Curry powder is a mixture of many spices. It may include black pepper, chili pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, cloves, coriander, fenugreek seed, ginger, nutmeg, turmeric, and sometimes leaves of the curry tree combined according to individual taste and their availability.
To make your own blend, toast, but don’t brown, whole spices in a 300F oven for 20 minutes. Let them cool; grind them one at a time in a blender or with a mortar and pestle. Sift, if necessary, before measuring. You can substitute already ground commercial spices, but the result won’t be as flavorful. The measurements in the following recipe are for ground spices.
Combine 2 teaspoons each cinnamon and turmeric; 1 teaspoon each cumin and ginger; 1/2 teaspoon each cloves, black pepper, and chili pepper. Use wherever curry powder is called for or try on eggs or poultry.