Curry Powder

Monday 31 Mar 2008

Powders and pastes are blend of spices, chillies, and herbs that are used as the basis of a curry. Traditional Indian households would blend individual spices as needed, but for convenience you may prefer to prepare a quantity in advance.

Curry powder is a basic recipe for a dry spice blend for use in any curry dish. It is a mild recipe, but for a hotter taste you could increase the quantity of dried chilli.

Ingredients :

· 1/2 cup coriander seeds
· 4 tbsp. cumin seeds
· 2 tbsp. fennel seeds
· 2 tbsp. fenugreek seeds
· 4 dried red chillies
· 5 curry leaves
· 1 tbsp. chilli powder
· 1 tbsp. ground turmeric
· 1/2 tsp. salt

(Cooking Conversion Chart)

Cooking Procedures :

1. Dry-roast the whole spices—coriander, cumin, fennel, and fenugreek seeds, dried red chillies, and curry leaves in a wok, or large pan for about 8 to 10 minutes. Shaking the pan from side to side until the spices darken and release a rich aroma. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

2. Transfer the dry-roasted whole spices in a spice mill and grind to a fine powder.

3. Remove ground, roasted spices from the mill and place in a large glass bowl. Add the chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Mix well and transfer in an airtight container.

4. Keep the curry powder for 2 to 4 months in a cool and dark place. Once opened, store in the refrigerator.