Curry Powder
Curry powder was Great Britain’s way of simplifying Indian cooking in a way that was easily accessible to the British home cook who would otherwise have found it difficult to acquire some of these spices. British manufacturers developed a pre-made blend of Indian spices, called it “curry powder”, and sold it in tin cans.
Curry powder was largely popularized during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries through the mass export of the condiment to the western table, throughout Europe and North and South America and through its use in British Army rations. The term “curry” is the anglicized version of the Tamil word kari, which translates to the generic word “sauce.”
Curry powder, and the contemporary English use of the word “curry”, are Western inventions and do not reflect any specific Indian food, though a similar mixture of spices used in north India is called garam masala. Curry powder is heavily turmeric-based, gives dishes an orange color as a result, and is often much spicier. In contrast garam masala uses no turmeric and is sweeter in flavor, relying more heavily on cinnamon, cloves, star anise, nutmeg and/or mace. Whereas garam masala is meant to be used more as a “finishing spice” added towards or at the end, curry powder is added at or near the beginning as part of the cooking process. The two have significantly different flavor profiles, serve different purposes and are not meant to be used interchangeably
In the western world, curry powder mixtures tend to have a fairly standardized taste, though a great variety of spice mixtures are used in Indian cuisine. Indian cooks often have readier access to a variety of fresh spices than their foreign counterparts. Some curry cooks will have their own specific mixtures for different recipes. These are often passed down from parent to child.
There is no standard recipe and both the selection of spices and their ratios vary from recipe to recipe and from brand to brand. However there are several spices that more often than not are included in curry powder and those include coriander, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, fenugreek, fennel, curry leaf or bay leaf, garlic, black pepper and red chilies. Cardamom is sometimes included though less commonly. The cardamom flavor is featured more commonly in Garam Masala.
Curry Powder and Madras Curry Powder – What’s the Difference? They both have the same ingredients and thus the same flavor, but they differ in their level of heat. Standard curry powder is milder whereas madras curry powder is hot. This heat come from adding more red chilies as well as yellow mustard seeds. You can easily adapt this recipe to make madras curry powder by adding these two ingredients.
Curry Powder
There are so many different types of curry powders and pastes, hot or mild, depending on the country or the dish. This is a basic recipe, similar to what you can buy in an American grocery store. Use whole spices, if available, and grind in a mini-processor or coffee grinder.
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon ground cardamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg
Black pepper to taste
[Toast the whole spices.]
Grind the coriander and fennel seeds with the bay leaf. Mix with remaining ingredients.
Makes about 2 tablespoons.
Curry Powder
from https://www.daringgourmet.com/
1/4 cup coriander seeds
4 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds (optional, for added heat)
4 small dried red chili peppers
4 dried curry leaves (can substitute 1 large bay leaf)
2 tablespoons ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Heat a skillet over medium heat and roast the whole spices and curry/bay leaves for a few minutes until very fragrant. Be careful not to scorch the spices or they will be bitter. Let the spices cool completely. Place the whole spices in a spice/coffee grinder along with the remaining ingredients and grind until you get a fine powder.
Store the curry powder in an airtight jar in a dark, cool place. Will keep for several months but for best flavor use within a few weeks.
Makes approx. 1/2 cup of curry powder.
Curry Powder
Recipe Courtesy
Tyler Florence
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon cardamom seeds
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
2 dried red chiles, broken in pieces, seeds discarded
1 tablespoon turmeric
Toast the whole spices (coriander, cumin, fennel, cloves, mustard, cardamom and peppercorns) and the chiles in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, shaking the pan often to prevent them from burning. Toast for a couple of minutes until the spices smell fragrant. [Cool.] In a clean coffee grinder, grind the toasted spices together to a fine powder. Add the turmeric and give it another quick buzz to combine. Use the spice blend immediately, or store in a sealed jar for as long as 1 month.
Yield: about 1/2 cup
