Topic: Your Favorite Mix Powder

[Les]

Who started this addiction to mix powders?

Haven't a clue NO, but would like to know how it all started, and why. I would think that it was to make one Bir different to another, (otherwise they would all taste the same ) and time saving

Les

[Madrasandy]

Cheers Les, N.O. , I may experiment tonight with no mix powder

[livo]

If your trying to replicate a recipe that uses a specific spice mix powder, then you first need to replicate the mix, or at least analyse it so you know what individual spices to use, and their relative quantities, instead.

"GM" and "Curry Powder" are nothing more or less than a mix powder, and this is one thing that can be very annoying when an ingredient in a Spice Mix Powder is listed as being another mix.  How do you replicate a Mix Powder which incorporates GM if you don't have the recipe for that GM.  As we all know, they can be very different.

Some Base Gravy recipes are provided using a Spice Mix. If you have a different mix you'll get a different base.

[Invisible Mike]

Last week I made three identical curries at the same time with three very different mix powders (kushi spice, CBM and Martin Vics balti masala.) I did a blind tasting session with the family and do you know what, we all agreed there was very little discernable difference between the three curries. This surprised me but then I've also noted in the past that BIR chefs have said it doesn't matter what you use. See JBs base thread for one example. Curry is definitely technique more than ingredients IMHO.

[livo]

I would have to both agree and disagree.  In small amounts, one powder over another is going to make very little difference to the finished dish unless they are vastly different products.  If they are similar then you'd be right.  If they are vastly different in form then there has to be a difference.

I totally agree with method being a big factor and my experiment with 2 CTM's made with identical ingredients but different method bore that fact out explicitly.

[livo]

On mix powders: I've been struggling a bit with the whole "cooking whole spices" thing.  Again there are conflicting opinions. Cook : Don't Cook. Cook Together : Cook Separately, Cook Powders as well : Don't cook powders, Grind in M&P : Use Coffee Grinder.

One thing I've troubled with is how long to cook spices, whole, big and small.  There is a big difference between a Cumin Seed and a Black Cardamom or a huge chunk of Cassia Bark.

Looking at something else, I came across a recipe for an authentic "North Indian Curry Powder Mix", which looks pretty good too by the way.  What struck me as "Wow, look at that!" is the instruction of cooking the whole spices.
 
"1. Place all ingredients, except last three, in a karahi or wok or griddle and dry roast for 10-12 minutes. 
2. Cool. 
3. Grind to a powder." 

This includes Cumin Seed, Black and Green Cardamoms, Bay Leaf and Cinnamon Sticks among other things. The "last three" mentioned by the way, are powders, so at least that is answered for me.
Here was me worried about it.  10 - 12 minutes.  I think I'd have a bush fire by then.

Other noteworthy things from the same source are that the basic Garam Masala spices are not roasted at all in order to preserve the essential oils and aromatics, where as the Kashmiri GM is roasted but only for 6-8 minutes.

[noble ox]

Livo
There gm masalas used in early stage of cooking not roasted and there are gm masalas roasted and added at the end of cooking
Where this is not understood there will be conflicts in recipes

[littlechilie]

I'm heavy on curry powder in some of my dishes, but feel a mix of turmeric, jeera and coriander is always useful.

[sourav23]

I was using Adey Paynes mix powder.
But i changed it now. I just browse a site for finding herbs and spices.
They have really very nice collection of herbs and spics.
I want to recommend you that site for spics.
here is the link
http://www.foodmax.in/products/herbs-spices-mix/1