Five Best Curry Powder Substitutes
Make your curry powder substitute at home using spices you already have! This blog has the five best substitutions, including a recipe for making your curry powder!
What is Curry Powder?
You can find curry powder outside of India on the shelf at your local grocery store. You can always spot it because of its bright yellow color. But is curry powder really curry?
Kind of.
In India, curry is a spice blend. This blend can vary from recipe to recipe, house to house, etc. Each blend is unique, and there is no one way to make it. If you go to India and ask to buy curry powder, you will probably get a puzzled look.
Curry powder is a British creation, not an Indian one. It usually contains turmeric, cumin, chili powder, ginger, and a curry leaf. Depending on the spice maker, store-bought curry powder can also include other spices. Because curry powder is a spice blend, it is easy to find a substitute!
How Do I Use Curry Powder?
Curry powder is a spice blend used as a seasoning, similar to the Chinese five-spice, Lebanese seven-spice, or jerk. You can use it to season soups, stews, meats, eggs, pasta, and more.
When I was in college, I would always get a curry tuna sandwich with Swiss cheese. It was so good! Really, there is no limit to how you can use curry powder.
Five Best Curry Powder Substitutes
Because curry powder is a spice blend, there are endless substitutes. However, I like simplifying things because who wants to read a long list when you need a quick answer? So, I have narrowed the list down to my top five favorite alternatives. If you have questions or need more suggestions, leave a comment. I can always expand my list to meet your needs!
Madras Curry Powder
Madras is in the southeast part of India. When I worked in India, it was explained that southern Indian food is unique even within India. The food is richly layered with spices, more so than in other parts of India. It’s that uniqueness that makes Madras curry powder my favorite substitute!
Garam Masala
Garam Masala is also a spice blend. The word garam translates into hot, although I have never found it spicy. Instead, I always taste a strong earthy flavor from the cumin. Personally, I find this flavor overwhelming. For this reason, I recommend starting with less than the recipe calls for. Remember the golden rule: You can always add more but can’t take it away.
If you like garam masala’s earthiness but want to add spice, Mix cayenne or Aleppo pepper with garam masala to create your spice blend!
Turmeric, Cumin, and Pepper Blend
Turmeric gives curry powder its bright yellow color. Cumin adds an earthy flavor, and ground peppers add spice (I love to use Aleppo pepper). Mix these three, and you have a great curry powder substitute!
Homemade Curry Powder Substitute
Below, I have included a recipe for curry powder. This recipe is as close as I can get to the curry powder you would purchase in a store. I did put it further on the because it needs 13 spices! Which can be a lot of standard; it depends on your spice rack.
Five-Spice Powder
Last but not least, I recommend using five-spice powder. It is a traditional Chinese spice blend that uses anise and cloves. Because of those two spices, it is also very aromatic. I like to use five-spice in thick sauces, and I want the flavor to be sweeter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Turmeric gives curry powder its bright yellow color. It is so bright that vegans like to use it in small amounts to make foods look like eggs!
Store in an airtight container/sealed jar. Make sure you place the container in a cool, dry place.
Read my Other Substitution Articles
If you tried one of these substitutions, comment below and let me know how your dish turned out.
Homemade Curry Powder Recipe
Equipment
- 1 whisk
- 1 Bowl
- 1 teaspoon
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ground coriander
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground fenugreek optional
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika optional, for color
Instructions
- Mix the Spices: In a bowl, combine all the ground spices. Use a whisk or a spoon to mix them thoroughly until well blended.
This the most informative on spices that I have ever seen. Thank you
Hi Martha, thank you! We worked very hard on the post, your kind words made our day!