Homemade Indian Curry Powder Spice Mix

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Homemade Indian Curry Powder Spice Mix

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 for your next meal.

Nothing beats the fragrance of fresh homemade spice blends. This special blend for homemade Indian curry powder spice mix is one of a kind. A recipe you will love and should have in your pantry always if you enjoy Indian food. 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 ordered curry powder before then you know that there are no two curry powders 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. A word of advice – if you find a brand you like – take a note of it and make sure you are loyal to it so you won’t be disappointed. But you can also be adventurous and take a chance. You might just prefer the next one better than the first.

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From scratch

Have you been using my wonderful Indian recipes? I’m so happy some of you have had great success with it. 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 my homemade curry powder spice mix and homemade garam masala spice mix.

Yup, I make my own and I always have made them from scratch using whole spices.  In fact, when I make my curry powder I make a big batch and then send a few out to my friends as well.  A few of my friends would rather have me give them my spice mixes as gifts.

Now, 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. I am ashamed to say that there are times when I have slacked and used store-bought powders to create my curry powder blend but when I learned from mom it was the use of whole spices, toasted lightly and then ground in the spice blender.

The traditional spice mix methods.

Having grown up as an Indian girl, one of my childhood memories is that mom would make spice mixes for the whole year and of course to sell these to her customers. Did you know that making spice mixes if done properly can be a huge job! I know, because I’ve seen my mom go through this process every year.

It was a ritual and the process took about two weeks for her.
She would buy large quantities (like 20 kgs)of different types of chilies and large quantities of lots of other spices. I clearly remember one of her spice mixes had a mix of 32 different spices and it was so popular that she has customers from the overseas place an order for a few months in advance.

These whole spices were dried out on the patio under the natural sunlight on a huge sheet.
Every day for a week she’d bring them out in the morning – toast them in the sun the whole day and then take them back inside the house in the evening. After one week – the next step was to dry roast them and she’d do that outside the house on an open fire in a huge wok-like pot. The smell of those whole spices and chilies use to be so strong, she’d have to send us away to my aunt’s house for the day. Once these were dry roasted then they go to a special shop with a spice mill (because they were large quantities these could not be done in a home spice blender)

The finale

When the spice mix was ready she’d fill them in sterilized dry spice jars and sealed with a cloth and string to make sure they stayed fresh for the whole year. After which she’d send the orders out for delivery.

Yup, that was a lot of work and I never understood why she went thru all that trouble until I started making my own spice mixes. Y’all the flavor and smell you get from the freshly ground spices is second to none.  Don’t think I’ll ever work as hard as my mom to make spice mixes but I do make my own at least. My sister did make my mom proud because she still makes and even sells a few of my mom’s spice mixes (because they are so popular locally).

About this curry powder spice mix (Save/Pin)

There are a few things according to me that are worth taking note of. Unlike Moroccan food, Indians like to use fresh ginger in their food. So the use of ground ginger is kept to the minimum. Cinnamon does not belong in curry powder it belongs in garam masala. A strong flavor of cumin is very characteristic in Moroccan spices, not Indian curry powder. Coriander, however, is more Indian both in powder and fresh form.  My mom’s rule of thumb was one part cumin, one part turmeric, two parts coriander, two parts cayenne is a good basis for curry powder. Everything else is up for customization. Now in my previous post, we spoke about the differences between curry powder and garam masala so I think you have that information here as well.

So in this recipe, you will get my take on Indian curry powder spice mix. The blend is just right and not overpowering but 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. Ah well, I better stop but you can find my Indian recipes here

Useful Tips and Tools

• A coffee grinder or spice grinder if you plan to make these from whole spices. The food processor does not really grind spices very fine so if you choose to make these from whole spices please use a good coffee grinder. And if you make a larger quantity (for example to give as gifts) let the coffee grinder rest in between every 10 minutes. They usually have delicate motors. (I have broken two spice grinders so far- sigh) 
• You will need mini bowls to measure the spices first. I prefer to have all the spices measured out first – cause once you start mixing there is no remembering which one is left out (don’t ask me how I know that) 
• Spice mixes are best stored in spice jars to ensure they stay fresh. Never leave them open on the counter. 
• Measuring spoons are worth the investments. Trying to wing spices in a spice mix is never the best strategy. 

