This homemade madras curry powder is full of flavour and will elevate your Indian dishes. With my handy tip it’s so easy to customise it to suit your spice tolerance.
There’s nothing like a homemade spice blend to transform everyday recipes. Our family’s Gujarati chai masala is the only one I’ll add to my tea!
I’ve tried plenty of shop-bought Madras Curry Powder over the years, but I always find them either too mild or too heavy on one note. Making it at home means I can adjust the chilli to my taste.
Once you’ve made this version, you’ll notice how much fresher and more balanced it tastes compared to the packet mixes.
Despite the name, Madras Curry Powder isn’t a traditional Indian household blend. It was popularised in Britain, loosely inspired by the spicier dishes from South India. What sets it apart from mild curry powder is the use of chilli, which gives that signature fiery kick and deep orange-red colour.
My tip for customisation: I always use Kashmiri chilli powder as the base because it gives that gorgeous red colour without piling on the heat. If I want it spicier, I simply add a touch of hot red chilli powder or cayenne. This way you get the classic Madras look every time, and you can easily dial the heat up or down to suit whoever you’re cooking for.
Just look at that colour!
Ingredients notes
Full measurements can be found in the recipe card below where you can also leave a star rating
You can buy whole spices or the pre-ground version of each Indian spice. In my recipe, I have used a mix of whole spices which I have toasted and ground and used some pre-ground powders.
The important thing to note is: if you are using whole spices, toast them first.
Some supermarkets may keep some of these food items but you may have to pay a visit to a South Asian grocery store for all ingredients.
Coriander and cumin – either use the whole toasted cumin seeds and coriander seeds (my preference for fresher flavour) or use pre-ground dhana jeeru (coriander & cumin powder)
Kashmiri chilli – either use dried kashmiri chilli or kashmiri red chilli powder. Kashmiri chili is mild but has a vibrant red colour. It is mild enough that you can use cayenne pepper as a substitute. Do not sub in a spicier red chili powder unless you can handle the heat!
Turmeric – use ground turmeric powder
Bay leaf – if I have Indian tej patta (with its subtle cinnamon flavour), I’ll use that. Otherwise, a regular bay leaf works well to add background warmth.
Cinnamon – I’ve tried the recipe with either cinnamon powder or cinnamon bark/cassia bark and both work well
Fenugreek seeds – also known as methi seeds. They add that unmistakable “curry house” flavour. Raw, they can be bitter, but lightly toasting them softens the edge and balances the blend. A little goes a long way.
Fennel seeds – one of my favourite additions. They bring a gentle sweetness and liquorice note that really shines through in tomato-based curries.
Mustard – you will need black mustard seeds. I like to toast the mustard seeds until they pop to tease out their flavour.
Black pepper – use either black peppercorns or black pepper powder.
Gram flour – my little trick for helping the powder cling to ingredients when you’re cooking. It also absorbs any extra oil or moisture, making the spices toast more evenly in the pan.
Sometimes I’ll add dried curry leaves if I know I’ll be using the powder mainly for South Indian dishes.
How to use Madras Curry Powder
Madras powder is used the same way as mild curry powder in Indian recipes. Like many spice mixes, it is added during the cooking stage. You can use madras curry powder when you want to make your dishes extra hot.
I usually use mild curry powder in my Vegan Mulligatawny Soup but to make it spicier, try this madras curry power instead!
Add a dash to mayo – its a great way to add a burst of flavour to your regular condiments. Serve this mayo with Air Fryer Indian Potatoes .
Storage
Spices and homemade masalas are best stored in a dark cool place in an airtight container.
An airtight jar made with glass is my personal favourite! The tight seal prevents exposure to air which usually causes spices to loose their flavour and potency too quickly. The powder also clumps together. Keeping the spices in a dark place helps them last a long time.
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
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Hot Madras Curry Powder
Equipment
- 1 Frying pan
- 1 Blender
Ingredients
Whole Spices
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds black/brown
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 bay leaf
Spices Powders
- 2 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon red chilli powder kashmiri
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder ground
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1 tabslespoon gram flour besan
Optional
- 4-6 curry leaves
- ½ teaspoon green cardamom powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder/granules
Instructions
- First dry roast all the whole spices in a frying pan for 2-3 mins over medium low heat. 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1 bay leaf
- Turn off the heat, remove the spices in to another plate or bowl.
