The first recipe I wanted to make when I bought The Spice Bible: Essential Information and More Than 250 Recipes Using Spices, Spice Mixes, and Spice Pastes was my own curry powder. I just had to know if there was a significant difference between the flavours of what I buy from the store in plastic bags and what I could make at home.
From the cookbook I found out that what we call curry powder is basically loosely based on India’s madras powder. This blend was assimilated by the British during their colonial rule and is now a convenience ingredient in western pantries.
Well screw that! I wanted the real deal that was not associated with crappy history like that. Damn the man!
All-Purpose Curry Powder
I believe I made half the recipe but will write it in full for you. You will need 2 tsp cumin seeds, 2 tsp coriander seeds, 2 tsp fenugreek seeds, 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds, 1 tsp black peppercorns, 1 tsp cloves, 1 tsp chili powder, 2 tsp ground turmeric, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon and 1/2 tsp ground cardamom.
You begin with dry-frying the whole spices in a frying pan over medium heat for a couple of minutes until they become fragrant.
I used a coffee bean grinder to grind the whole spices. Of course you could always use a mortar and pestle (I did not have my new one at the time).
You want to grind everything until it is a fine powder. This is as fine as I could get it.
Then mix all the spices together. I just added them to the grinder and whizzed them up.
I placed a mound of the store-bought curry powder (back) by the freshly made curry powder and it was clear there was a significant different in scent. The homemade was so much more interesting. The colours of the freshly made powder were also more pronounced.
Recipe Test: Classic 70s Chicken Divan
I do not make it often but Reg loves this chicken casserole recipe his mom used to make when he was growing up that uses curry powder. I figured that would be the fairest test.
Mix together (and yes, this is a truly retro dinner) 1 can of condensed chicken soup and 1 can of condensed mushroom soup (Lorraine just uses the chicken soup but it is too chicken-y for me). Add 1 cup of mayonnaise, 2 tsp lemon juice and 1/2 tsp curry powder.
Cook some broccoli and add it to a casserole dish, along with 4 cups of cubed chicken. Arrange in a casserole dish and pour sauce on top. Garnish with 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese and some cubes of bread. Pour some melted margarine on top and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Yup, that is a classic in Reg’s house! Now how would it compare with the exact same recipe but made with homemade curry powder?
Reg did not like it! Oh no! Poor guy, I ruined his dinner that night. Why? Because now it did not taste like the casserole he remembered, it was an Indian dish.
I say that despite Reg’s disappointment in dinner that night, this means the homemade curry really is more potent, powerful and flavourful than store-bought curry powder. I had my answer!
I also tested it after I came back from Toronto in a curried chicken salad. The curry had been sitting around for a couple of weeks and I could tell that it was not as strong as before so I can see why people make this regularly, to keep it at its peak.
I recommend making less but making it more often to really make the flavours worthwhile. I also conclude that it is absolutely worthwhile to make your own curry powder for those real East Indian dishes. It truly does make the world of foodie difference.
Debra She Who Seeks says
So what happened to the rest of the retro chicken casserole? Did you have to eat it all yourself, LOL?
Suzie Ridler says
Yup! Paid my foodie penance and had that casserole for lunch for days, LOL. I liked it! Too bad Reg didn’t.
AvaDJ says
Love the retro casserole, sounds delish! No one here is a curry fan so we don’t use it, but if we did I’m sure your homemade recipe is definitely the way to go, wow I bet it was super fragrant.
Olivia says
I really liked this post, Suzie. My husband loves curry and I will share it with him. Thank you!
Janet Pole (PAZ) says
We make a dish like that … We call it Jean Small chicken as that’s whose recipe it was.
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 can’s worth of milk
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 c mayonaisse
Dash of curry powder … As much as you like.
Pour mixture over 1 lb of chicken parts (we like thighs) and bake until 180degrees inside of the chicken (dep on pieces anywhere from 30-45 mins at 350 deg)
Janet Pole (PAZ) says
I use Jamaican curry powder … Best commercial product on market!
Shell says
You rock Suzie, making your own curry powder!!!