Although most proper Indian chefs and cooks would never use a generic store-bought curry powder – I do believe however, that a good home made curry powder does have its place in certain recipes; well at least in my kitchen. So I have come up with my very own “all-purpose” curry, which works well with most dishes especially the fusion dishes. I have also included a recipe for my Curried Fried Rice as well.

Feel free to change up the spices and the amounts according to your own personal taste; you can be as creative as you wish.


ALL PURPOSE HOME MADE CURRY POWDER

Ingredients:

2-3 dried red chilies, to taste
8-10 dried curry leaves
½ tsp black mustard seeds
3 tsp cumin seeds
4 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
½ tsp black peppercorns
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick, broken into smaller pieces (about 1½ to 2” in length)
2-3 cloves
2-3 green cardamom pods, crushed
¼ tsp smoked Spanish paprika
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp allspice
1 tsp turmeric

METHOD:

Dry roast, let cool and grind to a fine powder. Store in the pantry for up to 1 month and in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

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INDIAN CURRIED FRIED RICE

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, finely sliced
1” piece of ginger, peeled & freshly grated
5-6 fresh curry leaves
2 cups cooked Basmati rice (or any long grained rice)
1 carrot, peeled & finely grated
1 small red bell pepper, finely sliced
1 cup green peas, (frozen is fine, thaw before use)
¼ cup raisins (soaked in a little warm water)
¼ cup toasted unsalted cashew pieces (you can use peanuts, almonds, pistachios…)
½-1 tbsp curry powder, to taste
salt & pepper, to taste
2 tsp ghee (butter or oil)
chives, thinly sliced for garnish

METHOD:

In a large deep skillet or wok on medium high heat, add the ghee. When hot, add the onions and sauté until just translucent. Next, add the ginger and the curry leaves. Stir and add the curry powder, let cook for a minute or so and add in the carrot & red bell pepper. Mix well, season with salt/pepper and let cook for a few minutes before adding in the cooked rice – this may be done in batches. Stir well to coat the rice with all the spices & then add the cashew pieces along with the raisins (and any soaking liquid). Now reduce the heat to low, cover and let cook for just 4-5 minutes. Lastly, finish the dish by stirring in the green peas. Garnish with the chives and serve hot as part of any Indian meal.

VARIATIONS:

Feel free to add your favorite vegetables, chicken, shrimp, chickpeas, paneer cubes or even tofu – just note that cooking times will vary accordingly.

Instead of chives, feel free to add scallions (green onion or spring onion), mint leaves, basil leaves or cilantro leaves.

Instead of adding curry powder, feel free to make this recipe using your favorite variety of curry powder or even Thai curry pastes such as green, red, yellow, Panang or Massaman curry pastes.


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