Toasting whole spices techniques

[KennethT]

Anyone have any advice on how to toast a large quantity of whole spices prior to grinding?  Small quantities I've done well in a dry pan/wok... but I'm talking maybe a pound or two of spices at one time.  In my Nyonya Specialties cookbook, the author instructs to "put on a tray... heat oven slightly and toast the tray for 30-45 minutes until heated through and fragrant".  Any idea what "heat oven slightly" could mean, specifically?  My oven doesn't have a "slightly" setting, other than keep warm, but even then, it has various keep warm temperatures starting at 150degF.

[blue_dolphin]

5 minutes ago, KennethT said:

Anyone have any advice on how to toast a large quantity of whole spices prior to grinding?  Small quantities I've done well in a dry pan/wok... but I'm talking maybe a pound or two of spices at one time.  In my Nyonya Specialties cookbook, the author instructs to "put on a tray... heat oven slightly and toast the tray for 30-45 minutes until heated through and fragrant".  Any idea what "heat oven slightly" could mean, specifically?  My oven doesn't have a "slightly" setting, other than keep warm, but even then, it has various keep warm temperatures starting at 150degF.

Dishoom toasts whole spices for their garam masala at 50 C or th slowest gas setting for 2.5 hours. Limited setting options here so I used 125 F.  Then poppy seeds and rose petals are added to the pan, oven is switched off and the mixture sits in the oven to cool for 30 min before grinding. 
Seems on the low & slow side of things but I did it and was happy with the results. 

[KennethT]

30 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

Dishoom toasts whole spices for their garam masala at 50 C or th slowest gas setting for 2.5 hours. Limited setting options here so I used 125 F.  Then poppy seeds and rose petals are added to the pan, oven is switched off and the mixture sits in the oven to cool for 30 min before grinding. 
Seems on the low & slow side of things but I did it and was happy with the results. 

Perfect. Thank you.  My spice mixture includes poppy seeds as well, but it says to leave them out; Dishoom's advice for them makes sense.  I wanted to look there, but my e-book version from my library expired.

[Annie_H]

I do the same when I move up to a bulk batch. Low and slow on a parchment lined sheet pan. I do give some bulkier whole spices a head start and add some later but probably not necessary. And yes, many seedy types do not benefit at all toasted. No 'blooming' of flavor happens. 

I've been making my own spice blends for a while. Having bulk spices on hand just about anything can be made without shopping. At a tenth of the cost and no salt added.

 

Something new, a new spice blend, I start with small batches on the back low left burner in a white enameled cast iron used for just that. The white surface is 'telling' visually especially for oily seeds like sesame. When satisfied I turn off the heat and add the other ground spices. Let it cool. It takes some babysitting but if I'm tending other kitchen prep I find it no biggie.  

 

I cleaned out the lower freezer shelf just above the seafood drawer last Sunday for Monday garbage pick-up. (a chore avoided for a few years,😜). Yikes. Way back I found three 1/2 pints of curry from 2016. A curry experiment tri-fecta we did not care for. (and some gross apple butter). 

 

Last Week we scored a new curry recipe. Small batch but will make a big batch soon. Oven roast. Low and slow. Best curry ever. 

 

 

 

 

[KennethT]

I have made curry powders in small batches before - but never like I've been doing today.  Probably over 1 kg of spices - forget my spice mill, I wound up grinding in my high powered blender - I had so much that I still had to do it in batches - probably about 2-1/2 to 3 blender jars full!  Pics in a bit - the chillies weren't fully done after the low and slow, so now I'm doing just those at like 175F convection for 15 minutes, then I'll let cool and blend them in.

[weinoo]

16 minutes ago, KennethT said:

I have made curry powders in small batches before - but never like I've been doing today.  Probably over 1 kg of spices - forget my spice mill, I wound up grinding in my high powered blender - I had so much that I still had to do it in batches - probably about 2-1/2 to 3 blender jars full!  Pics in a bit - the chillies weren't fully done after the low and slow, so now I'm doing just those at like 175F convection for 15 minutes, then I'll let cool and blend them in.

 

Sounds great - lemme know if there may be a trade or two in your future!

[TdeV]

This maybe should more properly go in the "absurdly, stupidly basic cooking questions" but

 

How long do the spices stay fragrant if they are toasted in this manner and then ground?

(I have some idea that ground spice blends don't last long).

[weinoo]

I have a guess...and knowing Ken a bit (I mean, it's not like you don't know he's knowledgeable about things), they'll be portioned and stored correctly, and probably all used up in 6 mos - a year.

[KennethT]

 

Here it is - a couple of pounds of curry powder in the largest mixing bowl I have. Buried in it is a tablespoon sized soup spoon.  For best results, fresh powder should be stored airtight - and will last longest if kept in the freezer. @weinoo is correct - once cooled (the blender really heats them up while grinding) I'm going to portion in 1 meal packages - probably about 85g each and freeze.

[KennethT]

47 minutes ago, weinoo said:

 

Sounds great - lemme know if there may be a trade or two in your future!

I'd be happy to give you some - I made more than enough that I could use, but it's a very specific type of curry powder for a Nyonya chicken curry - I don't know if it's something you'd be interested in.  Plus, this is my first time making/using it, so I don't even know if it's going to taste how I want it to - I'll know more in a day or two when I make the finished dish.

[weinoo]

11 hours ago, KennethT said:

it's a very specific type of curry powder for a Nyonya chicken curry

 

It's like not interchangeable with other dishes, huh? interesting!

[KennethT]

1 hour ago, weinoo said:

 

It's like not interchangeable with other dishes, huh? interesting!

I'm sure it is interchangeable. For years I've been making a Nyonya coconut milk based curry that uses it, but I've always bought premade curry powders from Kalustyans - I've tried their Malaysian powder and Indonesian powder but neither are quite right - and they don't have a Nyonya or Singapore powder. So I'm curious as to how this will come out. The restaurant Nyonya in Chinatown makes this curry with chicken but also with shrimp (shell on). Years ago, I loved a similar shrimp curry at Penang in Soho.