Is the meat curry powder mentioned for use in Malaysian curry puffs similar to western chili powder
I was going to make some curry puffs following this recipe, in which some "meat curry powder" is used to flavor the fillings. I was just gonna use the regular store-bought curry powder I can find in my local supermarket, but then I started wondering if there is a significant difference between what I have and what is used in the recipe. The mention of "meat curry powder" in the ingredient list may suggest that it is a particular brand of curry which is especially suited for meat? As you can see from the images below, there is a slight color difference between the two at the very least.
Can someone with experience of Malaysian or similar cooking let me know if there is something in particular I should pay attention to when choosing the spices for the fillings?
The curry powder depicted in the recipe:
The curry powder I wanted to use
Best Answer
Store brands of curry powder sold here in the UK (and I assume most western countries) don't usually contain chilli powder at all. Chilli is generally added separately to taste, because many westerners can't handle the heat of a hot curry mix. The typical yellow colour of these mixes is because they contain turmeric.
However it looks like the Malaysian curry mix in the photo does contain chilli. After looking at the bright red colour, perhaps it contains Kasmiri chilli powder which is very red, but quite mild, or perhaps it even has red food colouring in it.
Chilli powder alone doesn't make a curry, it needs the other spices commonly found in curry mixes such as, corriander, cumin, clove, cinnamon, black pepper, fenugreek, etc, etc.
When I want to make my curry extra red, I use Kashmiri chilli powder together with either regular curry powder or garam masala. It not only has a wonderful vivid red colour, but it's fairly mild and yet still flavourful, so I can afford to put more in the curry without making it totally inedible.
I have had a couple of Malaysian curry mixes given to me by a friend, and when I checked the ingredients I did notice food colouring was an ingredient, also their curries also have a distinctive star anise/fennel seed taste, so it might be worthwhile adding these spices too, if they aren't in your store bought curry mix.
Pictures about "Is the meat curry powder mentioned for use in Malaysian curry puffs similar to western chili powder"
Is Malaysian curry powder the same as normal curry powder?
If you ARE buying a curry powder pre-made, then be sure to search for 'Malaysian curry powder'. Malaysian curry powder is not the same as powders typically labelled 'curry powder'. You'll often see powders names Malaysian Curry Powder 'for meat' or 'for fish'. Each has its own unique blend of spices.What does Sri Lankan curry powder contain?
Just feast your eyes on all the traditional Sri Lankan spices they've squeezed in: Coriander Seeds. Fenugreek Seeds. Cumin Seeds.Is Malaysian spice spicy?
Malay cooking is aromatic, strong and tends to be spicy. Malay cuisine utilizes many of the herbs and spices found throughout South East Asia.The snack I can't stop eating | CRISPY CURRY PUFFS \u0026 homemade curry puff pastry | Marion's Kitchen
More answers regarding is the meat curry powder mentioned for use in Malaysian curry puffs similar to western chili powder
Answer 2
Curry is quite a vague term. It's used with dishes from all east asia and covers a lot of different blends of spices. I found that in my country (Spain) most curry blends you find in supermarkets are quite bland and not spicy at all. Similar to the one you intend to use.
Curry blend to use with meat should be a mix of coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, dried chillies, dried turmeric root, black peppercorns, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamoms...
cloves - 10
peppercorns - 3, black
cinnamon - 1 stick
chilli flakes - 2 tsp (or 4 whole dried chillies)
dried fennel - 1 tsp, seeds
cumin - 10g, seeds
cardamom - 4 pods
dried coriander - 15g, ground
turmeric - 1 tsp, ground
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Mareefe, Mareefe, Edoardo Colombo, RODNAE Productions