Épices de Cru Madras Curry

In a nutshell: Use our fragrant and earthy, spicy and sweet version of this famous all-purpose blend for Madras curries, roast vegetables and curried eggs.

It is often claimed that the world famous Madras curry was an invention of the British Empire; popularised first by traders who brought the spices back to Blighty and later by Indian curry houses all over the UK making takeaway chicken or lamb Madras curry dishes.  Although you won't find it by this name in India, many families make their own versions of this fragrant blend adding their own 'secret' ingredients. Use this versatile mix whenever you need a basic curry powder for recipes. It's great with roasted vegetables like cauliflower and pumpkin, sprinkled over potatoes as they sauté in the pan, add after grinding to mayo when making devilled eggs or use with any meat, seafood or vegetable curry recipe. The perfect balance of hot, bitter, sweet and sour aromatic spices is probably what makes Madras curry the world’s most popular all-purpose blend.  Lightly toast or simply crush with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder before using.

Details 50g; Ingredients: turmeric, coriander seeds, fenugreek, cumin, ginger, black peppercorns, fennel seeds, chilli, cassia, cassia leaf.

About Épices de Cru
Épices de Cru began in 1982 as a catering partnership between Philippe and Ethné de Vienne. Their mission was a kind of “cooking pot anthropology:” learning the secrets of family cooking around the world and applying these techniques to the needs of hungry Montrealers. The secret, they learned, was spices. Over the last two decades, Philippe and Ethné have searched for the world’s best spices, accompanied by their children, Marika and Arik. The de Viennes believe in direct sourcing spices: visiting growing regions, spending time with growers, and developing personal relationships that last decades. In 2004, they officially opened their first spice shop in Montreal’s fantastic Jean Talon market– it’s since become a mecca for foodies from all over the world. I first visited in 2008 and have been buying and using their spices on a regular basis ever since that first exciting visit. They steadfastly maintain that they do nothing original, only facilitating the exchange of culinary common sense from one place to another. But, what they do is simply quite brilliant - by providing us with the finest quality ingredients, and their superb spice mixes, we can all experiment with unusual spices and recreate delicious recipes from around the world.