Make the most exotic blend of spice mix for your next Indian feast. This homemade Indian curry powder spice mix is a special blend with just the right mix and match in flavor and balance. Not too smoky and not too spicy. Personalize it with suggestions I give in each recipe and create the best Indian curry you ever tasted.
Nothing beats the fragrance of fresh homemade spice blends. And, this special blend for homemade Indian curry powder is one of a kind. A recipe you will love and should have in your pantry always if you enjoy Indian food. In fact, a few teaspoons of this spice mix is all it takes to make a simple curry from good to finger-licking delicious.
If you have purchased curry powder before, then you know that there are no two curry powders or garam masalas alike. It's true! In India, these change by the state and sometimes by the cultural background.
So, if you buy one brand today and then buy another brand a few weeks later your curry will be so different. And, a word of advice - if you find a brand you like - take a note of it and make sure you are loyal to it. But, you can also be adventurous and take a chance. You might just prefer the next one better than the first.
The color in curry
Have you been using my wonderful Indian recipes? I'm so happy some of you have had great success with it. And, one of the questions I most get asked is: how do you get such a beautiful deep red color for your curries? Well, the secret is that I use a homemade spice mix and homemade garam masala.
In fact, I always make most of my spice mixes from scratch using whole spices. First, I'm born Indian so Indian food is not just close to my heart but in my blood. And, if there is anything I learned, and learned well from my mom, is the importance of good spices.
About this spice mix
This is my recipe, and as you can see, it looks redder than the commercial curry powders loaded with turmeric powder. And, while turmeric is a good spice, a little goes a long way.
This blend is just right and nothing overpowering. And, the flavors complement each other. The cumin adds smokiness and the coriander adds calm while the cayenne give it that heat.
Also, the color is just what you want. A deep beautiful red color that begs to be eaten.
Some of the most popular recipes on my blog that show off this curry powder beautifully are: slow cooker Indian chicken curry, Beef mince curry, Slow-cooked lamb masala, slow-cooked Indian beef curry, Indian chicken curry in 15 minutes, Kidney beans curry. In addition, you can find all my Indian recipes here.
Step by step instructions (pin)
For ground spices
- Combine all the spices in a small spice jar. And, give it a good mix.
- Store at room temperature for up to 3 months.
For whole spices
- Add the whole paprika in a frying pan and toast them over med-low heat for a minute.
- Then, add the whole spices and toast them for a minute more until fragrant.
- You will start to get the beautiful aroma of spices.
- Take it off the heat and let cool until barely warm.
- Next, place all the whole and powder spices in a spice blender and blend until smooth.
- Then, pulse it a few times until finely ground.
- Store in an airtight spice jar for up to three months.
Storage
- Always store the jar airtight to ensure the flavor of the spices is sealed in well.
- Ideally, these spices have a long shelf life as stated by the supermarkets - but it's best to make a note on the jar so you know when its time to make a new batch.
- Also, read the expiry date on the powders you used - choose the one with the earliest date as a guide.
Frequently asked questions?
First, chili powder is just one spice. But, curry powder is a blend of many spices. As a result, you won't get the same flavor and taste to your curry with just chili powder.
Yes, you can. Also, for a quick curry with 1 lb or 500 grams of chicken try:
1 tbsp coriander powder,
1 tsp cumin powder,
¼ tsp turmeric
1 tbsp sweet or hot paprika
¼ tsp ground ginger
14 tsp black pepper
Both curry and garam masala are Indian spice blends and both have very different spices in them. So, one cannot be used in place of the other. Garam masala is a combination of warm spices similar to your gingerbread or pumpkin spice mix.
Also, you can make a curry without garam masala spice but not without curry powder.
Quite often yes. The yellow would have more turmeric powder while the red will have more red chili or cayenne powder.
Absolutely, just substitute the chili or cayenne powder in the recipe with sweet paprika instead. That way you maintain the red color but much less spicy.
Paprika is ground red peppers usually made with one brand of peppers - sweet, mild, or hot.
And, chili powder is usually made with a few different brands of chilies. Often, a mix of sweet, smoked, spicy. The hot chili powder has more of the spicy chilly like the Indian Bedki, while the sweet chili powder has more of the sweet chilly like Indian Kashmiri chilies. And, some blends will emphasize more on the rich red colors. In fact, In India, we do get a large variety of chili powders.
