Jamaican Curry Powder
Jamaican Curry Powder- Perfect blend of homemade Curry Powder. Quick, easy, no additives or fillers AND it tastes way better than your store-bought brands.
Looking back at my life there has never been a time when I did not have a curry jar in my pantry. It’s always been a pantry staple and something that I use more often than not. My sister and I knew the magic ingredient to make a disastrous stew somewhat edible- Curry spice.
Just a little would evade the awkward glances from everyone at the table. I was petrified when it came to my turn, I would check, double-check and triple-check, to make sure there was enough in the jar before turning on the gas stove.
Curry is not a single spice, but a unique blend of spices. Which differs greatly in intensity, flavor and heat level from region to region. I have been meaning to make mine now for a while but just kept putting it off. What gave me the extra push is a curry competition I attended. You had a group of participants from different Caribbean Countries with jamming Curry Chicken. I mean lip-smacking, finger-licking curry chicken that would awaken all the sensations in your body. Yes! They were that good.
But the winner had a secret; she made her own curry spice blend. As soon as I tasted it, I knew this was it for me! The seasonings were perfectly balanced- not one overpowering the other. Since it was a competition and I was a Judge I had to be very respectable and hold the moaning and groaning.
Curious about curry powder. I want to know the difference between Jamaican curry powder and Indian curry powder. Well, say no more.
There are a few differences between the two. After doing side by side comparison and some digging. You would notice that most Jamaican, not all Jamaican curry powder tho, are bright yellow from lots of turmeric, dried scotch bonnet pepper (a childhood favorite) and it always includes allspice, also known as pimentos.
Here, I used cayenne pepper because dried scotch bonnet pepper is not readily available. Since this is homemade I took the liberty of adding nutmeg, which is not typical feel free to leave out or adjust.
This is just my interpretation of this curry spice so switch it up if desired. Making your own homemade spice blend means you control how much of spice goes in your blend.
Also, do you want it to be salty or no salt at all? Spicy or Less Spicy? I always leave out the salt. So feel free to adjust it to suit your tastebuds.
Make it yours!!!
Recipes Using This Curry Powder
More Homemade Seasonings To Try
- Creole/Cajun Seasoning
- Taco Seasoning
- Italian Seasoning
- Poultry Seasoning
- Jerk Seasoning
- Steak Seasoning
Watch How To Make It
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Jamaican Curry Powder
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 tablespoon turmeric ground
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds ground
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 2 tablespoon all spice
- 2 tablespoon ginger ground
- 2 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds dry
- 2 tablespoon fenugreek seeds ground
- 1 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (you can use white pepper)
- 1 whole clove dried, (use about 1/4 teaspoon ground)
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg ground, (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon scotch bonnet peppe ground, (you can use cayenne pepper)
Instructions
- If using whole grain, lightly toast, on low heat, in a fry pan, for about 3-5 minutes, before grinding, just until the spices smell nice and toasty. Then grind in a coffee grinder.
- You may skip the toasting and just grind all the spices. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Thanks for the recipe. I am making curried chicken tomorrow and wanted to up my game. 4 stars because I haven’t tried it yet. Will perhaps give an update on the review. I was very interested in the difference in yellow and red curry powder and had to research but I think that I can make a minor adjustment to create the red for the appropriate application.
Hi Jennifer!
You’re very welcome! I’m thrilled you’re giving the curried chicken a try, and I appreciate the 4-star anticipation rating.
As for the curry powder, you’re absolutely right—adjusting it slightly can make a big difference depending on your desired flavor profile. Yellow curry powder often has a milder, turmeric-forward taste, while red curry powder leans spicier and more robust, often with added chili powder or paprika for that signature color and kick.
If you’re aiming to tweak the yellow curry powder to mimic the red, consider adding a touch of smoked paprika, cayenne, or ground chili for the spice and deeper hue.
Let me know how it turns out, and I look forward to your updated review! Happy cooking!
Thank you so much for this. I am Cruzan, my husband Jamaican, and we both feel this takes us back home. I kept the funugreek and mustard seed whole and left out the nutmeg but subbed tons of cayenne for scotch B…delicious curry chicken soup! Will use on ANY seafood or meat. Love it!
