Why it works: Turmeric and cardamom match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 667 recipes. Both carry eucalyptol, which smells eucalyptus, herbal. The science ↓
Curry Powder
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a cool oven”. The 300°F (150°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C).
Place all the ingredients in the oven and leave them overnight.
Grind and sift
Pound the mixture in a marble mortar until fine.
Sift the mixture through a fine sieve.
Store
Transfer the curry powder to a bottle for storage.
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 + cardamomtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together667 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
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Turmeric + gingertop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,776 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
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Coriander + cardamomtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together872 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
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Ginger + cardamomtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,114 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
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Ginger + allspicetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,620 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Coriander seed
- Provides the main citrusy, warm aroma that forms the base of the blend.
- Turmeric
- Gives the powder its yellow colour and an earthy, slightly bitter flavour.
- Black pepper
- Adds sharp, pungent heat that gives the blend its bite.
- Flour of mustard
- Contributes sharp pungency and a sinus-clearing bite to the spice mix.
- Ground ginger
- Adds warm, spicy aroma and a gentle lingering heat.
- Cumin seed
- Contributes a deep, earthy, nutty aroma to the blend.
The step that matters
Leaving the spices in the oven overnight. Slow, low dry heat drives off moisture so the seeds and roots become brittle and grind to a fine powder. Heat also mellows and deepens the aromas, but too much would scorch the spices and make the blend bitter.
Swap the mustard
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (coriander, turmeric, pepper, flour, ginger, allspice, cardamom):
- Carrotfits better
- Parsnipfits better
- Sweet potatofits about as well
- Mustardthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against coriander, turmeric, pepper, flour, ginger, allspice, cardamom. 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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