Regular and Madras Curry Powder Substitutes for Flavorful Dishes

Finding the right curry powder substitute can be daunting because of the many spices and herbs included in the blend. Likewise, there are different types of curry powder, such as the standard yellow curry and madras curry.

The good news is that years of home cooking made my palate familiar with many ingredients. I was able to put together a list of some of the best curry powder substitutes that I will willingly share with you.

Jump to:

• Standard Yellow Curry Powder vs. Madras Curry Powder
• Top 3 Curry Powder Substitutes
• 4 Best Traditional Curry Powder Substitutes
• 7 Best Madras Curry Powder Substitutes
• Cooking With Curry Substitutes
• Recipe

Standard Yellow Curry Powder vs. Madras Curry Powder

Before I start answering the question "What can I substitute for curry powder?", allow me to familiarize you with two kinds of curry powder products commonly used in home kitchens.

Ingredients

The standard or yellow curry and madras are popular Indian cuisine ingredients and have many of the same ingredients, such as cumin, coriander, chili, and fenugreek.

Besides those, yellow curry has turmeric, celery, and salt. Some products also include cardamon. Meanwhile, the other ingredients in madras curry spice blends are cinnamon, mustard seeds, curry leaves, black pepper, cloves, bay leaves, turmeric, paprika, and red chilies.

Distinct Flavor

Yellow curry is a spice blend that will give your dishes a fragrant, warm, earthy flavor. Madras curry combines spiciness (spicier than regular curry), sweetness, and saltiness with hints of citrus and earthy, savory flavors that remind you of licorice or anise.

Color

Aptly named, yellow curry powder is yellow due to its turmeric content. On the other hand, Madras has a red-orange hue because of the combination of chilies, turmeric, and paprika.

Top 3 Curry Powder Substitutes

Now, let's proceed with my go-to ground spices that you can use as either madras or traditional curry powder alternatives for your curry dishes and other recipes.

1. Garam Masala

Among the most common spice blends used in Indian cuisine is garam masala, making it a perfect curry powder substitute. It contains black pepper, cumin, cloves, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg, which give the spice a warm, earthy flavor. However, it's more bitter and aromatic than curry powder.

Still, following a 1:1 ratio when you substitute garam masala for curry powder will work perfectly fine.

Now, when your recipe calls for madras curry, add a few spices to garam masala. One is turmeric powder and the other is chili powder to give it a flavor profile as close to madras curry as possible.

You can add two dashes or ¼ teaspoon of each for every teaspoon of garam masala, depending on how spicy you want your dish to turn out.

One thing to note when you substitute garam masala for curry powder is that you can always experiment with the ratio, especially if you're cooking curry. But make sure you do it gradually to avoid affecting the balance of flavor and your dish's overall taste and aroma.

Best for chicken dishes.

2. Sambar Powder

If you love cooking Indian dishes, you would know that sambar powder is one of the most common spices you'll find in the ingredient list. It's why it isn't surprising that it has an almost similar flavor profile to curry powder. After all, they have many similar ingredients, such as ground coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and fenugreek seeds.

However, sambar powder has a flavor profile that closely resembles madras curry powder more than yellow curry. Specifically, it's spicier and more pungent.

For this reason, the amount to use will depend on what spice you're replacing. For the traditional curry, use half the amount required in your recipe, while you can substitute one teaspoon of curry powder with one teaspoon of madras powder.

Best for fish and meat dishes.

3. Tandoori Masala Powder

Tandori masala, also known as tika masala, is also one of the most famous Indian spice blends with an almost similar ingredient list as curry powder.

It has a more savory flavor and is spicier than yellow curry, so you will only need half the amount in your recipe. On the other hand, you can follow a 1:1 ratio when replacing madras curry with tandoori masala in your recipe because the flavor and aroma are almost similar.

One thing I want you to note about tandoori masala is that it has a red-orange color instead of yellow.

