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In 1994, when we first opened Vij's restaurant, my goal was to increase awareness of Indian food to match that of any other type of cuisine.

Take curry.

Don't ever let anybody tell you they are allergic to curry - they can't be. Curry is not an individual spice but a blend of different spices such as cloves, cinnamon, cumin, coriander and many more.

Although the word has become synonymous with all types of Indian food, there are dozens of types of spice mixtures used in dishes across the country.

Garam masala, for example, is a spice blend from northern India, while panch poran is a very different spice blend from West Bengal. Rasam is a hot pepper soup made mostly in the south.

The right pronunciation of curry is "kari." Kari actually means sauce or gravy. For example, kalonji chicken kari is chicken cooked in kalonji sauce. When the British arrived, their "chicken kari" sounded like "chicken curry" and the spelling and pronunciation stuck.

Each individual household in India has its own style of cooking - and nothing distinguishes a chef more than his individual take on this complex spice mixture. That is one of the beauties of Indian cooking.

India is also one of the largest democracies in food. Although there are still very strong regional styles of cooking, people from all over the different states enjoy and cook a variety of regional foods.

Punjabis, who live in the north, now make dosas - a traditional South Indian dish - while in South India, which is typically known for coconut curries, they now do a great job at chole baturas (chickpeas).

Fusion is happening in Indian food all the time. But the parameters remain pretty much the same: an amalgamation of flavours using only traditional Indian spices.

I believe that our cuisine is as complex and flavourful as any other type of cuisine, but we still have a way to go before most people become accustomed to the flavours.

Indian food is best enjoyed as a communal cooking experience - the joy is in sitting down, opening a bottle of wine with family and friends and tasting your creations.

MARINATED LAMB POPSICLES WITH FENUGREEK CREAM CURRY

WHAT YOU NEED

Marinade

2 to 3 French-cut racks of lamb, depending on size and how many popsicles you serve

¼ cup white wine

¼ cup grainy yellow mustard

¾ teaspoon saltCurry

2 tablespoons crushed garlic

1 litre whipping cream

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon dried green fenugreek flakes (known as kasuri methi)

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ teaspoon paprika

canola oil

WHAT YOU DO

Cut the popsicles from the rack of lamb. If the popsicles are bigger, then four per order is usually enough. This recipe is for 16 large-size or 20 medium-size popsicles.

Mix the popsicles with all the ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl, cover and set aside in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

In a separate bowl, mix the whipping cream, salt, paprika, cayenne, fenugreek flakes and lemon juice. In a medium-size heavy pot, sauté the crushed garlic in 3 to 4 tablespoons of canola oil. Once the garlic is golden, add the turmeric, stir and heat for one minute. Add the whipping-cream mixture, stir and heat on low to medium heat for a few minutes.

Grill the popsicles just before you are ready to serve your meal - they are best when served piping hot off the grill. You can either pour the cream curry over the grilled popsicles or use it for dipping.

Vikram Vij is chef and owner of the award-winning Vij's restaurant in Vancouver. He and his wife, Meeru, create all of the menus at Vij's, which change with the seasons.

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Beppi's wine matches

The myth about Indian curries is that they go best with beer, particularly light lagers. Not true. The cream in this dish is a mayday call for wine, in particular a white with considerable body. A brilliant, though underappreciated, choice for curry is viognier, a fleshy white with floral notes and acidity that will sing over top of the complex flavours in this dish. Yes, it will even go well with lamb. A good buy right now is Domaine des Salices Viognier from France ($13.95 in Ontario; $14.85 in Quebec). In British Columbia, look for Yalumba Y Series Viognier from Australia ($17.99). Other good choices: gewurztraminer, notably from the Alsace region of France or Canada, or a fruity chardonnay from California, Australia or Chile. If you prefer red (this is lamb, after all), try a jammy shiraz or cabernet sauvignon from Australia.

Beppi Crosariol