Regional blends
Malaysian meat curry powder
A mixed-ancestry curry powder of coriander, fennel and cumin used for Malay and Indian curries.
Presented by ClearTrust Free for cooks, makers and the curious.
Malaysia and Singapore have a large Indian-origin community whose cooking mixed with Malay and Chinese traditions. Meat curry powder, sold in sacks at wet markets, is a ground blend used for chicken, mutton and beef curries.
What goes in
- Coriander seed529%, Base.
- Fennel318%, Sweet.
- Cumin318%, Earthy.
- Red chilli318%, Heat.
- Turmeric16%, Colour.
- Star anise16%, Anise.
- Cinnamon16%, Sweet.
Parts by volume of the whole spice. The ring shows each part's share.
Made step by step
Each drawing shows the operation for that step. Ratios and timings differ from house to house; this is one traditional-style way.
Step 1: Dry Dry the whole spices in the sun or a low oven. Step 2: Toast Roast the coriander, fennel and cumin lightly. Step 3: Toast Add the chilli, star anise and cinnamon briefly. Step 4: Grind Grind finely with the turmeric. Step 5: Rest Mix the powders and let them rest. Step 6: Bloom Mix with water to a paste and fry in oil with shallot to start the curry. Step 7: Store Store in a sealed jar. Finished Malaysian meat curry powder, by share.
Typical content
It leans on coriander, fennel, cumin and chilli, with turmeric, pepper, cinnamon, star anise and clove in some mixes. It is made fresh in many market spice stalls.
Local style
Cooks may fry it with shallot, lemongrass, curry leaf, then add coconut milk or potato. Mixes differ by shop.
Where it is used
The spices in it
FennelSweet seed.
CorianderBase.
CuminThe dried seed of a small parsley-family herb, used whole or ground in many world cuisines.
Chili pepperThe pungent berry of the Capsicum plant, used to add heat to dishes worldwide.
TurmericThe dried rhizome of a tropical ginger relative, prized for its golden color and earthy bite.
CinnamonThe dried inner bark of Cinnamomum trees, prized for its sweet warmth and essential oil.Also part of it, and being written: Star anise (Aroma.).
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Sources and further reading
Original text and drawings by the EveryMasala desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. The shares are an illustrative, traditional-style ratio, not a standard: every family and maker blends differently. If we have something wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Chili pepper: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Turmeric: J.M.Garg, CC BY 3.0, source
- Cumin: Sanjay Acharya, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Fennel: Elekes Andor, CC BY 4.0, source
- Coriander: Thamizhpparithi Maari, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Cinnamon: Luc Viatour, CC BY-SA 3.0, source