This is my masala (aka 'spice mix" or "mix powder" or "curry powder") that I have been using for sometime now.  It is based on the basic spices that I personally like in a curry.  I use it in my curry base and in my main curries:

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp tumeric powder
• 3 tbsp coriander powder (ground seeds is best)
• 3 tbsp sweet paprika powder
• 2 tbsp cumin powder (ground seeds is best)
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (crushed/rubbed using fingers)
• 0.5 tsp ginger powder
• 0.5 tsp cardamon powder
• 0.5 tsp fenugreek powder

Method:

Simply mix all of the ingredients and store in a dry, sterile, airtight container in a cool, dark place.

Please try it and let me know how you find it.  Grinding fresh coriander seeds and cumin seeds (no need to roast them beforehand) makes a load of difference to the smell and taste.

Quote from: Cory Ander on September 22, 2009, 04:03 PM
This is my masala (aka 'spice mix" or "mix powder" or "curry powder") that I have been using for sometime now.  It is based on the basic spices that I personally like in a curry.  I use it in my curry base and in my main curries:

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp tumeric powder
• 3 tbsp coriander powder (ground seeds is best)
• 3 tbsp sweet paprika powder
• 2 tbsp cumin powder (ground seeds is best)
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (crushed/rubbed using fingers)
• 0.5 tsp ginger powder
• 0.5 tsp cardamon powder
• 0.5 tsp fenugreek powder

Method:

Simply mix all of the ingredients and store in a dry, sterile, airtight container in a cool, dark place.

Please try it and let me know how you find it.  Grinding fresh coriander seeds and cumin seeds (no need to roast them beforehand) makes a load of difference to the smell and taste.

This sounds nice and looks good, however, I would strongly disagree with you on one point, and that is the roasting of the Coriander and Cumin seeds prior to grinding them.

I started to grind some coriander seeds last Saturday, then thought, hang on, why not dry fry them first, which I did and the difference was amazing.

So, my recommendation is that you do dry fry them prior to grinding

Quote from: 976bar on September 22, 2009, 04:14 PM
I would strongly disagree with you on one point, and that is the roasting of the Coriander and Cumin seeds prior to grinding them.

The thing is 976bar, why release all those volatile oils when you know (as far as this masala is concerned anyway) that you're thereafter going to store it for some while? 

Chances are there would be no flavour left after a short while!  Also, I find that grinding them effectively dry roasts them (i.e. heats them) to some extent anyway.

Nevertheless, each to their own.  Roast them first if you feel so inclined.  I've done both and found that roasting them first makes little difference and can be detrimental (considering the subsequent storage of the masala).

I use quite a lot of Coriander and Cumin, I find that it doesn't go off if I dry roast it first, it just enhances the flavour....

Quote from: 976bar on September 22, 2009, 04:28 PM
And as I use quite a lot of Coriander and Cumin, I find that it doesn't go off if I dry roast it first, it just enhances the flavour....

That's fine 976bar, as I said, roast them first if you feel so inclined 

Although I should add that BIRs would generally not even bother grinding (never mind roasting) whole spices (but their powdered spices would be pretty fresh, due to their high throughput, of course)

Quote from: 976bar on September 22, 2009, 04:14 PM
I started to grind some coriander seeds last Saturday, then thought, hang on, why not dry fry them first, which I did and the difference was amazing.

Hang on!     You said that you only started to do this last Saturday (i.e. 3 days ago!)!  I've been doing it for over 20 years!  :

Quote from: Cory Ander on September 22, 2009, 04:42 PM

Quote from: 976bar on September 22, 2009, 04:14 PM
I started to grind some coriander seeds last Saturday, then thought, hang on, why not dry fry them first, which I did and the difference was amazing.

Hang on!     You said that you only started to do this last Saturday (i.e. 3 days ago!)!  I've been doing it for over 20 years!  :

LOL, just having some fun with you Coryander thats all...

You are quite right, if your going to store these spices for some time then grinding them is probably just what you need. I have to admit that when I cold grinded them, the grinder got pretty hot

But if you're going to use them quite regularly, then small amounts roasted are nice too...

Annnnnnd........ just because we have only been on this web site for a short period of time, doesn't mean we also haven't been cooking for 20 years ourselves....

I don't think Coriander and Cumin was in GB when I first started out........

As my grandpappy used to say....... lol

CA,

appreciate u posting your spice mix. i've made out a yellow sticky already to go in my KD1 book.

have u tried normal paprika (i ask as i've not seen sweet, but i guess i've not looked out for it).

on the cardamon i guess i can just grind up from a complete whole husk (ie green pod as opposed to the black seeds within) . i know ground cardamom is available for ease but i have the husks to hand.

the fenugreek is certainly different. is there any background to it's inclusion.

Quote from: Cory Ander on September 22, 2009, 04:03 PM
This is my masala (aka 'spice mix" or "mix powder" or "curry powder") that I have bee
Please try it and let me know how you find it. 

Many thanks for posting this recipe - sharing it with us. If you're pleased with it, then it must be worth a try. But before anyone has even tried it (as written with no dog wetting up a lampost, to leave your mark, type changes) people are theorising about how it's somehow wrong! I must say I find this hard to understand.

Quote from: JerryM on September 22, 2009, 08:31 PM
have u tried normal paprika (i ask as i've not seen sweet, but i guess i've not looked out for it)

I'm sure other paprika will do.  But try to get some that's a vibrant red colour (some are very dull looking).

Quote from: jerry
on the cardamon i guess i can just grind up from a complete whole husk (ie green pod as opposed to the black seeds within) . i know ground cardamom is available for ease but i have the husks to hand

You can grind the whole pods (suitably sieved to remove the husks, of course) but I suggest you're better off removing the seeds and just grinding those.  I admit I tend to buy the ground powder for this.

Quote from: jerry
the fenugreek is certainly different. is there any background to it's inclusion.

Only that I've been trying to replicate the savouriness of typical BIR curries and figure that fenugreek goes some way to helping do this.