Why it works: Turmeric and ginger match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,776 recipes. Both carry eucalyptol, which smells eucalyptus, herbal. The science ↓
Curry Powder
Ingredients
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly until well blended.
Store in an airtight container away from light.
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 + gingertop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,776 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
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Coriander + gingertop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,505 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).
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Turmeric + coriandertop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,253 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
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Turmeric + mustardtop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,279 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Turmeric + peppertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,478 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Turmeric powder
- Gives the blend its yellow colour and earthy, bitter base flavour.
- Coriander seed powder
- Provides the warm, citrusy aroma that forms the core of the blend.
- Black pepper
- Adds sharp, pungent heat that lifts the other spices.
- Ginger
- Contributes a warm, aromatic spiciness.
- Cayenne pepper
- Adds direct chilli heat that sets the blend's strength.
- Mace
- Adds a delicate, nutmeg-like warm aroma.
The step that matters
Store in an airtight container away from light.. Ground spices lose their volatile aroma compounds when exposed to air, and light fades their colour and degrades their flavour. Sealing and shading the blend keeps it tasting fresh for longer.
Swap the mace
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (turmeric, coriander, pepper, ginger, mustard):
- Cuminfits better
- Cardamomfits better
- Allspicefits better
- Macethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against turmeric, coriander, pepper, ginger, mustard. 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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