Jamaican Curry Powder
Jamaican Curry Powder is your basic spice mix. This mix doesn’t contain garlic, ginger or chili because most Jamaican recipes add these flavorings fresh in the recipe so this redundancy is not necessary. This also makes for a much fresher tasting dish.
These spices can be found in the grocery store with the exception of Fenugreek. You may need to get them at an Asian market, or you can find it online here.
It takes a little while to toast the seeds, but this is a very important step to making a perfect flavor blend. Don’t walk away from the stove when you’re toasting the spices, mix them often and be really careful not to burn them. If you do, you have to throw them out and start over. This is very important.
I use a coffee grinder to blend my spices, this makes a lot, so just make half the recipe at first if you’ve never toasted spices before, just in case. It uses a lot, so it’s a shame to waste them if they burn. If you make a full batch, you’ll probably have to blend them in two batches if you have a small grinder like I do. I mix the turmeric in after they whole spices are blended because it gets really powdery and will make you sneeze if you’re not careful. I’m talking from experience!
Jamaican Curry Powder
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Whole Coriander Seeds
- 1 1/2 tbsp Whole Cumin Seeds
- 1 tbsp Whole Mustard Seeds
- 1 1/2 tbsp Whole Anise Seeds
- 1 tbsp Whole Fenugreek Seeds
- 1 tbsp Whole Allspice Berries
- 1 tsp Black Peppercorns
- 2 tbsp Ground Turmeric
Instructions
- Combine the whole spices together in a skillet, except Black Peppercorns. Toast over medium low heat, stirring very frequently, until the color of the spices darkens a bit and they become very fragrant. Take your time with this as this is the critical step to delicious curry powder, it will take 5-10 minutes.
- Pour the spices immediately onto a plate, and allow to cool to room temperature. Grind the spices with the black peppercorns in a spice grinder. Add to a bowl and mix in the turmeric. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.