On our trip to Kerala in India in the summer of 2009, we spent a few hours at Leelu’s Homestay house (see Links), watching her making several different curries and taking copious notes. This is one of the things Leelu taught us that day; it's an incredibly versatile spice mix, working equally well in Indian and Thai curries, samosas, and various different types of curry oil
30g broken up cinnamon sticks
15g cloves
5g aniseed
12 pods black or green cardamom, peeled
2 tbspns peppercorns
Mix the ingredients of together, then whiz to a powder in a liquidiser or spice grinder. Store in an airtight container