Why it works: Turmeric and cumin match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,698 recipes. Both carry eucalyptol, which smells eucalyptus, herbal. The science ↓
Curry Powdrr
Ingredients
Directions
Pound all ingredients very fine in a mortar.
Sift the mixture.
Cork tightly in a bottle.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Turmeric + cumintop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,698 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
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Coriander + cumintop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,866 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
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Turmeric + cardamomtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together667 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
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Cardamom + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,299 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
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Ginger + turmerictop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,776 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Turmeric
- Gives the blend its yellow colour and earthy, slightly bitter flavour.
- Coriander seed
- Contributes citrusy, floral aroma that forms the bulk of the curry flavour.
- Cumin seed
- Adds warm, earthy aroma characteristic of curry blends.
- Cayenne pepper
- Provides heat from capsaicin, adjustable in strength to taste.
- Ginger
- Adds warm, peppery aroma and a mild pungent bite.
The step that matters
Pound all ingredients very fine. Fine, even grinding exposes more surface area so the spices release their aroma and flavour evenly. Coarse pieces leave gritty texture and uneven taste, which is why the mixture is sifted afterward.
Swap the mustard
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (ginger, pepper, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin):
- Carrotfits better
- Capsicumfits better
- Sweet potatofits better
- Mustardthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against ginger, pepper, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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