Powders Curry Favor, Win Over Busy Cooks

The ingredients on jars of curry powder pretty much read the same. You may see various combinations of fenugreek, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, ginger, mace and turmeric. But it's the hand of the creator that makes the blends distinctive. In fact, in traditional Indian homes and restaurants up to 25 different spices may be used, resulting in a limitless array of mild, sweet, spicy or hot curries.

Of course, it's been said that any cook worth his spice would make his own blend, but the expense of buying all those individual spices can be prohibitive. And toasting and grinding whole spices can be time-consuming. So we wanted to see if the alternative - commercially prepared curry powders - are a worthwhile substitute.

To release the flavor and avoid a raw, acrid taste, curry powders always should be sauteed for a few minutes before being added to other ingredients. For our taste test, we melted a tablespoon of butter with a teaspoon canola oil, stirred in 2 teaspoons curry powder, and sauteed the mixture for 3 minutes on medium-low heat. It was then stirred into a cup of mashed potatoes, a bland medium where the nuances of the curry would stand out.

Although our testers had no clear favorite, three of the seven mild curry powders put to the test met with approval. Our testers would recommend the following:

Spice Islands Curry Powder has a smooth quality and the heat is well-integrated with other flavors. Its soft gold color is natural and appealing, and it has a flavor that lingers pleasantly. The 2.1-ounce jar is $5.20.

Trikona Mild Curry Powder has a rich golden color and a deep, spicy flavor. Testers detected hints of cinnamon and pepper that would pair well with robust lamb curries. A 4-ounce bag is $3.19.

Testers gave Sun Brand Madras Curry Powder mixed reviews because of its pale yellow color. But the sweet, complex flavor was clean and well-rounded and the mild heat would pair well with lighter seafood curries or salad dressings. The 4-ounce tin is $4.55.

Testers wouldn't recommend the following:

A heavy hand with clove may account for the bitingly bitter aftertaste and muddy color of Schilling Mild Indian Curry Powder. It had a musty, dusty quality and was too hot for a blend promoting itself as "mild." At $4.75 for a 1.75-ounce jar, it wasn't a good buy.

The Spice Hunter Curry Seasoning was sharp and heavy with cardamom. The bitter aftertaste and brownish color got negative ratings with testers. A 1.8-ounce jar is $3.49.

Larry's Market Mild Curry has a vibrant gold color going for it, but was too bland and its flavor disappeared quickly. As one tester put it, "there's not much here." The 2.2-ounce jar is $4.29.

"Blah" was the word used by all our testers to describe Dean & DeLuca Curry Powder Blend. Although its lustrous gold color was a plus, it had little character and is better left on the shelf. A 2.75-ounce tin is $5.55.