Freshly Ground Curry

May I interrupt a streak of Mexican dishes to bring you something a little more exotic?

No, coffee grinders aren’t exotic. Unless you put something exotic in them. I got this little beauty for Christmas, and it has taken me this long to try it out. If you’ve never used one, it’s like a super-strong mini food processor. A friend of mine told me that cumin is tons better when you buy the whole seeds, toast them in a skillet, and buzz them in a grinder. That’s next on my list. (By the way, if you use a coffee grinder for coffee, don’t use it to blend spices. I’m not sure why, because the pieces go in the dishwasher, but that’s what they recommend. I’m just sayin’.)

When I saw this curry recipe on 101 Cookbooks and realized I already had most of the ingredients, I knew it would be the one to christen my grinder. Did you know that curry isn’t a single spice, but a spice blend?

and you get this. I wish I still had some of my store-bought curry powder so I could smell the difference. Curry ground fresh like this is so much more fragrant and flavorful! Probably cheaper, too, I’d imagine. Especially if you buy your whole spices at an Asian market or in bulk in the ethnic aisle of your grocery store. (i.e. not “McCormick”)

Freshly Ground Curry

Ingredients:

4 dried red chiles (I chickened out and used 3.)
1 T coriander seeds
1 T cumin seeds
1 T fennel seeds
1/2 tsp cardamom seeds
1/2 tsp whole cloves
scant 1 T ground turmeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Combine chiles, coriander, cumin, fennel, cardamom, and clove in a medium skillet. Toast over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until fragrant. Grind the chiles first, remove them, then grind rest of the toasted spices - it usually takes a couple minutes in the grinder for each. Place in a small bowl and stir in ground turmeric and cinnamon. Sift through a medium-fine sieve to weed out any clumps. Makes a scant 1/3 cup.

from 101 Cookbooks

Baking Mixes and Spice Blends, Gluten-Free, Homemade Staples

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