Jamaican Curry Powder Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is Jamaican curry powder made of? ›

Directions. Combine the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, anise seeds, fenugreek seeds, and allspice berries in a skillet. Toast over medium heat until the color of the spices slightly darkens, and the spices are very fragrant, about 10 minutes.

The greatest difference between the two spice mixes comes into play when examining heat levels. Indian curry powders tend to have more chile powder in them while Jamaican curry powder. Some commercial versions may have a bit of cayenne pepper in them, but most recipes usually omit that spice.

To substitute Jamaican curry powder, I started with regular curry powder (which contains most of the same spices), then added extra turmeric and allspice. This allowed me to use ingredients that were easy for me to find, AND I didn't have to toast and grind the spices myself.

Curry powders usually consist of turmeric, cumin, ginger, and black pepper. Some blends also incorporate garlic and cinnamon. What all curry powders share is a sweet warmth and pleasant pungency that adds a toasty depth to everything it touches.

But perhaps the biggest thing that makes Jamaican curry powder stand out from other curry powders is the use of allspice, which is known for its multidimensional flavor and adds its own, herbaceous and warm twist to the mix. Like many other spice blends, the recipe can vary.

Unlike regular curry powder, Jamaican curry powder contains more turmeric (hence the bold yellow color) and allspice. Therefore, if you don't have Jamaican curry powder handy, simply use regular curry powder and add additional turmeric powder and a few pinches of allspice powder.

A major difference between Jamaican and Indian curries is that Indian dishes use more chilli powder than fresh peppers. This gives Indian dishes a distinctive red colour and kick. Like Jamaican cuisine, Indian dishes are also usually marinated with a mix of Indian spices before cooking.

Curry powder promotes digestive health, largely because it contains turmeric and ginger. Turmeric helps strengthen your digestive tract's microbiome, or the healthy bacteria that help you digest food more efficiently.

Yellow curry powder is a blend of spices commonly used in Indian cuisine. The color comes from turmeric, which also adds an earthy note.

Curry is intrinsic part of Jamaican history. Indian servants who were brought to the then English Colony to work on sugar plantations after the abolition of slavery, brought the spice to Jamaica in the C17th. Curry is now one of the most popular dishes in Jamaica, usually made with goat, prawns, chicken, crab or pork.

Is garam masala the same as curry powder? ›

While both are Indian spice mixes, their unique flavor profiles distinguish them. Curry Powder tends to be milder, with a symphony of spices creating a harmonious, less intense flavor compared to the robust complexity of Garam Masala.

The difference in flavor profile and heat level means that it's not a good idea to substitute curry paste for curry powder. If you're hoping to cook a traditional Thai or Indian dish, this substitution would throw off the flavors in your final dish.

Thai dishes have won over the hearts of foodies all over the world.

The primary ingredient in most Indian curry powders is bright yellow turmeric. Turmeric is earthy, musky, and warm, and delivers great depth to curries with no heat. Indian curry spices are usually a blend of: Kashmiri Chile Powder – this chile has a terrific, rich flavor without much heat.

While both curry powders are a blend of spices, Jamaican curry powder usually has a higher proportion of turmeric and is packed full of Jamaican flavors such as pimento, scotch bonnet chili and personal preferences like nutmeg. It is also lower in heat than the Indian version.

Jamaican curry powder contains many of the same ingredients as Madras curry powder, so the benefits of eating both are similar. According to Healthline, turmeric and coriander are powerful ingredients well-known to help with inflammation.

Curry paste is a wet ingredient made with fresh chilies. It must be dissolved into a liquid during the cooking process. Curry powder is a dry ingredient that must be activated with a liquid or oil. It does not include fresh chilies, so it will be much less spicy than a curry paste.

Product Description

This Chief curry is a Jamaican blend of curry powder and promises to please.