How to make Homemade Indian Curry Powder Spice Mix (Save/Pin)

For the ground spices

• Measure all ground spices
• Combine them all in a small jar
• Close the lid and give it a good shake.
• Voila – your homemade curry powder spice mix is ready to use.

For the whole spices

• Have all your ingredients measured out
• Place a frying pan on low heat for a minute
• Once hot – add all the whole spices in a hot pan.
• Keep the heat on low and light shake the pan to toast them.
• You will start to get the spices to give out a beautiful aroma.
• Take it off the heat and let cool until barely warm.
• Place all the whole and powder spices in a spice blender (yes you need a spice blender or coffee grinder)
• Pulse it a few times until finely ground
• Pour them into a spice jar.
• Your curry powder is now ready for use.

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.
• Read the expiry date on the powders you used – choose the one with the earliest date as a guide.

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Frequently asked questions?

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Indian Homemade Curry Powder Spice Mix

Author: Veena Azmanov

4.75 from 12 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 2 mins

Total Time: 2 mins

Calories: 102kcal

$5

Adjust Servings Here: 1 serving

Description

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 for your next meal.

Ingredients

From ground spices

• 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) Coriander powder
• 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) Cumin powder
• 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) Turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) Cayenne mild or hot
• 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) Smoked sweet paprika for color
• 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) Ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) Mustard powder
• 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) Cardamom powder
• 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) Pepper powder

From whole spices

• 3 tbsp Dry coriander seeds
• 1 1/2 tbsp Dry cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp Turmeric powder
• 2 large Dry whole paprika hot or mild
• 3 large Dry smoked paprika Sweet for color
• 1/2 tsp Ginger powder optional – I usually add fresh in my recipe
• 1 tsp Yellow or black mustard seeds
• 4 pieces Whole green cardamom
• 10 corns Black peppercorns

ADJUST SERVINGS HERE – 1 serving

Instructions

For ground spices

• Measure all ground spices
• Combine them all in a small jar
• Close the lid and give it a good shake.
• Voila – your curry is ready to use.

For whole spices

• Have all your ingredients measured out 
• Place a frying pan on low heat for a minute 
• Once hot – add all the whole spices in hot pan. 
• Keep the heat on low and light shake the pan to toast them. 
•  You will start to get the spices to give out a beautiful aroma. 
• Take it off the heat and let cool until barely warm. 
• Place all the whole and powder spices in a spice blender (yes you need a spice blender) 
• Pulse it a few times until finely ground 
• Pour them into a spice jar. 
• Your curry powder is now ready for use.
  

Recipe Notes

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 – 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.

 

The below video show how to use my curry powder to make a quick chicken curry with just six ingredients. 

Recipe Video

About Videos – most recipes has two videos – a quick version in the post & longer detailed version on this recipe card. Sometimes a similar recipe video may be used. Please do subscribe to my channel if you like my videos

Equipment

Spice blender

Spice jar

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Indian Homemade Curry Powder Spice Mix

Amount Per Serving

Calories 102 Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Fat 4g6%

Saturated Fat 0g0%

Cholesterol 0mg0%

Sodium 27mg1%

Potassium 706mg20%

Carbohydrates 17g6%

Fiber 6g24%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 6315IU126%

Vitamin C 26.2mg32%

Calcium 129mg13%

Iron 10.2mg57%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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

Keywords – basic recipe, curry, Indian, Indian curry, spice mix

Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear about itMention @veenaazmanov or #tag on Instagram #veenaazmanov

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