Common in Malaysian cooking, this curry powder contains a fragrant blend of freshly toasted spices.
Steps
1
Toasting the Spices
Ingredients
10 whole cloves
10 whole black peppercorns
4 whole cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick (about 2-inches/5 cm)
4 whole dried red chilies
4 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
To make this meat curry powder, begin by toasting the spices according to size, as they will toast at different rates.
Place a pan over medium heat and toast the cloves, cardamom and peppercorns. Toss a few times, and as soon as they begin to smoke and release their fragrance, set them aside to cool.
Do the same for the cinnamon stick and dried chilies. Next, toast the coriander seeds. Finally, toast the cumin and fennel seeds together. Let the spices cool completely.
2
Grinding the Spices
Ingredients
1 tsp turmeric
To grind the spices, you can either use a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Starting with the harder items first, pound together the cloves, peppercorns, and cardamom. Next, add the cinnamon stick and chilies and grind well. Add the cumin and fennel, finishing with the coriander seeds and turmeric.
Once you have finished pounding, you can strain the spices through a sieve to achieve an even finer powder. If there are large bits left over, you can grind these again and strain.
This blend of spices lends wonderful flavor to many curry dishes. To ensure freshness, store any leftover spices in an air-tight container.
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I was unable to find whole cardamom pods, but was able to find ground cardamom. how much of the ground cardamom can I substitute for the 4 whole cardamom pods?
Hi Chester- 4 pods will yield around 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons depending on the size of the pods. Any good spice shop or specialty grocer will have whole cardamom. Good luck cooking!
Hi Gaye. You can use this anywhere that curry powder is called for. If you head to our recipe database and search "curry", there are a few recipes that you can use this for. I personally love using this specific blend on roasted cauliflower, in butternut squash soup, on roasted tofu or in a coconut lentil soup. Let us know what you create! Lauren
Hi Zahraa: Thanks for writing. Once you have made your own spice mixes, it is really difficult to buy jarred mixes. You will get a hint of the flavors from the mixes you already own, but I highly suggest to make your own mix, it really boosts the flavors in any dish you are making. Plus, it is pure fun! Cheers, -Char
I made this spice blend. The curry tastes great compared to Madras curry powder. I cook with it very often nowadays. I want to make more. If I triple the ingredients called for, will it alter the flavour of the curry powder? How do I increase the ingredients to get the same authentic flavour? Thanks.
Hi Linda, each modification to a recipe may bring about some change, of course, depending on the accuracy of measurements and other possible variables. You might be able to triple the quantity and maintain consistency of flavor; you'll need to give it a try. If the flavor changes when altering the yield of a recipe, you need to test the recipe and make changes by adjusting the quantity of the ingredient(s) that you think should be changed. Enjoy the process! ~Eric
The cinnamon is VERY difficult to grind. I recommend using a different method like a grater or shaver for this particular ingredient. The rest weren't too bad.
Ken R • Rouxbe Staff •Hi Chester- 4 pods will yield around 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons depending on the size of the pods. Any good spice shop or specialty grocer will have whole cardamom. Good luck cooking!
Lauren L •Hi Gaye. You can use this anywhere that curry powder is called for. If you head to our recipe database and search "curry", there are a few recipes that you can use this for. I personally love using this specific blend on roasted cauliflower, in butternut squash soup, on roasted tofu or in a coconut lentil soup. Let us know what you create! Lauren
Char N • Rouxbe Staff •Hi Zahraa: Thanks for writing. Once you have made your own spice mixes, it is really difficult to buy jarred mixes. You will get a hint of the flavors from the mixes you already own, but I highly suggest to make your own mix, it really boosts the flavors in any dish you are making. Plus, it is pure fun! Cheers, -Char
Sandy S •Hi Tom, Indeed there is... https://rouxbe.com/recipes/1688-braised-malaysian-short-ribs Happy cooking! Cheers, Sandy
Linda C •I made this spice blend. The curry tastes great compared to Madras curry powder. I cook with it very often nowadays. I want to make more. If I triple the ingredients called for, will it alter the flavour of the curry powder? How do I increase the ingredients to get the same authentic flavour? Thanks.
Eric W • Rouxbe Staff •Hi Linda, each modification to a recipe may bring about some change, of course, depending on the accuracy of measurements and other possible variables. You might be able to triple the quantity and maintain consistency of flavor; you'll need to give it a try. If the flavor changes when altering the yield of a recipe, you need to test the recipe and make changes by adjusting the quantity of the ingredient(s) that you think should be changed. Enjoy the process! ~Eric
Robert K •The cinnamon is VERY difficult to grind. I recommend using a different method like a grater or shaver for this particular ingredient. The rest weren't too bad.