These 4 basic spice powders will make any Indian cooking easy. And I also believe that homemade spice mixes are always better than store-bought ones.
By making your own spice mixes, you can have control over the quality and freshness. So let us see and learn to make these 4 basic spice mixes at the comfort of your home.
Basic Spice Powders For Easy Cooking Video
1. Roasted Coriander & Cumin Powder
Roasted cumin and coriander are the most basic spices that are required to prepare a good Indian curry. This kind of homemade preparation has the most flavor and quality, as compared to the store-bought readymade spices.
To make these basic spice powders, all you need is
1 packet of cumin seed
1 packet of coriander seeds
Dry roast the cumin seeds for 3 to 4 minutes on medium flame. Remove from heat, cool, and grind to a fine powder.
Repeat the same step for coriander seeds too. Store both the powders separately in glass jars and store them in a cool place.
Homemade Garam Masala Powder
Garam Masala Powder is an aromatic spice blend used mostly in Indian curries and traditional dishes. Any traditional Indian curry is incomplete without an authentic garam masala spice mix.
I have personally tried all sorts of spice mixes that are available in the stores. But nothing can beat a homemade garam masala powder. So here is a quick recipe to make one at home.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 1/2 tablespoon shahi jeera
- 2 tablespoon cloves
- 20 green cardamom
- 5 brown cardamom
- 4 pieces of star anise
- 4 pieces of mace
- 1 nutmeg
- 5 pieces of cinnamon sticks (3-inch stick)
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
Do not over-roast the spices as they will lose all their flavors. Roasting is done for 1 minute on a slow flame so that it becomes easy to grind to a smooth powder.
All-Purpose Mutton & Chicken Curry Powder
This curry powder is my personal favorite, wherein all the spices required for a basic curry have been added. I just need to add about 3 to 3 1/2 tablespoon of this curry powder to curry for 1 kilogram of chicken or mutton.
This spice powder is so versatile that it can be used for vegetable and egg curries too.
Ingredients
- 20 dry red chilies
- 3 tablespoon whole coriander
- 2 tablespoon whole cumin
- 2 tablespoon fennel seeds (badi saunf)
- 2 teaspoon whole peppercorns
- 10 cardamom
- 10 cloves
- 4-inch stick of cinnamon
METHOD
Dry roast all the above ingredients on a pan and grind to a smooth powder. Cool and store in an air-tight container.
Add 3 tablespoon of spice mix for 1-kilo meat. A little more if you want the curry to be spicy.