- Allow to cool down completely.
- Than, transfer them to a spice grinder or grinder jar & grind to a fine powder.
- Transfer from the blender into a bowl.
- Add all the spices powders along with gram flour and mix well. 2 tablespoon ground coriander, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 tablespoon red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon black pepper powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder, 1 tabslespoon gram flour
- Store right away in an airtight container.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Hot Madras Curry Powder
Equipment
- 1 Frying pan
- 1 Blender
Ingredients
Whole Spices
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds black/brown
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 bay leaf
Spices Powders
- 2 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon red chilli powder kashmiri
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder ground
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1 tabslespoon gram flour besan
Optional
- 4-6 curry leaves
- ½ teaspoon green cardamom powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder/granules
Instructions
- First dry roast all the whole spices in a frying pan for 2-3 mins over medium low heat. 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1 bay leaf
- Turn off the heat, remove the spices in to another plate or bowl.
- Allow to cool down completely.
- Than, transfer them to a spice grinder or grinder jar & grind to a fine powder.
- Transfer from the blender into a bowl.
- Add all the spices powders along with gram flour and mix well. 2 tablespoon ground coriander, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 tablespoon red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon black pepper powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder, 1 tabslespoon gram flour
- Store right away in an airtight container.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
This homemade schezwan rice is made from cooked rice, vegetables and schezwan sauce. It is a popular Indo Chinese recipe.
I love Indo-Chinese food, the delicious mix of Indian spices and soya sauce is second to none! The unique blend of sauces in Indo-Chinese cooking leads to exciting dishes with multiple layers of flavour.
Some of my favourite recipes include:
Vegetable Manchurian , Tofu Manchurian or Air fryer Gobi Manchurian
Chilli Paneer – this recipe is Sakoni style Chilli Paneer (a popular Indian restaurant found in Wembley, London)
Crispy Chili Tofu
Hakka Noodles
Spring Rolls
Burnt Garlic Fried Rice
Indo-Chinese Masala Mogo
Schezwan Baby Potatoes
Schezwan Fried Rice , pronounced seh-chwahn , is an easy recipe is made with homemade schezwan sauce. It is packed with even more flavour than regular fried rice!
It is also so easy to prepare and is perfect for mid-week dinners or lunches. You can have an incredible rice dish ready in half an hour if you have leftover rice in your fridge.
With the method provided in this post, you will have perfectly separate rice grains which are quintessential to fried rice dishes.
As with most stir fry dishes, you can use whichever chopped vegetables you have to hand.
Ingredients
Full measurements are in the recipe card below where you can also leave a star rating
Rice – for fried rice, you need to use leftover rice.
Try not to use rice that is still warm as it will become mushy. I have used Basmati rice which is long grain rice for the best results. Day old rice works well, but you can use fresh rice as long as it is totally cooled.
Vegetables : carrots, peas, french beans or green beans, cabbage, bell peppers, baby corn, spring onions. One of the best ways to speed things up, is to use a store-bought packet of stir fried vegetables.
Onion, garlic, ginger and green chillies
Schezwan Sauce – also known as schezwan chutney. This spicy sauce is common in Indo Chinese cuisine.
You can add more or less schezwan sauce depending on your spice level. You can of course use store-bought sauce. As an alternative, use a red chili sauce however the flavours will not be the same.
If you are making the recipe for young children, you could use less schezwan sauce and instead add tomato ketchup.
Red chili powder – you can leave this out if you feel your schezwan sauce is already spicy or use kashmiri powder for colour but no heat.
Pepper powder – you can use either black pepper or white pepper powder
Vinegar – rice vinegar works well and is used in chinese cooking
Oil – use sesame oil to emulate similar flavours to the food in Chinese restaurants but you can also use a flavourless oil if you cannot get hold of sesame oil
Method
Follow the step by step photos and video recipe. The prep time will vary whether you have pre-cooked rice.
