How to Use Curry Powder

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Curry powder is a flavorful spice made of turmeric, ginger, coriander, and several others. To use curry powder in your cooking, pick out dishes that cook slowly and add other spices in with the curry powder to get the best flavor. You can even make your own curry powder to customize it to your taste buds. Curry powder is often used to make soups, sauces, and seasonings, giving you endless options for your next curry meal.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Getting the Best Flavor from Curry Powder

1
Choose curry powders without turmeric as the main ingredient for the best flavor. Check the ingredients list to see if turmeric is listed first. If turmeric is listed as the first ingredient, this means that it’s very turmeric-heavy. Turmeric tends to have a bland taste, and it’s usually used in such a large amount for its color. If you want curry powder that’s going to be super flavorful, look for brands that don't have turmeric listed as the first ingredient.^{[1]
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- If your curry powder does have turmeric listed first, you can still use it, just don't depend on it for your main source of flavor.
- McCormick makes a good regular curry powder that can be found in most grocery stores.
- Opt for a specialty curry powder like Spiceology's Thai Peanut Sweet and Spicy Curry Blend, or Mountain Rose Herbs' Curry Powder Blend that's organic.
2
Use curry powder for slower cooking dishes if possible. Curry powder has the best flavor when it’s allowed to set for a while with other ingredients while cooking for at least 20 minutes. This includes dishes that simmer for a while on the stove or that are cooked using a crockpot. If you’re trying to whip up a meal quickly, maybe save the curry powder for later.^{[2]
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- An exception to this would be if you’re using curry powder as a dry rub.
- Try using curry powder in dishes like butter chicken with curry powder used as part of a marinade, or pasta where the curry powder is infused into the boiling water.
- If you made a dish that contains curry powder and have leftovers, let them sit in the fridge and the food will be even more flavorful.
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3
Mix curry powder into a liquid for the best results. This helps the curry powder absorb into the dish fully, providing the richest flavor. Use recipes including liquids like coconut milk, yogurt, stock, or even water, measuring out the curry powder and sprinkling it into the liquid.^{[3]
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- This is great for marinades, soups, and sauces especially.
4
Avoid relying on curry powder to be the main flavor. If you use curry powder as your main spice, or especially your only spice, you might be a little disappointed by the flavor of your dish. Curry powder works best when it’s mixed with other flavorful spices and foods so that it’s not the main flavor.^{[4]
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- Use curry powder with onions and garlic for a great flavor.
- Other spices often used with curry powder include ginger, coriander, cumin, and crushed red pepper flakes.
5
Make your own curry powder to customize it to your taste buds. Store-bought curry powders often all differ slightly due to the large amount of ingredients in them. To create a curry powder with the right amount of each spice best for you, make your own by measuring out the different ingredients and mixing them together using a whisk or similar kitchen tool.^{[5]
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- Most of the spices found in curry powder, such as turmeric, coriander, sesame seeds, cumin, nutmeg, and several others, are easy to find at your local grocery store.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Choosing Curry Entrees

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Cook chicken curry for a classic curry powder dish. This is one of the most popular meals using curry powder. Cook ingredients like onions, garlic, tomatoes, and the curry powder in a large saucepan before adding the chicken. By adding a little water, your chicken curry will become juicier as it soaks up the spices.^{[6]
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- Some chicken curry recipes leave out curry powder, opting instead for many of the ingredients that make up curry powder. Check the recipe to make sure it includes curry powder, or look online for special recipes by typing “chicken curry recipe with curry powder” into an online search engine.
2
Make curried rice for a great side dish. Curried rice has a yummy flavor and takes few ingredients, turning bland white rice into a delicious side. Add uncooked rice and curry powder to a saucepan with ingredients in it like onions and garlic, cooking them until the rice becomes fluffy.^{[7]
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- Curried rice goes well with seafood or other meat.
- Feel free to alter any recipe you’re following to add more or less curry powder depending on your preferences, if desired.
3
Create curry grilled shrimp for a yummy seafood dish. Toss fresh shrimp in a bowl full of curry powder and other spices like cayenne and coriander, adding olive oil so the spices stick to the shrimp. You can bake, fry, or grill the shrimp until they’re white and ready to be eaten.^{[8]
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- Serve the curry grilled shrimp with white rice or a light salad.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Spicing up Traditional Dishes

1
Add curry powder to soups for a boost of flavor. Curry squash soup has a smooth creamy texture while curry chicken soup is more of a broth. Curry powder is an ingredient in many different types of soups, so find a kind of soup including curry powder that you think you’d like and follow the recipe.^{[9]
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- Curried Lentil Soup is a popular choice, and curry powder is used to add flavor to pumpkin soup as well.
- Tomato coconut curry soup is a good option, as is a Thai curry soup.
2
Use curry powder as a dry rub for pork or other meat. If you’re getting ready to grill or bake some meat, especially pork or chicken, use curry powder to give it flavor. Pat the raw meat with the spice, covering it evenly. Cook the meat thoroughly before enjoying the taste.^{[10]
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- You can also turn the curry powder dry rub into a marinade by adding things like oil and lime juice.
3
Season vegetables with curry powder for a delicious taste. Either sauté your vegetables in a curry sauce, or sprinkle oil and curry powder onto the vegetables before baking or frying them. The curry powder adds a nice kick to the vegetables, giving them great flavor.^{[11]
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- Season foods like green beans, peppers, or potatoes.
- Add other spices like salt and pepper for an even better taste.
4
Mix together a curry sauce to put on meat or tofu. There are tons of different sauces that use curry as one of their main sources of flavor, giving them a slightly spicy taste. Pick a sauce like coconut curry sauce or tomato curry sauce, adding it to meat or tofu.^{[12]
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- Make a curry mayo to add to a burger.
- Create a curry powder soy sauce to add flavor to tofu.
- You can also add curry sauces to meats like chicken and pork.