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Confusables Entry 1121 / 1350 60-second read

Curry (as sauce) vs. Gravy (Indian English)

Western usage versus South Asian usage.

The comparisoni

✗ Wrong

In India, "gravy" for curry sauce — the "curry" is the whole dish.

✓ Correct

Across South Asia, "gravy" refers to the sauce of a curry dish; in Western usage, "curry" often names both the dish and its sauce.

The ruleii

South Asia splits curry (dish) and gravy (sauce).

In South Asian English, "gravy" has a specific meaning — the spiced sauce in a curry dish. Western menus typically use "curry" for both the sauce and the whole dish.

Memory aidiii

Remember it like this

Indian menu: gravy = curry sauce.

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