Cumin, Coriander, Chilli, Garam masala, Ginger, and Turmeric are the basic dry spices which you will need to make your curry powder. This can be mixed and stored in a tin or a jar, for ready use. When you come to make your curry, you will also need tamarind paste, some fresh garlic, some fresh coriander leaves, and some fresh green or red chillis.
This amount of curry powder will make around eight curries of a size to serve four to six people.
3 tablespoons coriander powder
2 tablespoons chilli powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
4 tablespoons ground cumin
4 tablespoons garam masala
2 tablespoons ground turmeric
Mix all the above spices together and store in an airtight container.
When you make your curry up, you would use 2 tablespoons of the above curry for an average family size curry. Lightly toast the 2 tablespoons of curry powder in a fry pan with two tablespoons of butter for one minute. To this you would add:
1/2 cup of fresh coriander leaves, chopped up.
6 cloves of minced garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons of tamarind paste
4 fresh chillis which have been deseeded and chopped. Do not use the seeds in your curry, as this will make the curry burning hot. Stir well together into the butter. Remove from the heat. Stir in a cup of coconut cream.
If using meats, then pre-cook the meats in a fry pan first. If using beans or lentils with vegetables, have the beans cooked in advance.
Add the fried spices and coconut cream mixture to the vegetables or pre-cooked beans or meats which you are putting into the curry. Add a little more coconut milk if necessary, to give the curry a creamy consistency. If you prefer, you can dilute the coconut cream with a little water. Then cook for a further 1/2 hour on low heat. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
Preparing your curry powder in this way saves quite a lot of messing about in the kitchen, and makes curry-making a relatively simple process. You can experiment with more or less chilli, and the addition of a little cardamom powder, or paprika pepper, to suit your taste.