Curry powder

Stir it into warm oil or butter for 20–30 seconds before adding onions, liquid or other ingredients. This briefly releases its aroma; keep the heat moderate so the spices do not scorch and turn bitter.

Start with about 1–2 teaspoons for a dish serving four, then add more if needed. Bloom it in the pan first: the flavour will be fuller than if you stir it in at the end.

Yes. A useful starting blend is ground coriander, cumin and turmeric, with smaller amounts of ginger, mustard, fenugreek and chilli. The proportions vary between blends, so mix a small batch and smell or taste it before cooking.

Keep it in a tightly sealed jar in a cool, dry cupboard away from the hob and direct sunlight. Ground spices lose their aroma faster than whole spices, so replace the powder when it smells faint or flat.

It works in lentil dhal, curried soups, egg mayonnaise, roasted vegetables and chicken or chickpea curries. Stir a little into mayonnaise or yoghurt for a quick sandwich filling or dip.

You can, but the flavour will be different: garam masala is usually a warm, aromatic blend and often lacks curry powder’s turmeric and chilli. Add it later in cooking, and use turmeric and chilli separately if you want a closer colour and heat.

No. Curry powder is a dry spice blend, while curry usually means a cooked dish with spices, ingredients such as vegetables, meat or pulses, and often a sauce. Blends differ, so curry powder does not have one fixed recipe or flavour.