My Curry Powder

Today I mixed up my own formula for Curry Powder, from the recipe below.

5 1/4 t. Turmeric
4 1/8 t. Coriander
1 1/2 t. Cumin
1 1/8 t. Cardamom
1/8 t. Fennel
1/8 t. Allspice
1/8 t. Fenugreek
1/8 t. Licorice

All the herbs I found already ground except the Fennel and Fenugreek and as I ground them with a mortar and pestle the amounts came out a bit different. I ended up with 3/8 t. Fenugreek and 1/4 t. Fennel. Fenugreek and Licorice can be bought at a health food store.
I roasted them together in a dry pan heated from low to moderate for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Then I let the herbs cool and placed them in a covered jar to be stored for about a month. Then, I'll make curry sauce from scratch. Boy, does my house smell good!

The Curry Connection

I made curry sauce from scratch using S and B Curry Powder and it was good, but too spicy/hot for me.
One of the first things I learned about curry powder is that it is not a spice unto itself, but is a combination of spices. This is why getting the same exact flavor as Coco's will be a bit difficult.
BUT, thanks to justhungry.com I now have a place to start with my own curry making, and after going over the formula at "just hungry", this is what I came up with:

Mild Curry Powder
5 1/4 t. Turmeric
4 1/8 t. Coriander
1 1/2 t. Cumin
1 1/8 t. Cardamom
1/8 t. Fennel
1/8 t. Allspice
1/8 t. Fenugreek
1/8 t. Licorice

Hot spices can be added according to taste if desired.
Roast ground spices in a dry frying pan for about 2-3 minutes. Cool and let mature in a cool, dark place for about a month.

Well, I've gathered the needed spices but two of them aren't ground so I'll be buying a coffee grinder in the near future.

Mastering The Art Of Coco's Curry - the journey begins...

We're home from Okinawa, Japan and what a wonderful time we had!! Our daughter's family now includes a beautiful addition and we welcome little Miss Olivia.
They took us to Coco Ichibanya Curry House twice and I fell in love! Here are pictures I found online of Coco's:This is a scoop of Potato Salad on top of shredded cabbage which is on top of a bed of lettuce. I chose to have mine served with Sesame Dressing which was yummy!You could also choose to have your curry with or without vegetables.
And now that I'm home I'm going to try to follow our daughter's tradition of Japanese Curry once a week, that is, IF I can figure out how to make it myself. The mix contains both sugar and MSG. It does make a great curry sauce, but I'd like to ditch those two ingredients. Many of the recipes call for an apple that has been liquified in the blender which should sweeten it enough I think. So here I go, on an adventure of creative discovery! I hope I can make mine look and taste as good as Coco's. Wish me luck!!
Pictures: 1. Coco's
2. Salad
3. Curry w/out Veggies
4. Ingredients
5. Curry With Veggies