How do I make my own simba mbili (Swahili curry powder)

I'm trying to plan a Tanzanian meal for a shomer kashrus crowd but the ubiquitous yellow tin isn't certified. Does anyone know how to spice East African food from scratch or make a knockoff Simba Mbili?

scott.finkelstein.5
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creamtea
creamtea August 25, 2017
A quick google search indicated these ingredients: Coriander Seed, Cereals, Turmeric, Mustard seed, Chillies, Salt, Ginger, Jaggery, Fennel seed, Fenugreek seed, Cumin seed, Cinnamon, Garlic. If you have a small grinder or you can certainly make your own and it would be fresher! I don't know what specifically they mean by "cereals" but you could leave that out . Fenugreek can be harder to find, but I did once locate it at either Whole Foods or Fairway (can't remember which). For jaggery I might sub a brown or turbinado sugar (Trader Joes and Whole Foods stock it) or perhaps even silan. It sounds delicious--maybe I'll try to compound myself it for yet another Shabbat chicken variation! Good luck, Shabbat Shalom.
 
Nancy
Nancy August 25, 2017
2 possible leads:
1) the ubiquitous yellow tin lists the ingredients. You could buy separate components and mix up your own. Don't know what the "cereals" mentioner are, but everything else is likely available certified kosher. If you can't locate kosher jaggery, use another kosher sugar.
https://www.amazon.com/Simba-Mbili-Curry-Powder-8-81oz/dp/B004HUEXH0
2) guide to East African cooking, with customs and recipes. some of the recipe links appear to be broken, but at least they provide recipe names & you can search them elsewhere.
https://www.africaguide.com/culture/recipes/eastafricanrecipes.htm

Good luck and please let us know how your meal turns out...:)
 
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