Yellow Curry Powder

There is not just one recipe for curry powder; there are so many ingredients that can be added with each recipe being as individual as the person creating it. Some of the common spices are turmeric (gives curry a bright yellow color among other subtle flavors and health benefits), coriander seeds, cumin seeds, brown mustard seeds, yellow mustard seeds, chili powder, dried chilies, fenugreek seeds, cloves, ground ginger, garlic powder, onion powder, cinnamon, green cardamom, mace, nutmeg, poppy seeds, fennel seeds and black, white and red peppercorns…

One thing that does *not* belong in curry, however, is corn starch or sugar–yet almost every commercial brand has both. You have to call the manufacturer to find this out because they get to call all their ingredients “proprietary mix of spices.” Thing is, if you are trying to avoid GMO or even regular corn, you just might want to know this truth.

Meanwhile, curry is really pretty easy to make. I favor using the whole seeds when you can find them because they contain the seed oils and living flavors that pack so much more of a punch than the dried grocery store varieties–especially when released by toasting. But if you can’t find the whole seeds, the ground individual spices will certainly work. We each have our preferences and I encourage you to vary this and come up with your own “family blend.”

Makes 5 to 6 tablespoons

Ingredients:

2 tbsp whole coriander seeds
1 tbsp whole cumin seeds
2 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 1/2 tsp whole brown mustard seeds
1 1/2 tsp ground tumeric
1 tsp whole fenugreek seeds (I used 1 tsp of ground fenugreek)
3 hot dried red chilies, crumbled (I used dried chile de arbol)
3 whole cloves

Preparation:
1. Heat a small frying pan over medium heat. When it gets hot, add coriander, cumin, peppercorns, mustard seeds, cloves and chilies. Keep moving the pan constantly, to make sure the spices do not burn, the spices will begin to begin to get toasted and become fragrant. Keep moving the pan over the heat until they begin to darken slightly in color. Add tumeric and fenugreek and stir constantly for 10-15 seconds.
2. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Allow to cool. Once cool, place into a spice grinder and grind until fine. Store in an air tight container.


Powered by