This homemade spice mix is one of my favourite kitchen staples, and once you have a jar of it ready to go you will wonder how you ever managed without it. It is a bold, aromatic blend designed to make curry nights quicker, easier, and far more flavour packed. Instead of measuring out lots of individual spices every time, you can simply add a spoonful of this mix and build a rich, fragrant base in seconds. It makes such a difference, especially on busy weeknights when you want proper curry flavour without the extra effort.
The blend combines medium curry powder, turmeric, and cumin for warmth and depth, with fennel seeds and cardamom bringing a fragrant, slightly sweet aromatic note that you just cannot replicate with pre ground spices alone. Ground cinnamon rounds everything off with gentle warmth, while bay leaves add a subtle savoury background that makes the whole mix feel fuller and more balanced. The hot chilli powder adds heat, but it is easy to adjust to your taste. If you prefer a milder mix, simply reduce the chilli powder slightly. If you like it hotter, add a little more until it is exactly how you want it.
Grinding the whole spices fresh is what takes this mix to the next level. It creates a more vibrant aroma, a stronger flavour, and a spice mix that smells incredible the moment you open the jar. For this recipe I use a small electric spice grinder to blitz the whole spices. This is the one I use (affiliate link) : https://amzn.to/3NksTbt
This recipe makes quite a lot of spice mix, but that is exactly the point. I use it all the time, and having it ready saves so much time when making curries. It also makes your cooking more consistent, because you know the flavour base will be spot on every time.
Indian Spice Mix
Ingredients
- 200 g medium curry powder
- 50 g hot chilli powder
- 100 g turmeric
- 100 g cumin seeds
- 30 g cardamon pods
- 35 g fennel seeds
- 35 g ground cinnamon
- 3 g bay leaves
Instructions
- In a large bowl, place all of the ground spices
- Using a spice grinder blitz all of the other ingredients, you will need to do it one spice at a time apart from the bay leaves – do these with the fennel seeds
- Mix it all together with your other ground spices
- Decant into jars or airtight containers
