This curry powder recipe is an aromatic blend of spices that is extremely versatile and can be used in a variety of different Indian and Indian inspired dishes. This spice can be customized to suit your spice levels and stores well for over a year. Watch the full video below.
What is curry?
I've encountered a lot of my non-Indian friends using the term 'curry' as if it is just one type of dish. A common misconception in the western world is that curry refers to a single type of dish, usually made with curry powder and that is either yellow or red in color. This couldn't be further from the truth.
Curry in India is a variety of dishes of different aromas, textures and flavors. The word curry refers to the sauce found in most Indian dishes, also commonly referred to as 'gravy' in India.
Different curry recipes, depending on where they originated from can use vastly different ingredients and spices. North Indian curries are generally milder and creamier compared to South Indian curries that pack a punch and have robust flavors. Nonetheless, the one thing common among all curries is that they are all delicious!
What is curry powder?
To be honest, curry powder is not even a concept familiar to most people in India just because one curry powder doesn't fit the bill to make all these different kinds of curries. The type and amount of spices varies in different recipes making them all unique and different.
Why use curry powder?
Then the most obvious question would be, why am I even posting this recipe?
Over the past several years, I have experimented with a variety of Indian as well as Indian inspired dishes. Gathering from my experience, I've noticed that there are certain spices that are common to most dishes. Combining these spices in the correct proportion is key to making amazing tasting dishes. It is also a great way to reduce the time to make a meal since you only need to reach out for once spice jar, instead of the usual 5 or more.
I've tried store bought curry powder recipes in the past, because I was always curious about how they tasted. In my experience, most brands are always heavy handed on the turmeric and light on the spices which result in a bitter tasting end result.
Over the years, I have perfected the proportions of these spices that work best for most of my recipes. However, if you like things more spicy than I do, feel free to increase the amount of chilli powder used in this recipe. You can also substitute the chilli powder for a more spice cayenne pepper variety. The picture below shows a redder, spicier version that I keep on hand for when guests that love spicy food visit. 🙂
On the other hand if you like things milder, you can reduce or even entirely omit the red chilli powder altogether. The spice mix will still result in amazing tasting recipes because of all the warming and savory spices used.
If you would like to check out an easy recipe using my homemade curry powder, then check out this curried egg salad recipe. It is super quick to whip up and works great as meal prep.
My recipe uses 5 different spice powders to make this recipe. Now, technically this isn't a 5 ingredient recipe since the garam masala powder is made a bunch of different whole spices. However, I usually buy this spice mix already pre-made and my recipe below involves using the ready mix.
I will one day post a recipe for homemade garam masala, but until then these are 2 brands that I have tried out and truly enjoy: MDH and Everest.
I hope you like this recipe as much as I do. Please leave a comment below to let me know what you think and subscribe to my social media platforms if you would like to see more easy and delicious recipes.
Recipe
Curry Powder
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
- 6 tablespoons Kashmiri red chili powder (see notes)
- 4 tablespoons coriander seed powder
- 2 tablespoons cumin seed powder
- 2 tablespoons garam masala powder (see notes)
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients into a glass container and shake well to combine. This spice mix will store well for up to a year if fresh spice powders are used while making it.
Video
Notes
- Kashmiri red chillies have a bright red color and are very mild in flavor. If you can't find kashmiri red chilli powder, a mixture of paprika and cayenne pepper works great as a replacement. 4 tablespoons paprika powder and 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper is a good substitute for a mild curry powder. Add more cayenne pepper to increase the spice level.
- Garam masala is a blend of many Indian spices and has a savory and warming flavor. It is easily available in Indian grocery stores or even on Amazon. Here are some of my favorite brands that I have tried and truly enjoy: MDH and Everest.
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