Curry spices

1. If you are serious about making curry you must get yourself a dedicated coffee grinder and use this exclusively for spices.
Powdered spices bought in the small bottles from the supermarket were ground several months earlier and will have lost most of their flavour. These bottles are also the most expensive way to buy spice.
Buy whole spices ie not ground and prepare a fresh grinding each time you prepare a curry. Fairly large bags are available in Asian supermarkets and because they are whole will retain their flavour much longer. They are also astonishingly cheaper bought this way.
For a basic Garam Masala powder put all these spices in the grinder and blitz until you have a powder. Do not overdo this as this will generate heat which can drive off the spice oils and affect the flavour.
This powder should be used immediately but can be kept for a few days of necessary in a sealed jar.
The amount here are enough for a small curry and can be increased if making larger quantities. You can also vary quantities of each individual spice depending on your preference.