This recipe makes enough curry powder for a 4-person dish. If you want more to keep in the cupboard to use at a later date, double or triple the recipe.
If you want, you could also put the ingredients straight into the storage container and shake it up well to mix things together.
If you’re having trouble getting the curry powder into the container because the top is too small, use a funnel. If you’re planning on using the curry powder right away, you can skip the storage steps.
Keep in mind that the powder may be fresh for a shorter period of time if you’re using spices that are already several years old. For the best results, use spices that have been purchased in the last 6 months. Write the “made on” date on a piece of masking tape on the container so you will remember how long it’ll be good for. If the curry powder doesn’t smell good or smell strong when you open the container, it has probably gone bad or lost a lot of its potency.
Curry powder can be made into delicious soups, sauces, and marinades. It can also be used as a dry rub on meat and seafood.
This recipe makes enough curry powder to season about 4 dishes, assuming each dish is large enough to serve 4 people. If you want, you could double or even triple the recipe to make a bigger batch. You can always buy whole spices and chiles online and have them shipped to your home, but you can also often find them at specialty spice stores or ethnic groceries.
To check how hot the pan is, hover your hand about 2 to 3 inches (5. 1 to 7. 6 cm) above it. If you can feel the heat radiating off of it, it has sufficiently warmed up. If you can’t, give it another 1 to 2 minutes.
There’s no need to add any kind of cooking oil to the pan. The goal here is to “dry roast” the spices.
Toasting is an essential step in making curry powder from whole spices; the heat causes them to release their aromatic fragrances. It also gets rid of any potential lingering moisture, which means your spices will grind down easier and last for longer. Toasted spices will be 2-3 shades darker than they were originally. Some spices will even “jump” in the pan a little once they’re done, but the best indication is their smell. They should smell toasted; if you notice a burnt smell, you left them on the heat for too long. If the spices burn, they’ll turn very bitter and will need to be discarded.
Use a hot pad or oven mitt when you move the pan to protect your hand from the heat.
You could also use a food processor or even a mortar and pestle to the same effect.
If you use a lot of curry powder often, you could make a bigger batch to keep in storage.
If the spices you used to make the curry powder were older to begin with, take that into account when estimating how long it’ll be good for. Use spices purchased within the last 6 months for the best results. Use a little piece of masking tape and a pen to mark the “made on” date on the container. This way, you won’t forget how old the powder is at any given time.
Use curry powder with chicken, shrimp, vegetables, and other types of meat. It can be made into a marinade, soup, or sauce, or it could even be used as a seasoning for meat or seafood.
