Curry Masala Spice (South African Durban)

Durban curry powder comes from the city of Durban in the KwaZulu-Natal province. It is considered one of the best curry powders in the world. Durban is the home of the majority of South Africa's Indian immigrants which is why many of the city's dishes have such a heavy Indian influence. Most of these immigrants are from the states of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, so the food from Durban tends to be on the spicy side.

Durban curry powder is red due to the liberal use of cayenne pepper. The cayenne ensures that it is very hot, but sweet spices like cardamom and cinnamon are used in it as well. The result is a curry powder that is highly aromatic along with being spicy.

What makes a Durban curry dish so special and why does it differ with other Indian curries? It could be the hot red curry masala spice blend that goes into the pot.

Durban curry masala is a spice blend you will most probably only hear about in South African curry recipes. Whether it is chicken masala, mutton masala or just masala, in the context of the Durban curry, it is a very hot and spicy blend of curry powder characterized by its red colour. Furthermore, it is not to be confused with garam masala, although garam masala can be used as an ingredient in curry masala.

What we have found with curry masala is that the essential ingredient is the heat from cayenne or chili powder, which is what would give it the red colour. Some people use paprika, but this would mainly be in order to achieve the colour as well. Secondly, it does have a touch of sweetness to the spice, achieved by incorporating cardamom, cinnamon or cloves, or a combination of all three, which is why using garam masala as one of the ingredients makes sense as it gives an aromatically sweet accent to the spice.

Many Durban curry enthusiasts mix up a homemade batch of curry masala and store in an airtight jar for use when needed.

6 tsp. mild chili powder
1 tsp. ground cayenne
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. ground cardamom
½ tsp. ground cinnamon, or 1 whole stick
½ tsp. ground fenugreek
½ tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cloves

Clean and dry a spice jar or glass container with a tight-fitting lid and add the mild chili powder, cayenne, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, fenugreek, ginger, and cloves.

Give the jar a good shake to fully combine, and store in a cool, dry place until ready to use. The mix will stay fresh for up to six months.

Makes 16 servings.

Cook's Notes: Grinding your own spices before mixing them, rather than using pre-ground spices, will result in a more potent blend you may need to use less of.