Best for chicken and cheese dishes.

4 Best Traditional Curry Powder Substitutes

What if you don't have any of the three ground spices above? Maybe you only need a yellow or regular curry powder substitute? Here are my highly recommended spices that you should use:

1. Curry Paste

Curry paste is mostly used in making Thai curries instead of Indian curries, but you can use it as a substitute for curry powder. I even sometimes substitute curry powder for curry paste.

Curry paste is a concentrated version of curry powder with additional ingredients that give it its characteristic texture. They include vegetable oil, lime, and garlic paste.

This difference in texture requires you to dilute the curry paste in an equal amount of water before using it. For instance, dilute a teaspoon of curry paste in one teaspoon of water and then mix. This diluted paste is equivalent to one teaspoon of curry powder.

Best for just about anything.

2. Chaat Masala

Chaat masala is almost similar to garam masala and curry powder but is a bit sweeter and citrusy. That's because of its mango powder, mint leaves, and citric acid content.

While chaat masala has coriander, cumin, and pepper that gives it warm and savory notes like curry and garam masala, they're a bit stronger. As such, it can overwhelm your dish's taste and aroma if used too much.

I recommend you gradually add chaat masala to your dish when you replace curry powder with it. You can also throw in pepper flakes if you want spicier curries and other dishes.

Best for sauces, marinades, curds, and soups.

3. Chinese 5 Spice

When asking, "What can I substitute for curry powder?", this spice blend is an answer most of you wouldn't expect. I was also surprised to discover that it can work as a good alternative to curry powder!

While it has a more complex flavor than curry powder since it's sour, sweet, bitter, and salty, it gives your dish the much-needed curry-like freshness and warmth. That's all thanks to the peppercorns, cloves, star anise, fennel seeds, and cinnamon included in the blend.

Chinese 5 spice isn't spicy, making it the best curry powder substitute if you want to serve non-spicy curry. But you can always add red pepper flakes to serve your guests mild spicy and spicy curries.

To use, I recommend that you add the spice blend gradually. Start by replacing a teaspoon of curry powder with ¼ teaspoon of Chinese 5 spice, then add more as and when needed.

Best for just about anything.

4. Allspice Blends

A spice blend containing cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon, allspice is a common pantry staple you can easily grab as a substitute for curry powder. It brings the same warmth and earthiness to the dish but can be overpowering when used too much. Hence, I only replace a teaspoon of curry powder with one teaspoon of allspice.

To give this fragrant spice blend more complex flavors as close to curry powder's as possible, I add other spices to it.

My favorite blends are:

Allspice + Coriander Powder (or Ground Cumin) + Turmeric Powder

Powdered or ground cumin or coriander seeds will help give the allspice a more earthy flavor that resembles curry powder. Adding turmeric will help balance the aroma and flavor while giving the spice blend the signature yellow color.

To make the perfect curry powder substitute, mix ¼ teaspoon of allspice, ½ teaspoon of turmeric, and ½ teaspoon of powdered or ground cumin seeds or coriander powder. This blend replaces a teaspoon of curry powder.

Best for just about anything.

Allspice + Chili Powder + Turmeric Powder

Now, what if you want a spicier blend? Replace the cumin or coriander with the classic chili powder! Use the same formula above when mixing the spices and the same substitution ratio.

Best for just about anything.

7 Best Madras Curry Powder Substitutes

Now that you have a good list of the best substitutes for traditional or yellow curry, let's move on to six of my highly recommended ingredients that can mimic the madras curry powder taste and/or aroma.

1. Madras Curry Paste

What can be a more ideal madras curry powder substitute than its paste version? Like regular curry paste, madras paste has a more concentrated flavor. Hence, make sure you dilute it with an equal amount of water before measuring.

Ratio-wise, use half the amount of the required curry powder listed in your recipe.

Best for just about anything.

2. Regular Curry Powder + Chili

Regular curry powder is more likely to be available in your spice rack and has ingredients similar to madras curry.

