Madras Curry Paste
Curry up!
Madras Curry Paste is such a flavorful base that can be used in dishes ranging from the Madras Curry to spicing up your scrambled eggs for breakfast. Good stuff here!
Madras is actually not traditional to India, but was created by the British and their travels to India … and I’m not complaining!
The character of the Madras flavors lie in the hefty use of chili powder and turmeric, so that should be an indicator that this paste can be make a hot dish. Of course, you can use as much or little in your curry to suit your taste. I go with the lighter side when serving curry to my children, sometimes pulling out my portion and adding extra paste to spice things up.
This is so simple to put together and takes less than five minutes to make. This recipe will make enough for 2 – 4 meals, and will keep for up to a month in a dry cool place. If you are hesitant to add the liquid component all at once, you can prepare just the powder mix and then add the vinegar 1 – 2 tablespoons at a time when making your curry.
This recipe is used as the base in none other than my favorite, easy-to-make Madras Chicken Curry recipe.
Enjoy!
Madras Curry Paste
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp ground Coriander Seeds (if you can't find it already ground, then use Coriander Seeds, dry toasted in a skillet then ground in a coffee grinder or spice mill)
- 1 Tbsp Cumin Powder
- 1/2 tsp ground Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Chili Powder (Cayenne works well)
- 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 2 tsp Garlic Powder (not garlic salt)
- 2 tsp Ginger Powder
- 1 tsp whole Brown Mustard Seeds
- 6 - 8 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar (or just enough to create a paste, adding 1 Tbsp at a time until you have a paste like consistency)
- Small handful a fresh Coriander, or to taste and to be added when making the curry
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the Coriander through to Brown Mustard Seeds.
- Start to mix in the Vinegar, 1 Tbsp at a time until you have a paste. I usually end up adding between 6 - 8 Tbsp.
- Store in an airtight container in a dry cool place or refrigerator.
- The final ingredient, Coriander, is added fresh when making your curry.
Notes
Because of the addition of the Vinegar and since there are no oils, I find that this keeps well stored in my spice cabinet. If you are hesitant to store the mixture this way, you can either keep it in the refrigerator, or the other option is to mix only the powders together. Then when you are ready to make the curry, you can add the Vinegar in along with the fresh Coriander creating your Madras Curry Paste. This paste is used along with lemon juice as the marinade for my favorite Madras Chicken Curry.
Stacey is a Southern girl with a taste for travel, thriving on the discovery of the world through food. After spending many years traveling and living overseas, she’s now back home in her beloved deep south enjoying life with her three little ones and loving the adventure. She’s a food stylist and food photographer, as well as, the creative behind Little Figgy Food, where she loves to inspire others to try new flavors and foodie techniques.
