Homemade Curry Powder

Homemade Curry Powder is a super flavorful spice blend that can be used in all of your favorite curry recipes. It’s quick and easy to make and can be stored in your pantry to be used, as needed.

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Since my first bite of Coconut Curry Chicken, I can honestly say that all curry is my favorite curry.

After making curry powder from scratch in culinary school, I haven’t gone back to store bought. I’ve tinkered around quite a bit to get this recipe to the way that I like my curry to taste, and I really hope that you love it too.

You can adjust it to suit your own tastes and use it with any and all recipes calling for curry powder. I tend to make ours mild so that the kids can eat it, but if you like a little spice, we’ve got you covered there too!

Why This Recipe Works

Making homemade spice mixes is very simple to do. It’s so quick and easy to mix together that you’ll wonder why you ever bought the pre-made mixes in the first place. 

Curry powder is one of the most flavorful seasonings you can use. It goes great with chicken, beef, pork, seafood, vegetarian, and vegan dishes. 

It’s a really versatile recipe. There are likely hundreds of curry powder recipes, if not more, out there in the world. Some will love this one as it is, some won’t. But you can easily modify the ingredients, if you want.  If there is an ingredient you know you want in your curry, simple add it. Don’t like or have something on hand, omit it. 

Step-By-Step Instructions

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground fenugreek
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground mustard
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 1/2 ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• Cayenne pepper (optional, to taste): if you want a spicy curry powder, add cayenne. Start with 1/4 teaspoon for a milder spice level and work your way up if a stronger spiciness is desired.

Chef’s Tip: the most flavorful curry powder that I’ve ever had was made from whole spices in culinary school. Our instructor toasted the whole spices in a dry pan until fragrant, then added them to a spice grinder to process into a powder. Toasting the spices brings out the flavor much more. You can also cook ground curry powder in oil for a minute or two before adding other ingredients when using it in recipes, such as this recipe for Coconut Curry Shrimp.

The entire recipe and instructions can also be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. You can also print the recipe from the card, if needed.

Prep!

There is no significant prep work for this recipe. 

If you are grinding whole spices, it is recommended that you toast them first in a dry pan over low heat. You will want to heat the spices, stirring frequently, until fragrant being very careful not to burn them. Remove the spices from the pan to cool before grinding.

Create!

Add all of the spices to a bowl and stir until evenly blended. 

Present!

Transfer to a jar with a lid and store in the pantry away from direct sunlight.

Use as desired by the earliest expiration date on the individual jars of herbs used.

Tips and Techniques

• Use fresh, dried herbs and spices for the best results. For even more intense flavor, heat whole spices in a dry pan over low heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Be very careful not to burn them. Remove the spices from the pan to cool before grinding.
• If you don’t have or don’t like an ingredient, you can easily adjust this recipe to suite your own tastes.
• Use a spice or coffee grinder, food processor, or mortar and pestle to grind the spices finer, if needed.
• Store in a dry, cool place away from direct sunlight. Use by the earliest expiration date on the individual jars of herbs used.

FAQ’s

What Is In Curry Powder?

There are so many different recipes for curry powder. Most use a variation of spices that may include any combination of coriander, cardamom, cumin, paprika, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper, mustard, cayenne pepper, bay leaves, cloves, and/or fenugreek.

What Is A Good Substitute For Curry Powder?

Curry powder is a pretty unique blend of spices that no one single spice really replicates well. You could use a similar spice blend, such as garam masala or you can use a combination of other spices you may have on hand such as, coriander, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, ground mustard, black pepper, turmeric, fenugreek, paprika, bay leaves, cloves, and/or cayenne pepper.

More Homemade Spice Mixtures

Homemade Blackening Seasoning

Homemade Blackening Spice is a quick and easy mixture of spices and herbs, which add tons of flavor to any dish. This savory and mildly spicy combination of ingredients is perfect for seasoning meat, vegetables, and especially Cajun dishes.

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This recipe for Homemade Taco Seasoning is a simple way to improve the flavor of your favorite Mexican inspired dishes. It’s a mixture of 9 herbs and spices, which can be adjusted to be mild or spicy, for an authentic taco flavor.

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Homemade Italian Seasoning

Homemade Italian Seasoning is a delicious addition to an endless number of meat, poultry and vegetarian dishes. It's quick and easy to make and can be stored in your pantry to be used, as needed.

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Print

Homemade Curry Powder

Homemade Curry Powder is a super flavorful spice blend that can be used in all of your favorite curry recipes. It’s quick and easy to make and can be stored in your pantry to be used, as needed.

Course Spice Blends

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 18 teaspoons

Calories 7kcal

Author Lauren Harris

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground fenugreek
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground mustard
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• cayenne pepper (optional, to taste)

Instructions

• Add all of the spices to a bowl and stir until evenly blended.
  3 tablespoons ground coriander, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground fenugreek, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground mustard, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, cayenne pepper
• Transfer to a jar with a lid and store in the pantry away from direct sunlight.
• Use as desired by the earliest expiration date on the individual jars of herbs and spices used.

Notes

Tips and Techniques

• Use fresh, dried herbs and spices for the best results. For even more intense flavor, heat whole spices in a dry pan over low heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Be very careful not to burn them. Remove the spices from the pan to cool before grinding.
• For a spicy curry, add cayenne pepper. Start with 1/4 teaspoon for a milder spice and build, as desired, for spicier curry.
• If you don’t have or don’t like an ingredient, you can easily adjust this recipe to suite your own tastes.
• Use a spice or coffee grinder, food processor, or mortar and pestle to grind the spices finer, if needed.
• Store in a dry, cool place away from direct sunlight. Use by the earliest expiration date on the individual jars of herbs used.

** Nutritional information is an estimate and may vary.

Nutrition

Serving: 1teaspoon | Calories: 7kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.05g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 25mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.03g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg