SOME BASIC PREPARATIONS... MASALA POWDERS

1 BASIC CHILLY POWDER
½ kg Red Chilies (long or round variety for pungency)
½ kg Kashmiri Chilies or any other non spicy chillies (for adding colour)

Roast the two types of chilies in a pan or in a microwave oven for a few minutes. Powder them at home in the dry blender or get it done at the mill. A teaspoon or two of this chilly powder can be used for any type of dish that calls for chilly powder. It can be stored for more than a year.

2 ALL PURPOSE CURRY POWDER
½ kg Red Chillies for pungency
½ kg Kashmiri Chillies or any other chillies for colour
½ kg coriander seeds
200 grams cumin seeds
50 grams pepper corns
100 grams mustard seeds

Roast all the above ingredients separately then mix altogether and grind to a powder in a mill.A teaspoon or two of this powder can be used for almost all curries both vegetarian and non- vegetarian. It can be stored and used for more than a year.

3 PEPPER WATER POWDER
¼ kg Red Chilies
200 grams pepper corns
200 grams cumin seeds
100 grams coriander seeds
20 grams tumeric powder

Roast all the above ingredients and then grind together to a powder
2 teaspoons of this powder should be added to 2 cups of water, juice of 2 tomatoes, a lump of tamarind and a little salt and cooked for 5 minutes to make instant pepper water. This pepper water should be seasoned with mustard, garlic and curry leaves.

4. VINDALOO CURRY POWDER / PASTE

50 grams mustard
¼ kg red chilies for pungency
50 grams cumin seeds
¼ kg Kashmir chilies or any other chilies for colour
10 grams pepper corns
50 grams tumeric powder

Roast all the above ingredients together for a few minutes then powder in a mill or dry grind in a blender. Use 2 teaspoons of this powder for every ½ kg of meat when cooking vindaloo along with the other ingredients as per the recipe. If stored in an airtight bottle this mixture will stay fresh for more than a year. The same mixture can also be made into a paste if ground in vinegar but it should be stored in a fridge.

5 ALL SPICE POWDER (GARAM MASALA POWDER)
1 teaspoon pepper corns
1 tablespoon cloves
1 tablespoon cardamoms
6 pieces of cinnamon

Roast all the above lightly for a few minutes then dry grind to a fine powder. A teaspoon of this spice powder can be used for any recipe that calls for all spice powder or garam masala.