Malaysian Meat Curry Powder

To make this meat curry powder, begin by toasting the spices according to size, as they will toast at different rates.

Place a pan over medium heat and toast the cloves, cardamom and peppercorns. Toss a few times, and as soon as they begin to smoke and release their fragrance, set them aside to cool.

Do the same for the cinnamon stick and dried chilies. Next, toast the coriander seeds. Finally, toast the cumin and fennel seeds together. Let the spices cool completely.

To grind the spices, you can either use a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Starting with the harder items first, pound together the cloves, peppercorns, and cardamom. Next, add the cinnamon stick and chilies and grind well. Add the cumin and fennel, finishing with the coriander seeds and turmeric.

Once you have finished pounding, you can strain the spices through a sieve to achieve an even finer powder. If there are large bits left over, you can grind these again and strain.

This blend of spices lends wonderful flavor to many curry dishes. To ensure freshness, store any leftover spices in an air-tight container.