This homemade blend of whole, toasted spices is the perfect substitute for shop-bought curry powder. Add the fragrant spice blend to curries, soups and stews. See the post for a curry powder substitute using ground spices.
Servings6 tablespoons
Equipment
- Skillet (or frying pan)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
- 2 dried curry leaves, or 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon turmeric
- ½ to 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder, or red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- a pinch of ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and toast the whole spices (coriander, cumin, fennel, peppercorns, mustard) and dried curry leaves (or bay leaf) for 3 minutes until fragrant. Transfer the toasted spices to a bowl and leave them to cool.
- Add the toasted spices to a spice grinder (or coffee grinder). Blitz with the remaining ground spices until the mixture resembles curry powder.
- Store the homemade curry powder in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. It can keep for up to 6 months, but it's best used within 4 weeks.
Notes
- Use as many of the ingredients as you have at home for a fragrant, complex curry powder. Adjust the recipe to fit your pantry and your preference, and make this spice blend your own.
- You can substitute ground spices if you don't have whole spices. Add them to the dry skillet for the last 30 seconds of toasting.
- This recipe is easy to double if you prefer to make a larger batch.
- If you don’t have a spice grinder, the post includes a recipe for a curry powder blend using pre-ground spices and a super simple four-ingredient curry powder substitute. Or try another great curry powder substitute.