Curry Powder isn’t ‘one’ thing.  It’s a house mix and would seem to be a Western invention, but it’s a ready-mix which has been around for a long time.  It  was certainly available in London in the mid 1780s as there’s an advert for it in ‘The Morning Post’.  That  must have been powerful stuff because it promises “it contributes most of any food to an increase of the human race”.  I don’t make any such claims for mine … although I do have five children …

You can buy Hot, Medium or Mild, but your own will always be better.  Whole ground spices are more flavourful and zingy than anything you buy ready ground.  Plus, you can customise your mix to your own taste.

This is mine.  (If you happen to be one of my children – this is the curry powder I send you to university with to put on your spicy popcorn ..)

I’ve made choices.  If you buy it, depending on the brand you buy, you may find coriander, turmeric, curry leaves, cumin, fenugreek, chilli, ginger, garlic, asafoetida, fennel seeds, caraway seeds, cinnamon, cloves, mustard seeds, green cardamom, black cardamom, nutmeg or black pepper.  I think I spotted celery salt in one the other day.

This is my go-to mix.  Since the shelf life of ground spices is no more than 3 months at most I like to grind mine in small quantities.

Lightly toasting the spices does make the kitchen smell wonderful, but the real reason to do it is because it alters the flavour of the spice.  It’s not better, just different.  I like it for this.

For my curry powder I place coriander seeds, cumin, black mustard seeds, fenugreek, fennel seeds, black peppercorns and cloves  in a small cast iron frying pan.

Over a low heat, warm through until the spices release their aroma and they appear slightly darker.  Transfer to a bowl.  If they stay in the pan they might burn in the residual heat.  Leave to cool.

I’m sure a purist would opt for a pestle and mortar, but I keep a bamix dry blender for the purpose.  (Don’t even think of grinding coffee beans in what has become a ‘spice mill’ or they’ll taste peculiar!)

I add a few freeze-dried curry leaves and a couple of dried chillies.

And whiz.

A little turmeric.  Then, mix.

That’s it.  A fresh and zingy curry powder.  Eat.

Home-Made Curry Powder

• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• 1½ teaspoons black mustard seeds
• 1½ teaspoons fenugreek
• 6 freeze dried curry leaves, crushed
• 2 dried chillies, seeds included
• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
• ½ teaspoon whole cloves
• ½ teaspoon of black peppercorns

Set the curry leaves, the chillies and the turmeric to one side.

Place the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, fenugreek, cloves and peppercorns in a small cast iron frying pan and place over a low heat.  (Don’t use a non-stick pan for this as the coating may smoke.)  Keep watching and shaking the pan as spices burn quickly.  You want everything to roast evenly.  Warm through until the whole spices have darkened slightly and an aromatic scent has filled your kitchen.  Immediately transfer them to a bowl to cool.

Once cool, add the crushed curry leaves and roughly chopped dried chillies.  Grind in a pestle and mortar or whiz in a spice grinder.

Add the turmeric and stir.  Store in a sealed container and use within weeks.

Eat.

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