Friday, June 15, 2012

Curry Powder #2

Like the other curry powder I've made, this one tastes great, but it still doesn't have that distinctive curry powder taste of commercial mixes, the taste that many people think is itself a spice called "curry" (cf. rant).  Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves are more dominant in these homemade mixes, while the more pungent flavors--turmeric, mustard, fennel, perhaps also fenugreek or asafoetida--are more understated than expected.


Madras Curry Powder
(scaled down from this food.com recipe)

Ingredients
1 1/2 TB coriander seeds
1 1/4 TB cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp fennel seed
1 1/2 tablespoons peppercorns
1 tsp whole cloves
1 TB ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 TB ground cardamom
1/2 TB turmeric
1/2 TB ground ginger
1 tsp cayenne (or less if less heat is desired)

Instructions
Toast everything that isn't already ground (coriander through cloves), one ingredient at a time.  Set them aside to cool, then grind.  Mix in remaining ingredients.

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