Topic: Why do BIRs add Curry Powder to their Spice Mix?

[Cory Ander]

Hi All,

I've always puzzled over why BIRs seem to invariably add curry powder to their spice mix?  It just seems to be a bit of a cop out to me; almost as if they don't have confidence in their spice mix!

Is it that tumeric, coriander, cumin (and paprika/chilli) powder alone don't really hack it and the curry powder adds a small amount of other minor ingredients (this is my reasoning, but it might be incorrect)? 

Why not just use curry powder alone then?  Curry powder is, after all, predominantly tumeric, coriander, cumin (and paprika/chilli) powder, plus some other minor ingredients?

And tumeric, coriander, cumin (and paprika/chilli) powder does form the bases for a very basic curry powder?

Any other reasons people know of or can think of? 

[joshallen2k]

I've wondered the same. My guess has always been that curry powder is a little strong on the "minor ingredients". Fenugreek powder, nutmeg, cloves (these three stand out as I read the ingredients on mine). So I figured chefs dilute these powerful flavours using turmeric/coriander/cumin/paprika.

When you stick your nose in a jar of curry powder it has a powerful aroma, and the spice mix is milder and more "BIR".

My guess is that simply using a reduced amount of curry powder alone would not cut it. Worth experimenting one day I suppose.

I also think that paprika is added to get a redder final dish. I don't see it listed as an ingredient on my curry powder.

I may be completely wrong about this, but that's my best guess.

-- Josh

[JerryM]

this for me is the bit of the jigsaw we don't know enough about.

i'm sceptical that we know for sure what is in a BIR mix powder. it's the 1 thing that my local TA won't talk about - it's secret they say - no discussion full stop.

the ashoka use garam - East End which is very much like a curry powder not really a garam as most people would know of it.

it looks like some BIR's don't use a mix at all ie they use the individual spices - this is what maliks video suggests - i cant find room in the spice rack for it when u try to allocate powders u need to 8 off bins.

i use 2 off mix powders - one with curry powder and one without. i used to add curry powder to the one without (at frying stage) but in the recently found low spice world i'm finding that i hardly use curry powder.

i don't really feel curry powder works well in base either.

all of this does not stack up with the large bags of curry powder in the catering isle at my asian supermarket.

this for me is my No1 to crack this yr using Mikka's mix as the starting point.