Mauritian Curry Powder Recipe!

Several people have told me that they would love to blend their own spices to make curries but didn’t know how much or how.  My friend Alison Laverty was kind enough to help me with video planning, recording and editing so that I could share my cooking methods and tips with everyone. 

I recently shared a video to my YouTube Channel about the method I use to blend spices, in particular the one that I use to make my Mauritian Style Curry Powder.

This is a very basic curry powder that is best used with fish and vegetable curries. If you are going to be cooking with meat, a different mix is a better option. It is still easy to prepare as it is this basic spice blend combined with my Mauritian Garam Masala.

This spice blend recipe is a family heirloom, passed down to me through my aunt, my father’s oldest sister, who learned from her mother and grandmother. She is the best cook, I know and I’m not only saying this because I grew up with her food.

When I left Mauritius to study in Canada, I had no idea of how unappealing I would find the food to be, so much so that I carried a bottle of hot sauce in my hand bag everywhere I went! At the time, the options for spicy food in the area I was living in were limited and Tabasco was the best option around.

After some time, I found an Indian grocer and decided to buy some of their “Curry Powder” and try to cook with it. It wasn’t bad but it was in no way what I had been looking for.

I went back to Mauritius for the school holidays and grumbled to my aunt that I didn’t like the food in Canada. She very kindly prepared all of the spice blends and pickles that she thought I could use (as well as some for me to share with my friends). It was a fair amount of work, since she had to source the spices, wash them, dry them in the sun and then roast and grind them. 

This routine continued for many years, even after I had left Canada to move to Seattle and had a family to cook for.

Things changed when I decided to move to Australia. I knew that we were not going to be able to bring in home produced spice blends so I had to learn to make my own, which I did by asking my aunt on the phone. That December (2007) we went back to Mauritius for a visit and she taught me how to make her special spice blends. I don’t think she has any idea how much her teaching me to cook has positively affected people here in Australia and elsewhere.

The method to make the spice blend or “masala” can be found on my YouTube Channel.

Here are the proportions to use: 

500g coriander

50g cumin  

15g pepper 

10g fennel 

5g cloves 

7g cinnamon 

25g cardamom 

100g turmeric 

You will most likely find the mixture to be a somewhat coarse grind. If that happens, just sift it and that will remove most of the coarse particles. 

If you try to make the curry powder, let me know how you go. I hope it works well for you. I look forward to hearing from you. Please share my video/recipe with family and friends.