Curry Powder Substitute Options for Flavorful Dishes (2024)

You've assembled your spices, and suddenly you realize there's one thing missing. How can you make this a curry without curry powder?

Suddenly, you need a curry powder substitute. But which spices do you use? Garam masala feels natural—but can you include curry paste? Would allspice add anything?

I'll share a secret with you—making your own curry powder can actually produce better results than store-bought.

Here's how it works.

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 components, 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.

Top 3 Curry Powder Substitutes

As always, I'm here to help you make appropriate ingredient substitutions in any dish! Here are my top 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 use garam masala instead of 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: Garam masala complements air fryer chicken curry and lamb dishes very well. It's a stalwart in all the popular classic Indian curries - korma, bhuna, jalfrezi, tika masala, or even vindaloo.

2. Sambar Powder

If you love cooking Indian dishes, you'll know that sambar powder is one of the most common spices you'll find in the ingredient list.

That's why it isn't surprising that it has a similar flavor profile to curry powder. After all, they have many similar ingredients, such as ground coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and fenugreek seeds.

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: Sambar powder is a great choice in fish curries thanks to its delicate flavor. Goan sea bass curry is a classic, while coconut curries from India or Southeast Asia will also benefit.

3. Tandoori Masala Powder

Tandori masala, also known as tika masala, is one of the most famous Indian spice blends with a similar ingredient list to 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: Tandoori masala powder works well in rich, meaty curries like lamb jalfrezi or chicken rogan josh. It's also excellent in cheese curries like saag paneer or palak paneer.

RELATED: Exploring Delicious Paneer Substitutes for Your Indian 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 alternative?

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: Curry paste can be used in classic Indian curries like korma, vindaloo, tika masala, and rogan josh. It complements strong, meaty flavors well and works well in potato curries like saag aloo.

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 use it to replace curry powder. You can also throw in pepper flakes if you want spicier curries and other dishes.

Best for: chaat masala is versatile in vegetarian curries using chickpeas or potatoes. It's a strong choose in curds and yogurt-based marinades for dishes like air fryer marinated chicken thighs.

3. Chinese 5 Spice

When asking, "What can I substitute for curry powder?", Chinese 5 Spice 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 hot, making it the best curry powder replacement 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: Chinese 5 Spice is slightly sour, so it works well in citrusy curries such as lamb shatkora and narangi chicken.

RELATED: 8 Best Chinese 5 Spice Substitutions Home Cooks Will Love

4. Allspice

With a taste reminiscent of cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon, allspice is a common pantry staple you can easily grab as a sweet substitute for curry powder. It's not a spice blend—it's a unique spice from the allspice tree, as explained by the folks at Gardening Know How.

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 more complex flavors as close to curry powder as possible, I add other spices to it such as cumin, turmeric, and coriander.

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 replacement for curry powder, 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.

RELATED: Best Coriander Substitutes to Whip Up Flavorful Dishes

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: Allspice complements warm, rich flavor profiles like vindaloo and madras. Chicken dopiaza and Goan curries also benefit.

6 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 alternative 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: Madras curry paste can be substitute into popular classics like tika masala, korma, madras, and vindaloo. It complements lamb and prawn curries very well.

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: Adding chili to regular curry powder is a great choice for more potent curries like madras, vindaloo, and phaal.

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

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 always made of chili peppers alone. It may also contain other spices like onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, and oregano.

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 Blending cumin and chili powder with black pepper is wonderful in rich fish curries, such as Ilish Machher Jhol, Goan fish curry, and Kudampuli itta meen.

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 substitute for madras curry powder, measure an equal amount of the three ingredients and mix them. You can now use this spice blend to replace the same amount of madras curry in your recipe.

Best for: This versatile blend will stand up well in anything from a chicken korma to a lamb jalfrezi. It's a great choice for bhuna, rogan josh, and chicken tika masala recipes.

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: Vindaloo paste is potent, so best kept for strong curries like vindaloo, madras, phaal, or Andhra chili chicken.

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 possible to curry powder.

Best for: Sriracha works best when used for sour curries like lamb shatkora or chicken pathia. It's popular in Thai curries and other Southeast Asian cuisines.

Tips for Substituting Curry Powder

1. Respect the cuisine’s rulebook

Don't just reach for spices willy-nilly. The basics are cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, and fenugreek. Smoked paprika is a versatile kitchen staple but will throw the balance of flavors off.

2. …but don’t be afraid to get creative

Indian food famously breaks all the rules of flavor theory, as covered in The Independent. It's a law unto itself and has so much room for creativity.

How do you want your curry to taste? If you're looking for a slightly sharper tone, then an uncommon substitute like Chinese 5 Spice powder might work wonders.

3. Less is more

South Asian cooking is known for its bold flavors. However, this is achieved by using a little bit of many flavorful spices, not just dumping a whole bunch of garam masala and chili paste into your dish!

Related: Exploring the Best Chili Paste Substitutes for Every Palate

Curry Powder Substitute: Frequently Asked Questions

Making the Magic Happen

Trust me—your homemade curry powder blend is about to change the way you think about preparing spices.

It's about being creative while understanding the rules of the game. It's always about balance.

And now you know the secrets to creating your own magic powder. Enjoy!

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