As mentioned, regular curry has a more subtle spiciness, so I suggest adding chili flakes or powder to the spice. The amount will depend on how spicy you want your dish to be.

Also, if you don't want a dish with visible chili flakes, you can grind them in your spice or coffee grinder.

Best for just about anything.

3. Cumin Powder + Chili Powder and/or Black Pepper

As the flavor enhancer in curry powder, powdered or ground cumin seeds will give your dish the familiar warm, earthy notes. However, it isn't spicy and complex enough, so it's best to combine it with classic chili powder.

Chili powder isn't only made of chili peppers. It also contains other spices like onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, and oregano. Adding ground black pepper to the mix can further enhance the curry-like flavor of the spice.

To use, simply combine an equal amount of ground cumin seeds, chili powder, and/or ground black pepper. Then, use the same amount of this spice blend as the curry powder your recipe requires.

Best for just about anything.

4. Cumin + Turmeric + Chili Powder

Another great substitute for curry powder is a simpler blend of spices. Again, cumin will give the spice blend an earthy taste and aroma, while the chili powder will provide the heat your recipe requires.

Turmeric will help balance the flavor of the two ingredients and add the yellowish tint to give the blend a color that leans more toward orange.

To make this madras curry powder substitute, measure an equal amount of the three ingredients and mix them. That's it! Quick and easy, right? You can now use this spice blend to replace the same amount of madras curry in your recipe.

Best for just about anything.

5. Vindaloo Paste

This paste is a common ingredient in making a type of Indian curry, vindaloo, which is spicier than other curries. It contains red chili peppers that give it its strong flavor and fiery red color. Other ingredients include coriander, cumin, mustard, and fenugreek seeds.

When you replace curry powder or even paste with vindaloo paste, you will need to reduce the amount required in your recipe. I usually only use half the amount, but I suggest starting with just a quarter and adding more when you find that your dish isn't hot or spicy enough.

Best for just about anything.

6. Sambal Oelek + Cumin + Sweetener

Sambal oelek is one of the most common condiments in Indonesia that can also work as a good curry powder substitute. This is all thanks to its spicy flavor and mild vinegar hints that almost taste like citrus.

However, sambal oelek's intense heat can overpower your dishes requiring the madras spice blend. What I do is add a bit of sweetener, such as honey and sugar, to help tone it down and give it a flavor that closely resembles madras'.

Also, I suggest adding ground cumin, ground black mustard seeds, or regular curry powder to resemble the complex flavors of madras.

So how do you substitute curry powder with sambal oelek? Start by diluting the paste with an equal amount of water.

Then, replace one teaspoon of madras curry with ¼ teaspoon of diluted sambal oelek, ⅛ teaspoon of ground cumin, ground black mustard seeds, or regular curry powder, and ⅛ teaspoon of sugar or honey.

If your dish's spiciness is a bit subtle for you, you can add more of the diluted sambal oelek.

Best for meat, tofu, and fish dishes.

7. Sriracha Sauce

Made from chili peppers, garlic, vinegar, salt, and sugar, sriracha sauce is one of the most accessible substitutes for curry powder. It's spicy, tangy, garlicky, and a bit sweet, giving your dish the complex flavor it needs.

However, adding a few coriander seeds or leaves would be best to ensure the taste is as close as curry powder.

Best for chicken dishes.

Cooking With Curry Substitutes

Undoubtedly, no perfect madras and regular curry powder substitutes exist simply because of their complicated hot spice mix. You even sometimes need to add one or more spices to achieve the aroma and flavor you're looking for or your dish needs.

You have three of the best curry powder substitutes, whether you need to replace madras or regular curry powder, and several other options for each of the two spice blends. Choose the right ingredient for your main ingredient, taste it to see whether it can overpower your dish, follow my suggested ratio, and just adjust when you need to.

Trust your taste buds as a home cook!

Recipe