If the only curry you've ever eaten began in a bottle, you've never had curry.

Most Americans wrongly consider curry an all-purpose Indian seasoning, usually containing some blend of turmeric, cumin, coriander, black pepper and other spices.

In fact, that sort of curry is a British invention, an attempt to replicate the complexity of Indian food.

''No self-respecting Indian has a curry spice blend in their kitchen,'' said Raghavan Iyer, author of the forthcoming cookbook 660 Curries.

If they did, all Indian food would taste the same, which it doesn't, as the title of Iyer's book indicates.

To Indian chefs, curry simply means ''sauce,'' typically one with spices — sometimes many of them — liquid ingredients, thickeners such as nut pastes, and souring agents, such as tomatoes or tamarind.

These sauces then are married with meat, vegetables and seafood. The combination of spices varies widely by dish and the region of India from which the dish originates. And generally, the spices are blended fresh for each meal.

India is a large, diverse country. Recipes change as dramatically by region as they do in Europe, depending on the local harvest, climate, season, religion, and whim of the cook.

''We are really magicians of spices,'' said Madhur Jaffrey, author of many Indian cookbooks, including Madhur Jaffrey's Quick & Easy Indian Cooking.

''We know the properties of each spice and the way we blend them brings out different aspects of the spice.''

Northern India serves up America's more widely recognized ''Indian food.'' These dishes rely on ginger, garlic, cardamom, cinnamon, cilantro, mint, garam masala (itself a spice blend), yogurt and cream.

Northern Indian dishes tend to have rich, creamy sauces with a complex blend of spices, sometimes more than 90 of them. Southern and coastal communities, on the other hand, rely more on fresh ingredients, including curry leaves, coconut, fish and shellfish, and simpler spice blends.

But don't let the complexity intimidate you. Many delicious curries are easy to create.

Before embarking on your curry journey, take stock of your spice pantry. And don't bother with that prepared curry blend. Blending your own mix of whole spices will reward you with honest and delicious Indian food.

POTATOES AND SPINACH
IN GARLIC-RED CHILI SAUCE
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
6 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
6 dried red Thai or cayenne chilies, stems removed, coarsely chopped (do not remove the seeds)
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1 cup water
1 lb. new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
1 large tomato, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
1 tbsp. firmly packed dark brown sugar
11/2 tsp. coarse kosher or sea salt
8 oz. fresh spinach leaves, coarsely chopped

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Add the cumin seeds and cook until they turn reddish brown and smell nutty, 5 to 10 seconds.

Immediately add the garlic and chilies. Saute until the garlic is lightly browned and the chilies blacken, about 1 minute.

Sprinkle in the turmeric, then carefully pour in the water. Stir to deglaze the pan, releasing any browned bits of garlic.

Add the potatoes, tomato, cilantro, brown sugar and salt. Stir once or twice, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fall-apart tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Add the spinach, a couple of handfuls at a time, stirring until wilted, 2 to 4 minutes per batch, and serve.

Makes 8 servings.

Recipe from Raghavan Iyer's 660 Curries.

Notes: One chili can offer many different levels of heat. Use it whole and unbroken for a wispy level of heat. Roast it to blacken the skin for a more pungent heat. Coarsely chop it, then blacken it for sweat-inducing heat. The high-heat version heats this curry, but the potatoes tone it down for balance.

If new potatoes are not in season, use white or yellow-skin potatoes and cut them into 11/2- to 2-inch chunks. The cooking time should be the same.

QUICK CHICKEN KORMA
1 (11/2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
5 to 6 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 cup plus 3 tbsp. water, divided
6 tbsp. vegetable oil
3 bay leaves
1 (2-inch) stick cinnamon
8 cardamom pods
4 whole cloves
1/4 tsp. whole black or regular cumin seeds
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp. ground coriander seed
1 tbsp. ground cumin
3 canned plum tomatoes, chopped
3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken pieces, cut into small chunks
1/4 to 1 tsp. cayenne
3/4 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. heavy cream

In a blender, puree the ginger, garlic and 3 tbsp. water until they form a smooth paste.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over high. When the oil is very hot, add the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves and whole cumin seeds. Stir, then add the onion. Saute 3 minutes, or until the onion browns.

Transfer the paste from the blender to the skillet. Add the ground coriander and ground cumin, then saute for a minute. Add the chopped tomatoes and saute another minute.

Add the chicken, cayenne, salt and remaining 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 15 minutes, occasionally turning the chicken pieces.

Remove the cover, add the cream, and cook on high, stirring occasionally, another 7 to 8 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Use a slotted spoon to remove and discard the cardamom pods, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and cloves. Serve over rice.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe from Madhur Jaffrey's Quick & Easy Indian Cooking.

Notes: When trying to cook fast, it helps to have all the prepared ingredients and the right tools on hand. Here, a blender to make the ginger-garlic paste and a skillet wide enough to hold all the chicken in a single layer will be of great help.

This dish can be made a day ahead, covered and refrigerated. It reheats well.

FISH MOLEE
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 tsp. black mustard seeds
11/2 cups chopped red onion
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1 or 2 serrano chilies, split lengthwise and seeds removed (leave in some seeds for a spicier sauce)
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 cup diced tomato
11/2 to 13/4 lbs. cod or haddock fillets, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup fish stock, clam juice or water
10 to 12 fresh curry leaves (or a handful of fresh cilantro leaves)
6 lime wedges

In a large, deep skillet, warm the coconut oil over medium heat. When the oil is fragrant, stir in the mustard seeds.

When the mustard seeds begin to crackle and pop, stir in the onion. Once the onion has become limp, after about 2 minutes, stir in the garlic, ginger, chilies, turmeric, salt, pepper and half of the diced tomato.

Saute, stirring frequently, until the tomato has softened and begun to break down, about 5 minutes.

Push the onion mixture to the side of the skillet and add the fish in a single layer. With a spatula, scrape up enough of the onion mixture to smear over the tops of the pieces of fish.

Pour the coconut milk and fish stock or water around and over the fish. Scatter the curry leaves or cilantro over everything. Cover and simmer 3 minutes.

Uncover and give the skillet a swirl, rather than stirring the mixture, which could break up the fish. Cook a few minutes more, uncovered, if needed to cook the fish through. The sauce will be fairly thin.

Spoon into shallow bowls, garnish with the remaining tomato and lime wedges, and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

Recipe from Cheryl and Bill Jamison's Around the World in 80 Dinners.

Notes: This simple dish from Kerala on the southern coast of India features the regional staples of coconut, seafood and fresh curry leaves. Curry leaves resemble bay leaves and can be found at Indian food markets. If they're not available, use a handful of fresh cilantro leaves. The flavor's not the same, but the herbal freshness is similar.

GARAM MASALA
1 whole cardamom pod
1 dried bay leaf
21/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3/4 tsp. fennel powder

In a clean coffee mill or mortar and pestle, grind together the cardamom and bay leaf until finely ground. Add the cinnamon, cloves, black pepper and fennel powder.

Makes 2 tablespoons.

Notes: Garam masala often is added to Indian curries just before serving. It is enjoyed for its warming, sweet and aromatic properties. It is readily available at most grocers, but homemade is easy and much better. Each region has its own version, but this basic masala from Camellia Panjabi, author of 50 Great Curries of India, will work in most recipes.

Some people prefer to dedicate a coffee mill to spice grinding to avoid the possibility of lingering aromas.