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Supplementary Recipes (Curry Powders, Curry Paste, Restaurant Spice Mixes) => Supplementary Recipes Chat => Topic started by: mdoherty on February 27, 2009, 02:08 PM

Title: Can I make curry paste with powder and water?
Post by: mdoherty on February 27, 2009, 02:08 PM
Hi. hope someonce can help. I have madras powder but the recipe calls for paste. So I simply add water, or shall I just add the powder as it is?
Title: Re: Can I make curry paste with powder and water?
Post by: SnS on February 27, 2009, 02:39 PM
Hi. hope someonce can help. I have madras powder but the recipe calls for paste. So I simply add water, or shall I just add the powder as it is?

Is the recipe from this site? :-\

If the recipe calls for you to make a paste from spice powders and water it would normally say so. This would normally then be fried to release flavours.

If the recipe is specifying a ready made commercial paste (eg: Patak's) then, to be safe, I would use one of these pastes.

SnS  ;)
Title: Re: Can I make curry paste with powder and water?
Post by: mdoherty on February 27, 2009, 02:41 PM
Thanks for posting. No the recipe is from a book and I am out of paste and need to make the curry tonight. I live miles from a supermarket. I just wondered if I could use the powder and make a DIY paste?
Title: Re: Can I make curry paste with powder and water?
Post by: SnS on February 27, 2009, 02:52 PM
As it's an emergency - then I suppose you have no choice.

Mix the curry spices/powder with a little water to make a thick paste and gently fry in oil (without burning) for a minute or so or until the raw pungent smell has gone. Use this oil/spice mix as the curry paste.

Be aware that some commercial curry powders also contain other 'filler' ingredients that can burn very easily.
Title: Re: Can I make curry paste with powder and water?
Post by: mdoherty on February 27, 2009, 02:56 PM
Now your talking, thanks a lot!
Title: Re: Can I make curry paste with powder and water?
Post by: Cory Ander on February 27, 2009, 02:56 PM
Thanks for posting. No the recipe is from a book and I am out of paste and need to make the curry tonight. I live miles from a supermarket. I just wondered if I could use the powder and make a DIY paste?

Yes, you can MD.

Pastes are normally made my making a slurry of the powdered spices in water, then frying in oil until the water has evaporated and the oil has separated.  The paste can then be transfered to a sterilised jar, topped off with fresh oil, for storage.

So you can either do this, or:

- just fry the powdered spices when you make your curry, or
- make a slurry of the powders in water and fry that in oil (this helps prevent the spices from burning)

Hope this helps!  8)
Title: Re: Can I make curry paste with powder and water?
Post by: SnS on February 27, 2009, 02:58 PM
Thanks for posting. No the recipe is from a book and I am out of paste and need to make the curry tonight. I live miles from a supermarket. I just wondered if I could use the powder and make a DIY paste?

Yes, you can MD.

Pastes are normally made my making a slurry of the powdered spices in water, then frying in oil until the water has evaporated and the oil has separated.  The paste can then be transfered to a sterilised jar, topped off with fresh oil, for storage.

So you can either do this, or:

- just fry the powdered spices when you make your curry, or
- make a slurry of the powders in water and fry that in oil (this helps prevent the spices from burning)

Hope this helps!  8)

ditto

SnS  ;)
Title: Re: Can I make curry paste with powder and water?
Post by: mdoherty on February 27, 2009, 03:06 PM
thanks folks, think I'll make me a slurry for me curry.
Title: Re: Can I make curry paste with powder and water?
Post by: CurryCrazy on February 27, 2009, 04:47 PM
mmmmmmmm sssslllluuuurrrryyyy

sounds nice  ;D
Title: Re: Can I make curry paste with powder and water?
Post by: Frying Tonight on February 27, 2009, 06:16 PM
If the recipe is specifying a ready made commercial paste (eg: Patak's) then, to be safe, I would use one of these pastes.

SnS says that because Patak's madras paste in a jar contains tamarind, ginger, and garlic, as well as acetic acid and citric acid.  You would have to approximate those, as well.  Is that what your recipe calls for?
Title: Re: Can I make curry paste with powder and water?
Post by: Cory Ander on March 05, 2009, 10:24 AM
...I should have said that, if you're planning to store the paste, you should make a slurry of it in vinegar rather than water.....sorry  :P
Title: Re: Can I make curry paste with powder and water?
Post by: Stephen Lindsay on March 15, 2009, 08:48 PM
The motto is:

If you need to act in haste
Put together a little paste
Of curry powder in water
You really know you oughta

But never hurry
A slurry
When making a
Special curry

Take care assembling your spices
To make your curry the nicest

by the bard William William Topaz McGonagall on the final visit to his favourite curryhouse The Raj Mahal, circa 1902