Make your own curry powder

Make Your Own Curry Powder

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Make your own curry powder

Why not!

Curry powder is a great spice mixture that you can add as a flavoring to many dishes giving it a unique oriental taste. You can use it to season roasted vegetables, hummus, dips, soups or bread (like we are going to do here).

You can buy it from your local spice shop or at the supermarket. If you, however, have all the spices at home then make your own. It’s always fun to create your own homemade spices 😀

Before we get to the recipe, a little fact about curry powder. It isn’t a primary ingredient that is used in authentic Indian cooking but in fact a British creation. Just to give the food the essence of Indian cuisine. The term curry comes from the Tamil word “Kari” which means sauce. The primary spice used here is garam masala. Which actually is also a mix of spices. Although turmeric is not included in this blend.

Each region in the Indian subcontinent has its own personal blend of spices. So there is not just one particular version but so many different versions of masala. The same goes for curry powder, which can also go under the category masala. There are so many ways you could make curry powder. Just include the spices you like best.

The main ingredient in curry powder is turmeric. This gives curry powder its signature yellow hue. Other ingredients include ginger, cinnamon, mustard seeds, cumin, coriander, fenugreek and cardamom. So many more spices can be used to make curry powder. The combination of these spices gives the curry powder its sweet and savory flavor and can range from mild to very spicy, depending on the amount of chili within it.

How To Make Your Own Curry Powder

I absolutely enjoy oriental cuisine. The different spices that are incorporated into the dishes make my tastebuds explode. That’s why I like adding quite a few spices to my curry powder.

What I like to do is toast the spices that are whole, such as cumin, coriander, fenugreek and mustard seeds. Simply, to release the fragrant oils from these spices to make the spice blend more intense. Then I finely grind them and add the rest of the ingredients.

Ingredients (1 cup)

  • 6 tbsp coriander, whole
  • 6 tbsp cumin, whole
  • 3 tsp mustard seeds
  • 2 tsp fenugreek, whole
  • 4 1/2 tbsp turmeric
  • 2 tbsp paprika powder
  • 6 tsp ground ginger
  • 3 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp cardamom
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Preparation (10 minutes)

  • In a pan toast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds for a minute. Be careful not to roast for too long. This can create a bitter taste.

  • Once toasted and cooled down, grind seeds using a mortar and pestle or electric grinder.

  • Transfer to a glass jar and add in the rest of the ingredients
  • Shake well and store in an airtight jar in a cool place avoiding direct sunlight. Use up within 3 months before making a fresh batch.

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