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Description
Ingredients
From ground spices ( makes ⅓ cup)
- 2 tbsp Coriander powder
- 1 tbsp Cumin powder
- 1 tbsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp Cayenne mild or hot
- 1 tbsp Smoked sweet paprika for color
- ½ tsp Ground ginger
- ½ tsp Pepper powder
From whole spices
- 3 tbsp Dry coriander seeds
- 1 ½ tbsp Dry cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp Turmeric powder
- 2 large Dry whole paprika hot or mild
- 3 large Dry smoked paprika Sweet for color
- ½ tsp Ginger powder optional - I usually add fresh in my recipe
- 10 corns Black peppercorns
Instructions
For ground spices
- Combine all the spices in a small spice jar. Give it a good mix.
- Store at room temperature for up to 3 months.
For whole spices
- Add the whole paprika in a frying pan and toast them over med-low heat for a minute.
- Then add the whole spices and toast them for a minute more until fragrant.
- You will start to get the beautiful aroma of spices
- Take it off the heat and let cool until barely warm.
- Place all the whole and powder spices in a spice blender and blend until smooth
- Pulse it a few times until finely ground.
- Store in an airtight spice jar for up to three months.
Recipe Notes
- Always, store the jar airtight to ensure the flavor of the spices is sealed in well.
- Ideally, these spices have a long shelf life - but it's best to make a note on the jar so you know when its time to make a new batch.
- Read the expiry date on the powders you used - choose the one with the earliest date as a guide.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Sheree
This is a delicious curry Veena! I’ll definitely add it to my list of go-to recipes. I did find the amount of curry powder far too much and had to cook it longer than planned to try to mellow it out. (I resorted to adding sugar and coconut cream in the end). My family raved about it and asked that I make it again next week. Thanks so much for sharing.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Sheree. Happy your family enjoyed it. Which curry did you make? Did you find the chilly powder more in the spice mix?
You can substitute the paprika or cayenne with sweet paprika if you want.
Vicki-Ann Hughes
Hi, I am trying to make a batch of your home made curry powder spice mix, but am unable to find whole Paprika, only powdered. Do you know where I can buy some ( I am in the UK) Is there anything I can substitute?
Veena Azmanov
Hey Viki. The recipe card below shows how to make curry powder both in whole spices as well as powdered spices. You can use powdered paprika as well. Thanks
Chris Kitcher
Can I add Fenugreek powder to the curry powder mix as I love the smell and taste of it?
Veena Azmanov
Yes, you can Chris. 1 tsp for this will be good. Fenugreek is slightly bitter so don't add too much
Chris Kitcher
I did add a small amount at it was great. In fact yours is the nicest curry recipe I have ever tried and will certainly be using it again.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Chris. I am so happy to hear that.
Thomas
Thanks for posting this! I found it while doing some looking for direction on a curry blend to use in a project combining chocolate and curry. (I'd prefer to not use a pre-made blend, for a variety of reasons- even though I found two good contenders in the vein of sweeter curries, including a lovely Kashmiri blend.) This will give me a good base to start from as I experiment with finding just the right blend. Any suggestions for what *you* would do if you had to adjust this to work well with a flavour like chocolate? Thanks very much!
Veena Azmanov
I usually just use smoked paprika and a tiny bit of garam masala to flavor chocolate
Rodney
Hi Veena,
According to your recipe 1 serving requires 2 tablespoons(30ml) of Coriander, 1 tablespoon(15ml) of Cumin, 1 tablespoon(15ml) of Turmeric, 1 tablespoon(15ml) of Cayenne... These quantities sound rather excessive for 1 serving... What quantity of food do you regard as being "1 serving" ?
Veena Azmanov
Rodney. That is one small batch. Of course, you use only as much as you need for the recipe you are making for example if a recipe says 2 tsp you would use 2 tsp from this. It would be difficult to make spice mixed based on servings.
Liza from Butter and Radish
Thank you for this super informative resource, and for explaining the difference between curry powder and garam masala. Looking forward to creating my own blend!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you Liza
Paul
I think you have a typo in your instructions for making from powdered spices. You refer to pumpkin spice in step 4
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Paul. Just fixed it.
Helen
Love how this recipe sounds and would love to give it a try. I have no paprika or smoked paprika peppers available to me. Would you have any suggestions for substitutes that would still end up with a nice curry powder.
Thanks so much.
Helen
Veena Azmanov
Hey Helen. You may have some chily or cayenne perhaps. That would work too. The smoked paprika adds a nice color to the curry powder apart from the flavor. The hot paprika again can be switched to mild. Any chilly powder would work just as well.
Melissa
I love curry, like almost to a point of obsession (ha!). I would never have thought to make my own curry spice though, but I am going to print this and stick it in my pantry so I don't have to use store bought again 🙂 Also, what I would give to go to a traditional spice market in India!!!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Melissa. So happy you found this useful.