Mild Homemade Curry Powder
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This mild homemade curry powder is a simple, customizable spice blend that’s perfect for people who want great flavor without too much heat. It’s made with common pantry spices, costs less than store-bought blends, and can be adjusted for sensitive palates—including kids.
This blend is intentionally mild, but you can easily increase the heat if you prefer a spicier curry powder.
Do you (like me) just like making your own homemade seasoning blends to save time and money (no more scurrying off to the store to get something you could just make yourself)?
For years, we used a certain brand's mild curry powder, and we loved it, but I decided to try my hand at making my own mild homemade curry powder recipe.
Well, one morning, with a bit of trepidation, I did a blind taste test using my family as the judges, and the result was 100% unanimous. My blend won over the ever-popular brand that we have been using for oh, about 6 years now.
And it is a LOT cheaper. Yippee!
This homemade curry powder is perfect for use in this Ground Beef Curry recipe (my most requested recipe), this Butternut Squash Pear Soup, and also in this Chicken Thigh Curry.
I recommend making your own Homemade Seasoning Blends for a number of reasons. But curry powder is an especially great blend to make on your own since you can control the amount of spicyness.
A lot of curries are just plain too spicy for children, but this curry powder recipe is not. But if need be, you can even cut the cayenne in half or leave it out altogether.
But I don't think you'll have to since we've never had a complaint about the “heat” of this blend, even from those who are a “neko jita”, which means cat's tongue, in Japanese.
In Japan, they call those with tongues that are sensitive to heat, “neko jita”. “Neko” means “cat” and jita come from “shita” for “tongue.”
Ingredients
- turmeric – loaded with anti-inflammatory qualities
- coriander
- cumin
- cinnamon
- ginger
- yellow mustard
- white pepper (hard to find. Omit if necessary.)
- fenugreek (organic ground mustard can be substituted if need be)
- cardamom
- cloves
- nutmeg
- cayenne pepper
- black pepper
How to Make Curry Powder Spicier
This blend is intentionally mild, but you can easily increase the heat to suit your taste
| Heat Level | Cayenne Amount |
|---|---|
| Mild | Use recipe as written |
| Medium | Add 1/8 teaspoon cayenne |
| Spicy | Add 1/4 teaspoon or more cayenne |
- Increase cayenne gradually to control the heat level.
- Add red pepper flakes for a sharper, more noticeable heat.
- Add black pepper for warmth without too much spiciness.
- For even more heat, add fresh chili when cooking dishes with this curry powder
Recipes That Use Curry Powder
Here are some recipes that you definitely should try using this curry powder in.
- Ground Beef Curry – our favorite recipe hands down
- Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup – hearty comfort in a bowl
- Indian Lentils – a super fast, delicious dish
- Butternut Squash Pear Soup – a lovely soup that can be made festive too
- Thai Green Curry Chicken Thighs – delightfully crispy outside and juicy inside
More Homemade Seasoning Blends You Will Love
- Taco Seasoning – much better than packets!
- Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Chaat Masala – a wonderful “goes-with-everything” Indian blend that was the results of a kitchen mistake.
- Vegetable Broth Powder – a great substitute for broth that has a special way to use it!
Mild Curry Powder
Ingredients
- 3 teaspoons turmeric
- 2 teaspoons coriander
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper (hard to find. Omit if necessary)
- 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place all ingredients (all are ground spices) in a bowl.
- Mix thoroughly.
- Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may vary depending on ingredient brands, substitutions, and preparation methods. Optional ingredients are not included. Net carbs are typically calculated by subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols (such as erythritol) from total carbohydrates. This information should not be relied upon for medical or nutritional purposes.
I'd love to hear what you think about this curry powder!
WOW – totally DELISH idea.. I LOVE it..
WHOA totally delish….I had mixed reviews at my table from my kids (the ones that are aged 5, 4, 2,1)…some liked it, some struggled through it (but I know they will develop a taste for it…I could tell)…but myself, my husband, my 11 yr old and my elderly neighbor who eats with us each night loved it. TOTALLY putting this in my rotation. Thanks!
You are welcome! What dish did you try it in?
Oooo,definitely pinning this. Thanks!!
You’re welcome, Missy :-)!
Thanks for linking your great post to FAT TUESDAY. This was very interesting! I’m going to try this! Hope to see you next week!
Be sure to visit RealFoodForager.com on Sunday for Sunday Snippets – your post from Fat Tuesday may be featured there!
If you have grain-free recipes please visit my Grain-Free Linky Carnival in support of my 28 day grain-free challenge! It will be open until November 2.
Ohh love it thanks for sharing
You too are welcome! It’s great!
SOO excited. Making it right now….yum yum. Can’t wait!!!!! Thanks for posting it 🙂
Let me know how it tastes :-)!
So, what is your favorite curry recipe? I have to say, we don’t make a lot of curry dishes, but maybe because I’m unsure about them. I do make my own taco seasoning, and occasionally powdered sugar. Have you made your own baking powder?
Hi Carrie – Well, so far, my favorite curry recipe is My Most Requested Recipe – Pakistani Beef Curry. I guarantee you will love it! I have just, however,on the recommendation of a reader, requested 660 curries from the library to try :-). And yes, I have made my own Baking Powder – Aluminum and Corn Free!
What a great recipe. I never thought about making my own curry powder. I am so saving this.
Oh, how I love curry! I was vaguely familiar with the general idea of “curry” after enjoying curry pad thai on a few occasions, and one day I came across this book at the library called 660 Curries. Usually when I check out cookbooks at the library, I never get around to actually using any recipes (because they call for ingredients I don’t have, or they sound too complicated, or…), but this time I tried one as soon as I got home, and it was so delicious I kept on trying more recipes over the following days and weeks (with 660, there was a lot to explore)! After I had to return it to the library—I’d renewed it as many times as I was allowed—I soon bought my own copy. And then I got my mum a copy… and my friend a copy… and I’m still recommending it to anyone and everyone 😀 The fascinating thing I’ve learned from trying out the recipes is that curry isn’t just one thing, but that it can be any one of many different combinations of spices and herbs and flavours. And they are all amazing!
Thanks for sharing this blend!! I do a lot of on-the-spot measuring and grinding of spices, depending on what the recipe calls for, but I think I’ll make up a half-batch of this for the days when I want a yummy curry with less work. I expect I’ll be making and eating a lot of curry as the weather turns frosty!
Hi there. Wow – that book sounds a little too tempting – that’s how I know I need to buy a book – when I run out of renewal options :-). I’ll check it out now!
Yum! I only started eating curried things a few years ago, but love them now! I love making things from scratch so I pinned this for later.
We love curry anything! It really makes a difference having one you can make without the heat!