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Jamaican Curry Powder Recipe
Here's What's In It, And Exactly How To Make It (Hint: Super Simple)

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It's the special (and common) ingredient in your finger-licking Jamaican curried chicken, piquant Jamaican curried shrimp and the all-time favourite, Jamaican curried goat!

But have you ever thought about what makes it, meaning what are the key ingredients in this special 'ingredient'?

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Well, to be honest with you, I didn't get that far either!

But thanks to a question that came from another of my readers, not only have I gained new knowledge about how our own curry is prepared, I also found, literally, that not all so called Jamaican curry powder are truly Jamaican.

Here is the question...

"Can you tell me what is in it and how to make it please?"

Popular Jamaican Curry Products | Jamaican Curry Powder Recipe

Well 'what is in it' (in total) depends on who you ask.
But for the most part, the basic ingredients remain the same.

Oh yes, its certainly not a single ingredient.

See the picture of the two packs of curry above? Good.

Well, I noted the ingredients from the same (or similar) product from two of Jamaica's most favourite brands!

For BETAPAC, the ingredients are...

Turmeric
Coriander
Fenugreek
Cumin
Pimento,
Black Pepper, and
Star Anse

For KARJOS (EASISPICE), the ingredients are...

Turmeric
Wheat Flour
Salt
Coriander
Fenugreek
Black Pepper
Cumin &
Pimento

Did you notice that the ingredients are pretty much the same, except for one or two items?

Great!

And for the most part, if you search online for other curry powder, chances are you'll see some of the same ingredients showing up as well.

So what makes it Jamaican?

Great question!

The answer is.... the pimento (aka allspice)!

That's the same bad boy that makes authentic Jamaican jerk and some of our best seasonings.

So, in other words, even if you don't see the Scotch Bonnet pepper (or black pepper), you must see pimento for it to be considered Jamaican curry powder my friend.

*** BTW, can I tell you that even when doing the research for this article I found quite a few 'fakes'?, oh yes :-) ***

And how is it prepared?

Well the suppliers above didn't share that (and we would understand why), but I gained some great insights from my online peers, including Imma from AfricanBites.com.

She outlined her own process to make homemade Jamaican curry powder from scratch on her website, putting her own twist to it.

Essentially though, here is it (below).

(Notice that she included ginger, clove and scotch bonnet peppers! - love it! )

Jamaican Curry Powder Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

2 1/2 tablespoons ground turmeric
1 tablespoon coriander seeds - ground
2 teaspoons pimento (all spice)
2 teaspoons ginger - ground
1/2 teaspoon scotch bonnet pepper (or cayenne pepper) - ground
2 teaspoons dry yellow mustard seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons ground fenugreek seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons white or black pepper
1 dried clove (use about 1/4 teaspoon ground)

Preparation

The procedure easy, simply...

Lightly toast the whole grains and spices in a frying pan, for about 3-5 minutes
Grind all together, then
Cool and store in an airtight container
That's it!

Looks pretty easy right?
Oh yeah, it does.

Let's give it a try and share the results below :-)

New Video! How To Make Authentic Jamaican Curry!

A local veteran, Mr. Mendez, outlined the entire process of making Jamaican curry powder to me. And I have the full video! Click The PLAY button below to watch!

>>>>>>

New! Authentic, 100% Jamaican Curry is ~~coming~~ now on my E-Store.

Here is the link: https://www.etsy.com/MyIslandJamaica/listing/838041947/jamaican-curry-home-style-100-organic

>>>>>>

That said, if you prefer to buy the ready product, there is no shortage, just check your local West Indian or Caribbean supermarket, or one of the more reputable online marketplaces. You can check the current prices at Amazon here.

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References & Sources For Jamaican Curry Powder Recipe

Betapac Jamaican Curry Powder, https://www.productsfromjamaica.com/betapac-jamaican-curry-powder/, Accessessed, May 01, 2020

Easispice Jamaican Curry Powder, https://www.productsfromjamaica.com/product-karjos-easispice-jamaican-curry-powder-8oz/, Accessessed, May 01, 2020

Real Jamaican Curry Powder, https://www.amazon.com/Real-Jamaican-Curry-Powder-8oz/dp/B003D6X2OY, Accessessed, May 01, 2020

"Jamaican Curry Powder", https://www.africanbites.com/jamaican-curry-powder/, Accessessed, May 01, 2020

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