Sri Lankan roasted curry powder

Flavour and aroma

roasted, dark, warm, slightly bitter. Toasty, slightly bitter-smoky, with fennel sweetness and warm cinnamon.

Heat

Very mild

Forms

ground

How to use it

• dry roast · Spice roasting (dry-roasting) technique

  To make it, roast each spice separately over medium-low heat until deep brown and fragrant, without burning, cool and grind.

• bloom in fat · Tadka (tempering) technique

  Fry 1–2 tbsp with the onions, curry leaves and pandan for a minute before adding the meat.

• Rubbed onto pork, beef or chicken for black curries
• Fried with onions, curry leaves and pandan as a curry base
• A pinch in coconut gravies and devilled dishes

Identifying good quality

Dark brown powder with a deep roasted smell; much darker than Indian curry powder.

Origin and history

Origin: Sri Lanka.. Grown and used: Used across Sri Lanka and by Sri Lankan Tamil cooks in Jaffna and abroad..

Sri Lankan roasted curry powder (badapu thuna paha) is made from coriander, cumin, fennel, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, curry leaves and rice, roasted until dark brown. It is used for meat and fish curries; an unroasted version is used for vegetables.

Well documented