I use this on most of my meats too. I am so glad you loved this recipe. Thank you for your feedback :)!
i am a bit confused. i am looking at creating 20-tsp of the curry powder. I aim to use the whole spice where I can. It says in the recipe to use 0.49 whole clove. Is this 1/2 a clove or 0.49 of a teaspoon or tablespoon? It does not stipulate. Any advise from you will be gratefully received. Many thanks, JJ
My husband and I love this recipe. Here in Winnipeg, it’s perfect for the winter months.
Awesome! So glad to hear this Anthony.
I’ve made it twice now, so good!
Great! Thank you for the feedback, Isa!
I like many other commenters on here, am very confused on the measurements. I only have the powdered form of everything, so pretty much used equal amounts powder, except for the black pepper (only used 1/2 teaspoon black pepper). I would probably cut back a little on the turmeric though to 2 Tbsp or a bit less.
Hi Tanya. Feel free to adjust the quantities of the ingredients to your taste. It will still turn out great. Thanks for stopping by.
This recipe is perfect and makes a massively versatile curry powder. I use it for Japanese Katsu Curry as well and is just so good.
Thanks for the feedback, Simon :)!
I want to make this curry spice mix, but I’m confused on measurements. Never sure when it’s whole seeds or ground I’m to measure. Am I correct that if specified “ground” the measurement is for the ground product and if not specified I am measuring the whole seed such as the cumin,allspice,mustard,black pepper.
Yes you are correct.
I would like to try this recipe but find the way it is written to be very confusing. Unfortunately I’m more of a recipe follower than a cook so details are big for me. I sooo wish you would give metric (gram) conversions. That would remove the questions about whole or ground, scalability would also be simple.
Hi Gary, I would be glad to share the amounts in grams. If you use whole spices, you can toast them for more flavor. If using already ground spices, just mix them.
2½ tablespoons turmeric = 25g
1 tablespoon coriander = 3g
1 tablespoon cumin = 6g
2 tablespoons allspice = 12g
2 tablespoon ground ginger = 8g
2 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds = 22g
2 tablespoons fenugreek = 22g
1½ teaspoon black pepper = 3g
1 whole clove
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg = 2g
½ teaspoon dried scotch bonnet or cayenne = 1g
I have a problem that essentially trashes the recipe a turmeric allergy but a love of ” curry”
Any thoughts on a semblance of this lovely recipe minus turmeric?
I am so sorry. You can increase the cumin, coriander, and ginger a bit, and add saffron for the yellow color if you have it.
I’m not sure the spice measurements in this recipe is correct. My Goat curry had a bitter taste (from too much fenugreek seeds) that I had made using this curry powder. I’ve made other recipes and they usually turn out well, just not this curry powder unfortunately.
Hi Jes,
I’m really sorry to hear that the goat curry didn’t turn out as expected. Fenugreek seeds can indeed impart a bitter taste if used in large quantities, and I appreciate your feedback on this.
It’s always disappointing when a recipe doesn’t meet your expectations, especially when you’ve had success with others. I’ll definitely revisit the spice measurements in the curry powder recipe to see if adjustments are needed.
In the meantime, if you’d like to give it another try, I’d recommend reducing the fenugreek seeds by half or even omitting them altogether to see if that better suits your taste.
Thank you for bringing this to my attention, and I appreciate your honest feedback. It helps me improve the recipes for everyone.
Best,
I read that toasting fenugreek seeds removes the bitterness.
Yes, toasting fenugreek seeds can help mellow out their bitterness and enhance their flavor. Toasting spices in general can bring out their aromatic oils and make them more fragrant, adding depth to your dishes.
Just be cautious not to burn them, as that would introduce a bitter, burnt taste instead of reducing bitterness.
Hello, I am so excited to try this. Is it 2 tablespoons of allspice berries or pre ground allspice?
I like to toast whole spices, then grind them in a coffee grinder. But you can use all ground spices if you want.
I have a feeling I’m not going to end up with the same curry powder that you made due to being unsure of which spices I measure out whole and which spices I measure out powdered. Like the black pepper — 1.5tsp of ground black pepper is like four times as much as 1.5tsp of whole black pepper. And that goes for all of the things. The recipe may say ground but the pictures show whole spices being toasted — should I toast and grind a large amount of each spice and *then* measure out the amount for this recipe?
Sorry for the confusion. If toasting, use whole as directed in the instructions. Or you can use ground if you want to skip the toasting. 1½ teaspoon peppercorns is approximately ½ teaspoon ground pepper. Hope that helps.