Steve Kroll
Wine Guy
Looks like a good recipe, and your description of the spices is spot on."Curry" really just means spice mix and curry powder from a tin isn't really used often in home-style Indian cooking. Instead the curry flavor profile is created by using individual herbs and spices. Some spices are ground from whole, some are toasted, some are given a trip through some hot oil until they "pop" and release their flavor.
It's worth noting that "curry powder" is a western invention. As you say, in India, it's not something that's typically used.
I like to think of curry powder more as a seasoning that's best added in small amounts to bring a little exotic flavor to things like egg salad, vegetables, or soup. But it's not intended to carry an entire dish. In other words, generic curry powder shouldn't be used to make Indian curries, as each dish has its own distinct blend of spices.
To use a western analogy, it would be like putting barbeque sauce on everything and saying that's "American food."