Recommend a good curry powder

[maxman]

Last night we were talking about curry.
i love curry. I never make it because my wife doesn't really like it.
well as it turns out she doesn't like MY curry.

The story goes that when she was in culinary school she had a friend from India who would get curry powder sent to him from India. So my curry just doesn't make the grade.

can anyone suggest a curry powder that is of high quality?
something I can order. i'm not going to make it.

Thanks. Help me get curry back into my menu.

 

[Nxspam]

See if you can find the Patak brand where you live. I don't know if they make powders, but they do make complete sauces in a jar, or best of all, concentrated curry paste, to which you would normally add some meat, veg and a creaming agent such as cream, natural yogurt or creme fraiche.

Patak (like Sharewoods and others) have a broad range of indian curries like Tikka Masala, Korma, Rogan Josh and Vindaloo. They vary in strength. Korma is a mild coconut based curry. I prefer the hot stuff, like a Vindaloo with added garlic and chili, and a mint yogurt and cucumber dip. Mmmmmmm

Be carefull with the later if you've just had a 3 pass shave. You will know when you've got curry on your chin

 

[maxman]

I have access to Patak's and have used it in the past.
I am a big fan of the Vindaloo. It's always been OK with my wife but I'm looking for something to step it up a bit.
I used to be able to get Sharwood's dry powders but now all I can get is the cooking sauces.

I prefer a dry powder. I find you can do a lot more with it.

 

[jbaca]

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/514170
Here's a good discussion

 

[Indigo3]

Your wife has tasted the real deal so if you're serious about your curry making the grade you'll need to freshly grind the spices or find someone who does like a local spice shop.

The difference can be night and day...or like using pre-ground coffee compared to freshly ground.

http://www.thespicehouse.com/spices/maharajah-style-curry-powder#content

 

[maxman]

Thanks for the suggestions but I'm about the furthest place away from fresh spices.
That's why I haven't made my own.
I suppose I can just browse and online Indian market too.

 

[Indigo3]

I hear you...there's a link to a supplier too.

 

[john parker]

My understanding is that real Indian cuisine is based on mixing and grinding specific spices depending on the dish, hence no pre-made "curry powder" per se. Having said that and not wanting to do that myself, I use Penzey's http://www.penzeys.com/ . They mail, but also have some stores; I do not know if in your area. Understand that Patak's are also highly regarded.

 

[saf]

This is one of the most popular Indian grocers here in Chicago. I am not familiar with the products but I know several of my Indian friend shop here. I assume you can find the real deal here.
http://www.patelbrothersusa.com/newsite/

 

[blary54]

My understanding is that real Indian cuisine is based on mixing and grinding specific spices depending on the dish, hence no pre-made "curry powder" per se. Having said that and not wanting to do that myself, I use Penzey's http://www.penzeys.com/ . They mail, but also have some stores; I do not know if in your area. Understand that Patak's are also highly regarded.

+1 for Penzeys. Im blessed because they have stores near my house. They have good products.

 

[Luc]

I used to buy some in Australia that was homemade. The stuff was pretty awesome. I did not find something that was has good. The one in Oz tasted like Barbecue sauce (seriously). It was pretty awesome! I used to put a bit of water with it and roll my chicken wings in the mixture.

I don't have a brand in particular to recommend but any ethnic grocery should have a mix or two. Also, beware that you will have different curry mix depending on the region. If you are like me and like it spicy, than look for Madras curry (South India). That one also contain (well, should) crushed chili on top of the cumin and turmeric.

 

[YetiDave]

It's completely correct that there is no single 'curry powder' - it's referred to in Indian cooking as a masala (or mixture) and varies by region. Try making your own garam masala, it's featured in a wide range of dishes and will taste a lot better than anything you can buy pre-made. Check out this page http://www.indianfoodforever.com/masala/ any of those recipes could be considered curry powder. My one suggestion is to steer well clear of anything labelled as 'curry powder' as it won't be authentic!

 

[YetiDave]

http://www.dilovely.com/2012/02/garam-masala-by-madhur-jaffrey/ this is really good garam masala recipe in case you're interested

 

[Alacrity59]

That's a nice simple recipe YetiDave. I must agree with those who like Patak's curry paste. I like it for the speed. I like coconut milk best to make the sauce. The most common Indian spice holders contain 7 spices. You might be able to find one loaded with fresh spices online. I live in an area with many Indian stores. I am continually amazed by the size of the bags of spice they sell for very reasonable prices. Also "curry powder" mixes . . . common for stores to carry 5 to 10 different brands . . . I figure there are favourites depending on the region of India folk come from.

 

[_JP_]

If you can, find a store that specializes in food from India. I'm lucky to have one just up the street and at least one other that I know of.

 

[ShaveThis]

Thanks for the advice and links guys. Just the last couple of days I've been saying to the wife that we have to do a lot more with curry. (we cook a lot).
Here we go.

 

[Talal]

It's completely correct that there is no single 'curry powder' - it's referred to in Indian cooking as a masala (or mixture) and varies by region. Try making your own garam masala, it's featured in a wide range of dishes and will taste a lot better than anything you can buy pre-made. Check out this page http://www.indianfoodforever.com/masala/ any of those recipes could be considered curry powder. My one suggestion is to steer well clear of anything labelled as 'curry powder' as it won't be authentic!

+1

i personally fresh grind my own particular blend depending on the dish im making!

 

[Indigo3]

A stale pre-ground mass produced masala is just as incipid as a stale pre-ground mass produced curry powder which is actually very closely related to sambar powder (used in Southern Indian/Sir Lankan cookery) nonetheless both are spice mixtures that benefit from being freshly ground or buying from someone that does.

 

[YetiDave]

Thanks for the advice and links guys. Just the last couple of days I've been saying to the wife that we have to do a lot more with curry. (we cook a lot).
Here we go.

Every time curry is mentioned I post this recipe, it's absolutely awesome http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/1559059-Chicken-Vindaloo-Long-Method-?full_recipe=true serve it with some naan bread, garam masala spiced basmati rice (http://www.marthastewart.com/318800/madhurs-spiced-basmati-rice) and lime pickle. If you can't tell by now, I'm a big fan of Madhur Jaffrey's recipes!

 

[ShaveThis]

Every time curry is mentioned I post this recipe, it's absolutely awesome http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/1559059-Chicken-Vindaloo-Long-Method-?full_recipe=true serve it with some naan bread, garam masala spiced basmati rice (http://www.marthastewart.com/318800/madhurs-spiced-basmati-rice) and lime pickle. If you can't tell by now, I'm a big fan of Madhur Jaffrey's recipes!

Thank you very much. The first link looks like a good start. I have to gather up some ingredients. We have always used a pre-made paste in jars. But I can clearly see that grinding your own is the only way to go.
It certainly will be fresher, and you an customize to the dish your making and the people your making it for. I would like it a lot hotter than my wife for example.
Regards...