Help me make my favorite curry powder, which I can no longer buy

June 22, 2015 7:01 AM

Hi everyone! I found this Cape Malay curry powder several years ago and was able to order it online until last year but now it seems not to be available. It is my favorite curry powder and I want to figure out how to make it myself.

I have a list of ingredients, but no proportions. Here's a list that isn't just a photo:

paprika
coriander
garlic
turmeric
cumin
chili
lemon grass
coconut flakes
cinnamon
ginger
fennel
aniseed
cloves

I have a tiny bit left and it looks like this.

I'm finding curry powder recipes online that look good and that I will likely try, but they are not the same. I love this curry powder and I don't want to give it up. If anyone has any ideas about the proportions or how to go about figuring this out, I'd appreciate that very much. Thanks!

posted by bile and syntax to Food & Drink (3 answers total)

This might take a bit of trial and error, and even then you might not be able to replicate the flavor exactly because different spice manufacturers may source from different varieties or are processed their spices (toasted? smoked?) in ways that isn't immediately evident from the can itself.

I'd start first with a collection of high quality spices from a place like Penzey's. From there, the only hints you have are the ingredients list - The ingredients are listed in order of predominance by weight. Meaning there is more of the first ingredient than the next ingredient on the list (but the difference could be a lot or minuscule - even equivalent)

So you might play with those ingredients in various proportions. It also looks like there's a fair amount of recipies titled "Cape Malay Powder"; maybe find one that looks similar in ingredients list to yours for an idea of proportions.

Start with a 100g of paprika and then start varying down in quantity from there with the other ingredients and adjust accordingly until you get to a flavor reasonably approximating the can you've got.
posted by Karaage at 7:31 AM on June 22, 2015 [2 favorites]

Note you've got a kaffir lime leaf in the tin that isn't disclosed on your list of ingredients.

Cape Malay curry spice mixes are fairly distinct, albeit everyone makes them differently. They tend to be cumin-dominated. Your best bet is to sift through a few recipes, make a test batch, compare with your original sample, and customize as you see fit.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 10:44 AM on June 22, 2015 [1 favorite]

You also might want to reach out to the company through the email address on the tin. If they're not manufacturing this product any longer, and they know you're a fan of it, they might give you the proportions.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 10:47 AM on June 22, 2015 [1 favorite]