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!
Such a perfect blend! I’m spotlighting your post on my Facebook page today.
Thanks again for bringing your talent to “A Little Birdie Told Me…” at Rook No. 17!
Jenn
Thank you, Jenn!
Wow I LOVE your Pakistani curry recipe (I’ve made it twice already and each time with plenty for leftovers…yum!!) but I’m sure I would love this homemade curry powder much more than the kind I found in the store. I’m a big baby with spices, so the milder the better! Thanks for sharing with Sunday School. 🙂
Hi Emily! I am so glad you like the curry recipe! I’ll see you around a lot more hopefully! Take good care, ~Adrienne
Thank you for your submission on Nourishing Treasures’ Make Your Own! Monday link-up.
I don’t use curry often, but I would love to make my own.
Check back later tonight when the new link-up is running to see if you were one of the top 3 featured posts! 🙂
Thank you for sharing this very useful post with the Hearth and Soul hop. I love the idea of making my own curry powder!
I hope you like it, April!
Thanks for linking up!
You’re welcome, Amy!
Adrienne,
Your photo is just beautiful and I can almost smell the wonderful aroma of all those spices. This is a great post. Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and come back soon.
Miz Helen
Sorry I can’t take credit for that photo – the source is at the end of my post. Ah well. Most of the photos on my site are mine at least :-).
i will definitely be making my own from your recipes! YUM!
Hi, I found you via Allergy Friendly Friday, this is a great idea – we love curry powder, especially for making roast curry chickpeas. 🙂
I love roasted chickpeas! I don’t think I’ve ever put curry on them though – nice idea especially now that it’s getting cooler!
I can’t remember ever eating anything with curry in it until a month or so ago when we tried a new Chinese restaurant. I ordered some Curry Chicken and LOVED it! So much so that I looked up a few recipes and have loved them also.
I’m going to try your recipe and check out your other ones. Thanks for sharing!
Vicki, if you have any curry recipes that are winners, I would sure love them! I need to expand my repertoire!
Sounds great (I love curry) and I love your sweetener tips, too–thanks for adding them to WW. Would you please also add backlinks to both posts? Thanks! 🙂
Hi Ricki! We love curry so much. We’ve had a late start on the day so my assistant (son) will be getting on those backlinks soon. Have a great weekend. I hope to be in touch more :-).