Durban Red Masala / Red Curry Powder (my not so secret ingredient)

I was born and raised in Durban, South Africa which is heavily populated with Indians to say the least. Indians have been in South Africa for over 150 years and while we still kept a lot of the India culture alive over the generations, much of the population adapted and created a culture of our own. While we are Indian, we proudly differentiate ourselves as South African Indian and that differentiation is evident in our cooking styles.

When it comes to recipes my blog does not do justice to the AMAZINGLY TALENTED South Africans who cook every day for their families. I grew up with aunts, cousins, friends, grannies and a community that created so much deliciousness with every type of ingredient they touch. They would cook for very large crowds without measurements but simply their gut feel and the result would be phenomenal.

Living in the USA and craving a South African Indian style curry is difficult. While US Indian restaurants serve great and flavorful dishes, it does not curb the yearning for my Durban Style Curries that remind me of home. These curries are usually distinguished by being redder and hotter and really little to no use of cream/milk. A major ingredient contributing to these flavors, is the Durban Masala (red curry powder). When I moved to California I had it at the top of my request list whenever any friend/relative visited. There are many slight variations but overall it is extremely abundant and accessible in Durban - not so much in California. Some of these variations were store bought or mixed at home with families passing down their versions to their children. If I still lived in South Africa I may not have taken an interest in the individual spices that can make up the mixture, but I don't, so I have created a recipe with ingredients available to me. One may increase or decrease an ingredient based on taste preference.

Some of these spices can technically be added individually at the time of making the curry or spicy dish. Typically we make the powder in large quantities and store in a jar (tradition in my house is to re-purpose an old coffee jar :). Thinking back, I have had the same lucky jar for the past 10 years - no rhyme or reason why) You could also seal and store in the freezer for longer periods of time. This makes it ready to use at any moment you decide to whip up something spicy and delicious.

The base of this mix is red chili powder and depending on your taste you could go from mild to hot. I usually lean towards the hotter kind. The additional spices can vary slightly but most types of Durban masala contain very similar ingredients. At times if there isn't something that is easily available to me in California or if I am feeling lazy to drive out and get it, I may omit an ingredient or substitute.

You can roast and grind all the whole ingredients at the same time or buy the ones already available in the powder form.

Durban Red Masala / Red Curry Powder Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup chili powder

• 3 Tbsp coriander seeds (ground)

• 4 cardamom seeds (ground)

• 2 Tbsp cup cumin seeds (ground)

• 1 Tbsp aniseed (ground)

• 2 Tbsp cup paprika

• 1 Tbsp Turmeric

• 1 tsp clove (ground)

• 1 Bay leaf (ground)

• 4 curry leaves (optional)

Method

1. Toast the ingredients that are whole or in seed form in a pan over medium heat. Be careful not to burn.

2. Grind the whole toasted ingredients into a fine powder using a coffee/spice grinder or mortar and pestle.

3. Mix all ingredients together. Store in an airtight container or freeze for later use.

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