You CAN Make Your Own Curry Powder—and Authentic Curry

What's the best curry powder? Why, it's the one you can make from scratch at home! Don't settle for some store-bought version that's been sitting on a shelf for lord-knows-how-many years. You can do it yourself too.

In India, everyone has their own version of curry and curry powder—like stew in the US or UK—each family makes curry differently. But here's my take.

I buy whole bulk spices and use a dedicated spice grinder (a coffee grinder that is only used for spice-grinding—so the flavors won’t mix). Remember—feel free to create your own variations. Enjoy!

Preparation
Gather your spices (you can buy bulk spices online cheaply) and assemble them in a large bowl. Toast them in a non-stick or heavy iron pan (such as Le Creuset) by stirring them lightly over medium heat (with NO oil). Toast just until your kitchen becomes fragrant and the spices turn a slightly darker shade--not until everything is crisped! Let cool and grind in small batches. (See Storage below.)

Curry Powder
1/4 cup black peppercorns
1/4 cup cardamom pods
1/2 cup coriander seeds
1/2 cup cumin seeds
1 stick of cinnamon (if desired)
A few cloves (if desired)
A scant handful of fennel seeds
Turmeric to taste (if desired)

There are dozens of other spices you can add to your original recipe: fenugreek, curry leaves (I use this for fish curry only), asafoetida, etc. But if you start with the most important ones: black pepper, cumin, and coriander--you won't go wrong.

Storage
Grind into a powder and store in a glass jar or some other container that will not impart a flavor to your powder (NO plastic!). I like those glass jars with the rubber seals and the flip-top lids--you can get them at Cost Plus World Market or a gourmet store such as Williams-Sonoma or Sur La Table.

The Curry
When making your actual curry, always start with the ROUX--Use butter or ghee, large quantities of grated ginger root and garlic and pureed onion. Cook and stir until the mixture turns light caramel color, and then add your other ingredients (meat, veggies, spice powder that you made, etc.). Use several tablespoons of your fresh powder in your curry roux mixture and ENJOY! Don't be stingy with your powder—it takes a lot of spices to make a good curry! Cook only until the mixture tastes melded (e.g., you don't detect raw onion flavor and the meat is cooked through). You cannot make an authentic curry without starting from a roux. Just throwing in curry powder does not a curry make (oh, how few Western chefs understand this point).

Lastly—if you go through all this trouble—why not package your homemade curry powder and give it as a gift to other foodies you know and love? Makes a wonderful custom-made present!

Tumerica—Curry Fanatic