Homemade Curry Powder
A simple homemade curry powder recipe you can whip together with readily available ingredients so you can make curry dishes at home anytime you’d like.
If you’re a spicy food lover like me, you probably love a good curry. Curries come in so many shapes and sizes flavor-wise. They vary from place to place, and even a single location may have multiple varieties, but the one thing they have in common is BIG FLAVOR.
The thing you need to understand about the term “curry” is that while it is typically associated with Indian cuisine, it is a term invented by the West that doesn’t actually refer to any specific Indian cuisine. It is really just a general term referring to a spice blend.
So what exactly IS curry powder?
What is Curry Powder?
Curry powder is a blend of spices and herbs originating from India used to flavor food. It tends to focus on big and bold flavors, like dried and ground chili peppers, turmeric, cumin, cardamon, curry leaf and more.
Curry spice blends vary from region to region in India and throughout the world, depending on the region, the availability of ingredients as well as the preference of the curry blend maker. There is no singular curry powder.
Curry has spread around the world from India. You’ll find it now in many regions, such as Japanese curry, Jamaican curry and more. Interestingly, the word “curry” is actually a creation of the West, having appeared in in British cookbooks in the 18th century, borrowing ingredients from Indian culture and cuisine, similar to garam masala.
Typical Ingredients in Curry Powder
The ground spices used in curry blends do vary from region to region, but some common ingredients in curry powder include a base of coriander, turmeric, cumin, fenugreek, and ground chili peppers, such as cayenne pepper. Other additional ingredients might include asafoetida (Hing spice), caraway, cinnamon, clove, ginger, garlic, fennel seed, mustard seed, green and/or black cardamom, nutmeg, white turmeric, curry leaf, and black pepper, among others.
Of course you can use a store bought blend of curry spice mix for your recipes, but it is so much more fun and interesting to make your own blends at home. This allows you to customize it to your own personal tastes.
It also allows you to make different blends that you can use for different recipes.
This particular recipe is a basic curry powder recipe that you can use in any simple curry dish for easy weeknight cooking.
Let’s talk about how we make this easy curry powder recipe.
Curry Powder Ingredients – What is Curry Powder Made Of?
There are a numerous possible ingredients to make different curry powders, but the following ingredients will make a great general curry seasoning blend:
- 1 tablespoon cardamom
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cayenne powder (use Kashmiri powder if you can find it – use paprika for a milder version)
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
How to Make Your Own Curry Powder Recipe
Mix together the following ingredients together in a small bowl – cardamom, ground coriander, cumin, dry mustard, turmeric, cayenne powder, ground ginger and black pepper.
Be sure to mix the ingredients enough until they are well combined.
Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
Makes ¼ cup.
About the Chili Peppers / Chili Powders
There is a variability of chili peppers used in curries, and if you dry your own chilies for making powders, you are free to use any of them in your recipes.
The most commonly used are Kashmiri peppers, which are more local to India, though cayenne and paprika are common and easy to obtain.
I like to include ghost pepper powder in some of my curries for the added heat and flavor, though that might be a bit hot for the general consumer. Chiliheads will love the addition, though, so feel free to experiment with ghost peppers and other superhot chili peppers to your liking.
Curry Powder Vs. Garam Masala
People often asks, are curry powder and garam masala the same thing? They answer is – No, curry powder and garam masala are not the same, though they are quite similar.
Garam masala is often used as a finishing spice, while curry is used more in general cooking, though both can used in this way. The name “Garam Masala” translates to “hot spice blend” from Hindi, where “curry” refers to the sauce used for flavoring.
Garam masala tends to be much stronger in flavor because of the robust seasonings used to make it, where many curry spice blends tend to be milder in comparison.
How Long Does Curry Powder Last?
Homemade curry powder will last a long time, but is best when used within 3 months. It will start to lose potency after 3 months. Curry is best stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.
Recipe Tips
You can use pre-ground powdered spices to make your own curry blends, but if you’d like a fresher, more boldly flavored curry, start with seeds if possible, such as cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, etc.
Lightly toast the seeds in a dry pan until they become fragrant, then grind them in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Then, mix them as desired.
Store in an airtight container for freshness and enjoy as needed.
That’s it, my friends! What’s your favorite curry? Is it an easy curry chicken? Madras curry? Vindaloo? Let me know! Always happy to talk curry with you. Time to get cooking! Keep it spicy.
Try Some of My Popular Curry Recipes
- Chicken Vindaloo
- Ghost Pepper Chicken Curry
- Khao Soi – Northern Thai Coconut Curry Soup
- Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken
- Easy Chickpea Curry
- Thai Shrimp Curry
- Homemade Yellow Curry Powder
- Red Curry Paste
- More Curry Recipes
TRY SOME OF MY OTHER HOMEMADE SEASONING BLENDS
- Vindaloo Curry Powder Recipe
- Homemade Chili Powder
- Homemade Cajun Seasonings
- Homemade Taco Seasoning
- Baharat – Middle Eastern Spice Blend
- Spice Blends Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
- 1 tablespoon cardamom
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cayenne powder use Kashmiri powder if you can find it – use paprika for a milder version
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
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Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.
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Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
Makes ¼ cup.
The curry seasoning blend will last a long time, but is best when used within 3 months. It will start to lose potency after 3 months.
2 comments
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Hi Thanks for the recipes. I came here originally to look for a curry blend. By no means am I trying to be disrespectful but some of the information you have provided is incorrect. Curry is NOT Indian. It’s a British invention furthermore garam masala is NOT a finishing spice. It tends to be the center focus to many Indian curries and gravies.
Avni, thank you for your comments. You are correct that “curry” is a Western term invented to name a seasoning blend that focuses on ingredients common to India, similar to a Garam Masala. I’ve made that clearer in the text. Also, please note that I do mention that garama masala is not ONLY a finishing spice, though it can be. I appreciate your comments!