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, No. 3
Ingredients
Directions
Scorch and finely powder the mustard seed.
Pound the coriander seed.
Combine the turmeric, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cardamom, ginger, and cumin seed, then mix all ingredients together until well combined.
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).
-
Turmeric + cardamomtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together667 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
-
Turmeric + gingertop 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
- Mustard seed
- Adds a sharp, pungent bite once ground and warmed.
- Coriander seed
- Contributes a warm, citrusy aroma and a mild, sweet-leaning flavor.
- Turmeric
- Gives the blend its earthy flavor and strong yellow color.
- Black pepper
- Provides sharp, lingering heat from its piperine compounds.
- Cayenne pepper
- Adds direct chili heat that builds through the blend.
- Cumin seed
- Supplies a earthy, warm aroma that anchors the blend.
The step that matters
Scorching the mustard seed. Gentle heat releases the nutty, toasty aroma of mustard seed, but overheating burns it and leaves a bitter taste that carries into the whole blend. Stop once the seeds smell toasted and darken only slightly.
Swap the mustard
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (coriander, turmeric, pepper, cardamom, ginger, cumin):
- Carrotfits better
- Capsicumfits better
- Sweet potatofits better
- Mustardthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against coriander, turmeric, pepper, cardamom, ginger, 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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