Madras Curry Powder

Madras curry powder gets its name from the city of Madras in South India. Madras, renamed as Chennai, is a major thriving metropolis located on the Coromandel Coast in South India.

Madras curry powder is typically a blended mixture of roasted coriander, cumin, black mustard seeds, chili peppers, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, fenugreek, black pepper, curry leaves, bay leaves, and asafoetida. It is used in many curry dishes, as well as, in marinades.

Eastern Herbs Madras Curry Powder

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Coriander seeds
3 teaspoons Cumin Seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons Black Mustard Seeds

1/2 teaspoon Pepper Corns
1/8 teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds (Methi)
1/4 teaspoon Cardamom Seeds
1/4 teaspoon Cloves (10 Cloves)
1/4 inch Cinnamon Stick (Or 1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon Powder)

1 Bay Leaf
5 Curry Leaves

1/4 teaspoon Asafoetida (to be added separately to the roasted mixture)

3 Long Whole Red Chili Peppers

1 teaspoon spoon Turmeric (added separately in the end)

Method:
In a skillet, on a medium heat, roast:
Coriander seeds, minute later add Cumin Seeds & Black Mustard seeds.
Continue to roast the seeds for 10 to 12 minutes till coriander seeds turn lightly golden brown.
Tip: To ensure even roasting, stir constantly during the entire roasting process.

Now add Pepper Corns, Fenugreek Seeds, Give a couple of stirs.
Add Cloves, Stir and add Curry Leaves, stir for another half a minute.
Add Cinnamon Stick crumpled into pieces (Or Cinnamon powder), followed by Cardamom seeds. Stir for half a minute.
Add bay leaves. Roast the spice mixture for another one minute.
Set this roasted mixture aside in a bowl and let it cool off.
Add asafoetida to the bowl above.

Now in the same skillet, roast Whole Red Chili Peppers for a 2, 3 minutes.
Add roasted red chili peppers to the already roasted spices mixture in the bowl.

Grind the mixture from the bowl in a spice grinder.
Remove it back to the bowl and add turmeric. Stir and mix well.

Store this Madras Curry Powder in an airtight jar, at a room temperature.
Make it small quantities to keep it fresh, as the spice flavors will last for at least three months.

Madras curry powder is used in a variety of curry dishes, as well as, in marinades.

Note: Curry Powder and Garam Masala are two different things.
          Each of them are called for as per the recipe requirements.