A well-prepared curry is a culinary experience that everyone should have at least once in their lifetimes -- except those who try it wind up enjoying it so much they usually end up featuring it on their personal menus on a regular basis. Curries are never boring, and because they can be prepared using a variety of ingredient combinations and adapt well to variations in seasonings and spices, no two curries ever quite taste the same. Curries also come in differing textures, making seasonal dining options a snap, providing you with the opportunity to enjoy them on a year-round basis at any local Indian restaurant. Following are four good curry choices for each of the four seasons. 

Winter Vegetable Curry

Winter vegetable curry is made with classic late-season vegetables such as turnips, squash, carrots, cauliflower, chickpeas, tomatoes, and zucchini. It's seasoned with garlic, onion, cinnamon, cracked black pepper, Kosher salt, ginger, bay leaf, and curry powder. Whole milk yogurt is used for a rich, winter-worthy taste, especially when served over a bed or aromatic jasmine rice with a side of plum chutney. This makes a great meal before the fire while the winter winds blow outside. 

Spring Lamb Curry 

Lamb is a quintessential spring delicacy that makes an excellent curry when combined with fresh spring vegetables and seasoned with a paste made from minced garlic and crushed ginger. This makes an excellent evening meal for a sunny spring evening when served with a fresh salad over a bed of delicate basmati or wild rice. 

Summer Vegetarian Curry 

The proliferation of summer vegetables provides an amazing amount of choices for enjoying a vegetarian curry made with the freshest possible ingredients. Choose from among the goodies growing in your garden or available at your nearest farmers market. Possibilities include combinations of lentils, spinach, carrots, early tomatoes, chickpeas, and anything else that's fresh and ripe. Seasoned with cinnamon, coriander, coconut, and whatever else suits your individual preferences, vegetarian curries made with summer vegetables are excellent over a fresh green salad. This is ideal for enjoying al fresco on a warm summer evening. 

Autumn Curry

Warm, earthy vegetables such as sweet potatoes,pumpkin, and acorn squash make the perfect curry for savouring over a nutty brown rice pilaf on a crisp autumn evening. Flavor with ginger, cinnamon, and cloves for true taste of fall. 

Please don't hesitate to let your local Indian restaurant be your guide as you journey through the rich and varied landscape of authentic Indian cuisine.