While there is no particular spice mix known as Curry Powder in India, Curry Powder is perhaps the most common spice blend in the west. As a result, it is widely used in Indian-inspired cooking. Jump to:What Is Curry Powder?About Homemade Curry PowderWhy Making Homemade Curry PowderIngredientsHow To Make Curry PowderStoring SuggestionsHelpful TipsMore Homemade MasalaRecipe Card Our Latest Videos
What Is Curry Powder?
Curry Powder is actually a remnant of the British Raj or domination. This spice blend was designed to create Indian flavor with minimal effort. So basically, the Curry Powder is a British invention by Indian spice merchants. And the exciting thing is that you will not find Curry Powder in India. However, this spice blend brings lots of flavors to the Indian or Indian-inspired dishes.
About Homemade Curry Powder
When I saw Curry Powder first time in the spice aisle in Canada, I thought it was the same as garam masala. But right after using this spice blend, I realized that I was wrong. This spice blend has distinct and complex flavors. I mostly use Punjabi Garam Masala and Kitchen King Masala in my curry recipes. But I like to use Curry Powder in some world recipes, where I want to give Indian touch. So this spice blend brings lots of flavors to roasted or stir-fried vegetables, baked potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, stews, or some salads. Making Curry Powder is straightforward, and we also do not need a lot of whole spices. So if you are like me and love to use different types of spices in your cooking, try this homemade masala.
Ingredients
We need seven whole spices and two ground spices to make Curry Powder. Most of the ingredients should be readily available in your pantry. But if you can not find something like yellow mustard seeds, it is okay to skip it. I can find all of the ingredients in the Indian grocery store, and they are pre-packed. But if you do not want to buy the spices in large quantities, you can buy them from a Bulk Barn store. They have most of the spices available, and we can buy as much as we want. Use the fresh and best quality spices to get the flavorful and aromatic Homemade Curry Powder. Once you gather all the ingredients, making the spice blend is super easy and quick. I have used Kashmiri dry red chilis to make this masala. But if you want a very spicy Curry Powder, use a very hot variety of dry red chilis.
So we need the following ingredients:
Coriander seedsCumin seedsFennel seedsYellow mustard seedsFenugreek seedsBlack peppercornsDried red chilisTurmeric powderGround ginger
How To Make Curry Powder
Heat the heavy bottom or non-stick pan over low-medium heat.Dry roast coriander, cumin, fennel, yellow mustard, fenugreek, peppercorns, and red chilis over moderately low heat.
Roast the spices, tossing and turning them with a spatula, until the spices become aromatic, for about 5-6 minutes.Be careful not to burn them; otherwise, they will become bitter.
Turn off the heat and transfer the spices to a plate.
When the species are at room temperature, transfer them into a grinder or spice grinder, add turmeric powder, and ground ginger. Then grind the spices into a fine powder.
Storing Suggestions
Store the spice blend in an airtight container or jar and keep it at room temperature for a month.If you can not use all the spice mix in a month, keep some at room temperature and place the rest in the fridge. You can also store all the masala in the fridge to save it fresher for longer.You can make this spice blend in a big batch and freeze it for up to a year. Then, while using it in the recipe, there is no need to bring it to room temperature.
Helpful Tips
Spices: Use spices of the best quality and fresh as possible for the aromatic and flavorful Curry Powder. Make sure not to burn the spices; otherwise, the masala will become bitter.Dry Red Chilis: I have used Kashmiri chilis to keep the masala mildly spicy. But if you like your spice blend very spicy, use a hot variety of dry red chilis.Grinding Masala: This masala should be of fine consistency. So if your blender gives you a coarse powder, sieve it. Then grind the remaining bits of spices and sieve again until you get everything crushed into a fine masala.Scaling: This recipe can easily be halved or doubled.
