparation (or with curry-powder).
1598. W. Phillips, Linschoten, 88/2 (Y.). Most of their fish is eaten with rice, that they séeth in broth which they put vpon the rice, and is somewhat sowre,… but it tasteth well, and is called Carriil.
1681. R. Knox, Hist. Ceylon, 12. They … boyl them [fruits] to make Carrees, to use the Portuguez word, that is somewhat to eat with and relish their Rice.
1747. Art of Cookery, 52. To make a Currey the Indian way.
1757. Grose, Voy. E. Indies, 241 (Y.). The currees are infinitely various, being a sort of fricacees, to eat with rice, made of any animals or vegetables.
1848. Thackeray, Lett. If you can come to dinner, there’s a curry.
1891. Sharman, Fam. Cookery, 16. Pour the curry on the dish with the rice.
b. attrib. and Comb., as curry-sauce, -stuff; curry-leaf tree, a name for Bergera Königii, the aromatic leaves of which are used to flavor curries; curry-paste, powder, preparations of turmeric and strong spices, for making curried dishes.
1810. R. J. Thornton, Family Herbal, 12. Turmeric … a principal ingredient in the composition of curry-powder.
1860. Tennent, Ceylon, II. 463 (Y.). Plots of esculents and curry stuffs of every variety, onions, chillies, yams [etc.].
1883. Mrs. Bishop, in Leisure Ho., 146/1. Curry is at each meal, but it is not made with curry powder.