Firstly, prepare the rice.
Wash rice and allow to soak in cold water
Heat water in a large pan
Add the rice once the water is boiled. You do not need to be too accurate with the rice to water ratio as we will drain the rice but 3 cups of water will do for 1 cup rice.
Cook rice until it is around 75% cooked. Drain the rice and place it in a wide plate to cool to keep the grains separate. You need the rice to be fully cooled prior to use.
Whilst the rice is cooling, prep your work space to chop all your vegetables!
In a large wok or heavy bottomed pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil on medium flame. Add the chopped onion, garlic, ginger and green chilies. Sauté for 2-3 minutes on medium-high heat.
Next switch to a high flame and add the vegetables – I used yellow-green peppers, carrots, green beans and cabbage.
To the stir-fried vegetables add around 2 tablespoons soy sauce, vinegar and schezwan sauce.
Add salt and pepper
Stir through the cooked rice gently and heat thoroughly. Careful to not break the rice.
Finish with the spring onion greens and finely chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.
Tips
Always use rice that is thoroughly cooled or is a day old. Warm rice will become mushy and you will not get fried rice.
As with any stir fry style Chinese dish, the idea is to cook fast on high heat to develop a smoky flavour and to keep the vegetables crisp. Keep stirring to prevent burning at the bottom of the pan.
I recommend making the rice on the stovetop rather than Instant Pot Pressure Cooker to keep each grain perfectly cooked and fluffy.
Use a large pan as you will need a large surface area to stir – a smaller pan will cause the rice to mush.
Test your schezwan sauce before using to check its spice and acidity.
If you are making Schezwan Fried Rice as a main, you can make it spicy. If you are preparing it to serve with another Indo-Chinese dish, then keep it mild.
Make it without soy sauce for Indian style Schezwan Fried Rice
Serving Suggestions
Schezwan Fried Rice is great as a main course or as part of an Indo-Chinese thali.
You can also serve it alongside manchurian but the two flavours will be strong if both recipes are spicy!
I love my spicy rice dishes with a tall glass of Mango Lassi or Sweet Lassi
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat it in the microwave. You may need to add a little water if it has dried out.
You can also freeze this rice. Defrost in the fridge or at room temperature and reheat. To revive it and bring out the nice flavor, you can give it another quick stir fry in a little oil and a dash of schezwan sauce.
Other Rice Recipes
Baby Potato Pulao
Mango Kheer (rice pudding)
Coconut Milk Pulao
Takeaway Style Pilau Rice
Yaki Onigiri
Tawa Pulao
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
- YouTube
Schezwan Fried Rice
Equipment
- 1 wok/fry pan
- 1 Knife
- 1 Chopping board
- 1 Spatula
Ingredients
- 6 cup cooked rice
- 5 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoon schezwan sauce hot
- 1 medium onion peeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger
- 1 tablespoon garlic
- 1 tablespoon green chillies
- 2 cup mixed vegetables
- ½ cup capsicum green or yellow
- ½ cup cabbage chopped
- 2 tablespoon red chilli powder kashmiri
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 2 teaspoon vinegar white
- 2 teaspoon soy sauce
- salt
Garnish
- 6 spring onion chopped
- 3 tablespoon coriander fresh
Instructions
- In a wok or pan heat oil 5 tablespoon sesame oil
- Add onion and saute for 1 minute. 1 medium onion
- Then add ginger, garlic and green chillies, saute for a couple of minutes. 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 tablespoon green chillies
- Add mixed vegetables, casicum and cabbage, stir fry on high heat. 2 cup mixed vegetables, 1/2 cup capsicum, 1/2 cup cabbage
- Stir in schezwan sauce, soy sauce, red chilli powder, black pepper and vinegar. 2 tablespoon schezwan sauce, 2 tablespoon red chilli powder, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder, 2 teaspoon vinegar, 2 teaspoon soy sauce
- Mix well then add salt. salt
- Add cooked rice and mix gently and heat it throughly. 6 cup cooked rice
- Sprinkle spring onion and coriander.
- Serve. 6 spring onion, 3 tablespoon coriander
Video
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
