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-powder
Ingredients
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
Pound the mixture until fine.
Sift the mixture to remove any larger particles.
Store in an airtight container.
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.
-
Turmeric + cumintop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,698 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
-
Coriander + cumintop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,866 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Turmeric + cardamomtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together667 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
-
Ginger + turmerictop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,776 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
-
Coriander + cardamomtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together872 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
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 golden colour and earthy, slightly bitter flavour.
- Coriander seed
- Provides the citrusy, warm backbone that most of the blend's aroma rests on.
- Cumin seed
- Adds a warm, earthy aroma that deepens the spice profile.
- Black pepper
- Contributes sharp heat and a pungent aroma that lifts the other spices.
- Ginger
- Adds a fresh, peppery warmth and aroma to the blend.
- Mustard seed
- Contributes a pungent, sharp bite to the mix.
The step that matters
Pound the mixture until fine. Whole spices release their aroma and flavour only when broken down, and an even fine grind lets the spices blend evenly. Coarse pieces leave gritty texture and uneven flavour in the finished powder.
Swap the mustard
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (ginger, pepper, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, cumin):
- Carrotfits better
- Capsicumfits better
- Sweet potatofits better
- Mustardthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against ginger, pepper, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, 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.
More curry powder recipes
You might also like
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Brown Bread461 recipes
Mutton Broth292 recipes
Yorkshire Pudding264 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.