How to Make Curry Powder

In the colder weather there’s nothing better than a spicy hot curry for dinner. Curries, rich in antioxidant spices, are the ideal food when the sniffles strike. Need to sweat out those aches and pains? What better than a stomach-searing Vindaloo?

And if you fancy a spot of entertaining, curries are an ever-popular dinner party food. Guests will enjoy the rich variety of flavours and aromatic spices, and as curries can be prepared well ahead of time and stored without problem, the host will be able to spend the evening socialising and sharing the odd glass of wine rather than rushing frantically around the kitchen.

Make Your Own

The heart of a good curry is, of course, the curry powder that gives the dish its distinctive fire and aroma. These powders are easily obtainable at most supermarkets, but if you want a far fresher product and the creative satisfaction of making your curry absolutely from scratch, then concocting your own curry powder is an enjoyable extension to any curry recipe.

Curry History

In the West, curry as a meal had its origins in the British Colonial era. The colonial troops, administrators and merchants became fond of the cuisine of Southern India and this fondness resulted in the dish making its way back to Britain and on to other parts of the world.

Curry powder was developed in an attempt to replicate the combination of spices characteristic of the Southern Indian dishes experienced by colonists in a ready-made and easy to use form.

“Curry powder” is not a native Indian term, evolving instead (most likely) from a British adaptation of the Tamil words kari (sauce) and podi (powder).

Curry Powder

Curry powder is not a single ingredient, but is, rather, a combination of a number of different spices. The actual selection of spices used varies from region to region and even from cook to cook.

The Spices

Curry powder can be made by combining ready-ground spices, but if you really want to go the traditional route (and get an even fresher and more aromatic result) try grinding your own. Spices can be ground in a coffee grinder, a hand-mill or a food processor. For maximum authenticity, though, you can’t beat a mortar and pestle.

If you intend to grind your own spices you’ll get a more fragrant result if you lightly toast the seeds first by heating in a pan over a low heat.

Below you’ll find two recipes for curry powder.

Simple Curry Powder

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1 tablespoon turmeric powder

1 tablespoon chilli powder

Method:

Lightly toast the seeds and grind to a fine powder. Add the chilli and turmeric powder and combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Traditional Curry Powder

Ingredients:

50 grams coriander seeds

10 grams fenugreek seeds

50 grams black pepper corns

30 grams dried chillies

50 grams turmeric powder

20 grams cinnamon powder

20 grams dried cardamom pods

50 grams powdered ginger

Method:

Toast and grind the coriander and fenugreek seeds. Grind the chillies, pepper corns and cardamom pods. Combine the above with the remaining ingredients.

Make Winter Warmer

This winter warm up your family or dinner guests with a curry that you’ve made the traditional way. By going the extra mile and mixing your own curry powder you’ll be sitting down to a dish that tastes fresher and more aromatic and is just that little bit more special.

, 3.0 out of 5 based on 8 ratings

Tags: Indian food