making curry powder

Welcome to Making Mondays, dear Readers! 

Today's Making Monday recipe is Curry Powder. I know - you can buy curry powder at any store. But I ask you, how do you know how long it's been on the store shelf before you picked it up? I say to you that making your own curry powder returns your investment of time in spades.

The most obscure ingredient is fenugreek seeds, so you can skip it if you must, but if you can get ahold of some (at Indian grocers or Amazon) , it adds a wonderful aromatic and flavorful component to the curry powder - and your kitchen. 

I think making your own curry powder elevates whatever dish you add it to, be it an Asian, African or American dish. I find myself reaching for curry powder quite often and am always elated when I open my jar; the aroma is so fragrant and smells delicious.

Making it is simple: you toast the whole seeds, allow them to cool a bit and add those and paprika and turmeric to a personal blender. Use a piece of paper rolled into a tube that is wider at the top to act as  a funnel for the transfer of the seeds. Blend into a powder and store. 

This recipe makes one spice jar's worth and will keep for about 3 months. Store it in the freezer if you use it infrequently, but mine hasn't lasted 3 months at any point.

It is VERY important that you add the paprika to the blender and not the skillet to avoid burning it. If you burn the paprika, even slightly, it will impart an unpleasant bitter flavor to the powder. 

Below is the step by step.

Enjoy!

(Printer-friendly doesn't seem to be so friendly. Just select the text between the arrows (including the white space to add margin on the top), right-click, select Print, and now it's printer-friendly. Can also be saved as PDF:  choose Save as PDF in Destination drop-down, instead of a printer.)

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Making Zsu's Curry Powder

Makes 1/3 cup

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com

1/4 cup coriander seeds

2 teaspoons black peppercorn 

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds

2 tablespoons paprika

1 teaspoons turmeric

1. Toast: Add the coriander, peppercorn, cumin and fenugreek seeds to a medium skillet over medium heat. Toast the seeds until they smell nutty, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for a few minutes.

2. Blend: Add the seeds to a personal blender. Add the paprika and turmeric. Use the flat blade, if possible:

3. Blend well into a powder. Transfer to an air-tight container and store away from light.

© 2021 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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