| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| Treacodactyl |
Make your own curry powder?We tend to buy ready mixed curry powder. We like mild flavoursome curries so tend to use a large amount and have found the ready mixed powders too salty. However, when we've tried to make our own we tend to end up with a cupboard with many old jars of various spices.So, does anyone recommend a few basic spices? We'll grow our own chillies and garlic so they will be on the list anyway, but is there a good mix that contains just three or four others? is there a secret ingredient that takes the place of several others? Any tips greatly appreciated. 
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| jema |
Curry powder has almost 0 relevence to making a curry.
We have a basic selection of spices, used as required in recipes. Coriander seeds Chile Powder 
Cumin seeds Green Cardanum Ginger powder, though keeping some root ginger in the fridge is better. Green chiles (frozen) Cinemon sticks Cloves Mustard seeds Fenegeek seeds Termuric Paprike Cayenne pepper. I guess the catch is you need to be doing a fari bit of Asian cooking to justify the range, and I bet I have missed a couple out, for example we also use star anise, black cardenum.... |
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| Treacodactyl |
It certainly helps us make a quick meal in less than 30 minutes. We tend to eat a very varied mix of food so keeping a large selection of spices is not good. Especially as many of the spices have quite a few food miles behind them. 
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| jema |
In the case of spices, that has been the case for thousands of years, and weight for wieight , surely a minimal issue as these things go. Premixed spices are useful, we do have garam masala , as a preground mix. but i still regard plain curry powder as a way of missing out on the variety of flavours you should taste. |
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| tahir |
I've never really known what to make of curry powder, never used it, haven't got time today but I'll tell you what we use tomorrow | ||||
| Treacodactyl |
I like the idea of mixing something basic during the weekend and adding something different when used, but without the need to make from scratch each time. | ||||
| Bugs |
The problem with making up our own mixes has been a combination of too many things not getting used as TD says...(lots of little bottles and tubs too)...and the fact that I at least just can't get it to taste of a combination rather than too much cumin, not enough something else, etc.
I suppose if someone can help us with which combinations, we could make up in bulk and pass on any we don't use to friends. |
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| Bugs |
So I *like* using curry powders (or blends, if you like) - I'm not proud of it, but it works . Turned half a left over cauliflower in to a perfectly pleasant meal the other night. Life could be better but it could be worse 
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| sean |
I think curry powder is well worth having. Using individual spices works much better if you're making a stab at 'authenticity', but some things e.g. mouclade, coronation chicken, chicken croquettes only taste right made with commercial curry powder. | ||||
| jema |
Maybe, but if you have not made a stab at authenticity you do not know what you are missing. It is not the idea of a blend that I have a problem with, I used a garam masala blend, I also buy big containers of crushed garlic for convenience. What I don't like is the sameness of the curry powder type blend. It may be the right blend for coronation chicken, but it is decidedly not the right blend for most things. |
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| tahir |
Like i said I've never used Curry Powder so I'm probably not qulaified to comment, anybody know what's in it? | ||||
| Snowball |
I like curry powder as a quick and conveinent way to spice things up. Having said that, I like grinding my own to add an infinite variety to dishes.
I would say the basics are, garlic, chili,coriander seeds,tumeric, cumin and cardamon. The heat is obviously dependent on the amount of each you choose. Feel free to add any of the others already listed. Just experiment and have fun.
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| jema |
But it is about a lot more than the blend, I do not claim to be an expert , but the creation of a good curry involved heating some of the spices in oil at the start, adding others with the cooking liquid, and probably frying a little garam masala and adding to the dish just before serving.
Bunging in some "mix" at a single point of the cooking, is not the same thing at all. |
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| sean |
Schwartz medium curry powder: Coriander seed Salt Turmeric Ginger Cumin Fenugreek Mustard flour Garlic powder Allspice Cayenne pepper Black pepper |
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| Treacodactyl |
I have made curries from scratch, but have also had very good ones from powder.
Looking at Sean's list, garlic, pepper, salt, chilli and ginger can all be added from our store cupboard anyway so it would be good to make a simple 3/4 spice powder rather than buying anything. So, as Snowball suggests, something like a mix of coriander seeds, tumeric, cumin and cardamom would be worth making. I could make it once a month for weekday use. I'd rather not go down the 2 different types of cardamom, two different types of mustard seed, 6 different types of chilli powder route as we don't eat that many or have the space for the jars! |
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| judith |
Chuck out the jars and use small ziploc-type bags for the whole spices. They really don't take up a lot of space - you can keep them in a small box in a drawer, like a filing cabinet. Then just take out enough to make a small amount of whatever blend you chose, and keep that in a more accessible jar. I will probably get leaped on for saying it, but I find that whole spices last for ever. I'm still working my way through a huge bag of peppercorns that I bought about 6 years ago - I've not really noticed any loss of potency. |
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| tahir |
Absolutely, my mum grinds her own garam masala as she needs it so i just nick some off her, we use quite a lot of ground coriander for which I use a pepper grinder. |
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| Bugs |
Brilliant. Where does your mum live Tahir? Will it be on my A-Z? Tell you what, my mum does a really nice Christmas cake, various soda breads, and scones and cakes - we can trade for a while if you like 
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| Joey |
http://www.spicebox.co.uk/about01.php
Maybe you can find out on this site or contact them and they will help, they are very friendly. we used to get curry packs from them from their shop in Sudbury, when we lived in suffolk. they made delicious curries. |
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| tahir |
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| jema |
I think there are exceptions, green cardenum does not seem to last well. |
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| tahir |
Agree about green cardomom, cloves probably lose a bit of punch too, but nothing like as fast as ground spices. | ||||
| chrissy |
I love the idea of ziplock bags for them. All the jars do take up a lot of space, and the bags could still be kept in the dark. Thanks Judith.
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| Jonnyboy |
I use pataks pastes with some chopped onion, garlic and lemon juice as a marinade for lamb before putting it on the bbq.
I know it's a shop bought paste but it really works well. |
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| judith |
Just remember to label the bags Chrissy. I nearly put mustard seeds on my poppy seed rolls this weekend
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