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.
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Nothing beats the fragrance of fresh homemade spice blends. Curry powder comes from India. It has a distinctive and different flavor than most other spice mixes.
It is a special blend of homemade Indian curry powder that is one of a kind. This a recipe you will love and should have in your pantry always if you enjoy Indian cooking. In fact, a few teaspoons of this spice mix is all it takes to make a simple curry from good to finger-licking delicious.
About this curry spice
- 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 has nothing overpowering. And, the flavors complement each other. The cumin adds smokiness and the coriander adds calm while the cayenne gives it that heat.
- Also, the color is just what you want. A deep beautiful red color that begs to be eaten. It gives the sauce a bright color and richer flavor.
- 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.
What is curry powder made of?
Curry is made with the most basic Indian spices ground coriander, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, chili peppers, turmeric, black pepper, and ground ginger. Commercially, some brands will also add a few other ingredients such as green and black cardamom, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, bay leaves, fenugreek, caraway, fennel seeds, dry mustard etc. Some of these are spices used in garam masala.
Homemade curry powder recipe
From ground spices
- Combine all the spices in a small spice jar. Give it a good mix.
Pro tip - I like to close the jar and give it a good shake! Or use a mini whisk.
From whole spices
- Add the whole paprika to a frying pan and toast them over med-low heat for a minute.
Pro tip - spices burn easily so make sure the heat is low and shake the pan often. - Then add the whole spices and toast them for a minute more until fragrant. Take it off the heat and let it cool until barely warm.
Pro tip - You will start to get the beautiful aroma of spices - Place all the whole and powdered spices in a spice grinder blender and blend until smooth. Pulse it a few times until finely ground.
Storage
- Always store the jar airtight in a dark place to ensure the flavor of the spices is sealed 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 it's 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.
How to make a quick curry?
Well, if you have curry powder you can make a curry in just a few minutes. Here's an example,
- In a skillet over medium heat saute 1 small onion, 4 minced garlic cloves, and 3-inch grated ginger in 2 tablespoon of olive oil until fragrant.
- Then, add one large chopped tomato with 3 tablespoon of curry powder spice. Saute until fragrant.
- Next, add 500 g/1 lb of chicken, beef, lamb, or one 14 oz can of beans. Saute for 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add 1 cup of coconut milk and 1 cup of stock/broth or water.
- Cover and cook until the meat is tender. Approximately, 15 to 20 minutes for chicken, 40 to 50 minutes for beef and lamb, and just 10 minutes for beans.
- Finally, add 1 to 2 tablespoon of lemon juice and sprinkle with fresh cilantro.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with rice, chapati, naan, or bread!
Is it ok to buy storebought curry power?
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 different regions 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 different. And, a word of advice - if you find a brand you like - take note of it and buy the same one next time to avoid surprises. But, you can also be adventurous and take a chance. You might just prefer the next one better than the first.
Curry recipes
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 as your curry with just chili powder.
Yes, you can. Also, for a quick curry with 1 lb or 500 grams of chicken try:
1 tablespoon coriander powder,
1 teaspoon cumin powder,
¼ teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon sweet or hot paprika
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
14 teaspoon 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 such as green and black cardamom, ground cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, etc
Also, you can make a curry without garam masala spice but not without curry powder.
They both are made up of the same spices so yes they are the same. However, madras curry powder is spicer/hotter because it has additional chilly peppers as compared to British curry powder or other International brands.
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 are 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, and 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.
Printable Recipe
Homemade Curry Powder Spice Mix
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Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Ingredients
From ground spices ( makes ⅓ cup)
- 2 tablespoon Coriander powder
- 1 tablespoon Cumin powder
- 1 tablespoon Turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon Cayenne (mild or hot)
- 1 tablespoon Smoked sweet paprika (for color)
- ½ teaspoon Ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon Pepper powder
From whole spices
- 3 tablespoon Dry coriander seeds
- 1 ½ tbsp Dry cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon Turmeric powder
- 2 large Dry whole paprika (hot or mild)
- 3 large Dry smoked paprika (Sweet for color)
- ½ teaspoon Ginger powder (optional - I usually add fresh in my recipe)
- 10 corns Black peppercorns
Instructions
From ground spices
- Combine all the spices in a small spice jar. Give it a good mix. Pro tip - I like to close the jar and give it a good shake! Or use a mini whisk.2 tablespoon Coriander powder, 1 tablespoon Cumin powder, 1 tablespoon Turmeric powder, 1 tablespoon Cayenne, 1 tablespoon Smoked sweet paprika, ½ teaspoon Ground ginger, ½ teaspoon Pepper powder
From whole spices
- Add the whole paprika to a frying pan and toast them over med-low heat for a minute. Pro tip - spices burn easily so make sure the heat is low and shake the pan often.3 tablespoon Dry coriander seeds, 1 ½ tablespoon Dry cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon Turmeric powder, 2 large Dry whole paprika, 3 large Dry smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon Ginger powder, 10 corns Black peppercorns
- Then add the whole spices and toast them for a minute more until fragrant. Take it off the heat and let it cool until barely warm. Pro tip - You will start to get the beautiful aroma of spices
- Place all the whole and powdered spices in a spice grinder blender and blend until smooth. Pulse it a few times until finely ground.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- 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