Make-At-Home Curry Powder

Growing up in Durban, South Africa, with its large Indian population, like so many expatriates (I now live in Canada) I developed a passion for Indian cuisine. I prefer to make my own curry blends from scratch as the so called curry you can purchase at grocery stores is more like a condiment or flavouring than it is the genuine thing. I purchase all my whole raw spices for this blend from the Indian section of the Canadian Superstore (or Loblaws). Next - buy yourself a small coffee grinder - I paid less than $10.00 - you can use a blender or food processor - but a grinder will pulverize the hard outer shells of some of the seeds.

• Ready In: 22 mins
• Yields: 1 spice bottle

Ingredients

• 1⁄8 cup whole cardamom pod (white or green)
• 1⁄2 tablespoon  whole brown mustard seeds
• 1⁄2 tablespoon fenugreek seeds
• 1⁄2 tablespoon fennel seed
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  whole caraway seed
• 1  tablespoon whole coriander seed
• 1  tablespoon whole cumin seed
• 1  tablespoon ground turmeric
• 1⁄2 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1⁄2 tablespoon  dried  red chili pepper flakes

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
2. De-husk the cardamom seeds. Discard the shells and gather enough of the little seeds that are inside to fill a half tablespoon.
3. Place the cardamom, brown mustard, fenugreek, fennel, caraway, coriander and cumin seeds in a cake pan and bake the spices 5 to 7 minutes or until the aroma fills your kitchen! Take care not to burn them as they will turn bitter!
4. Cool these down completely.
5. Next, place the cooled toasted spices in the grinder and add the ground turmeric, ginger and red chili pepper flakes.
6. Pulverize until powder.
7. Pour through a funnel into a clean dry spice bottle and store in your pantry away from direct sunlight.
8. Use in recipes that call for curry powder.