Easy Curry Powder (Sri Lankan Curry powder)

Name: Easy Curry Powder (Sri Lankan Curry powder)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 16 servings
Ingredients: 30 g coriander seeds; 30 g cumin seeds; 20 g black peppercorns; 20 g basmati rice; 5 g green cardamom seeds; 6 g fennel seeds; 4 g whole cloves; 4 g black mustard seeds; 16 leaves curry leaves

User Reviews

5.0

138 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings
16 servings
Calories
25 kcal
Course
Condiments
Cuisine
Sri Lankan

Easy Curry Powder (Sri Lankan Curry powder)

Ursula Nguyen

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This authentic Sri Lankan curry powder is deeply aromatic and has very robust and complex flavors. I make this curry powder every week in my kitchen, so you know it's the good stuff! Super adaptable and easy recipe, and can be used to make so many different curries. Makes about 115 g / 1 cup of curry powderEASY - This recipe is easy and perfect for anyone new to curries, or wants to learn more about Sri Lankan and South Asian cuisine.US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurements. Common Measurement Conversions.

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Ingredients

Servings

30 g coriander seeds 4 - 5 tbsp
30 g cumin seeds 3 tbsp
20 g black peppercorns 2 tbsp
20 g basmati rice 1.5 - 2 tbsp
5 g green cardamom seeds from about 20 - 30 green cardamom pods. Reduce by half for a more subtle cardamom flavor
6 g fennel seeds about 2 tsp
4 g whole cloves about 20 - 30 cloves. Leave out if you don't like cloves or reduce to 10- 15 for a more subtle clove flavor
4 g black mustard seeds optional, about 1 tsp
16 leaves curry leaves optional, you can use either dried or fresh leaves

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Instructions

Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods and discard the husks.
Optional (if using fresh curry leaves) - Heat a skillet over medium low heat. When the pan is hot, add fresh curry leaves to dry them out on low heat. Keep moving the leaves around in the skillet so that they dry out evenly, and don't burn. Skip this step if you're not using curry leaves OR if you're using dried curry leaves. Remove the dried leaves and set aside.
Place the rice in a dry non-stick pan. Heat over medium heat until the rice starts to turn light brown in color.
Add the rest of the spices and the cardamom seeds to the rice, and pan roast for a further 2 - 4 minutes until the spices start to brown, toast, and become aromatic. The time will vary depending on the heat of your stove and the amount of spices in your skillet.
Keep moving the spices around to prevent them from burning. I like to shake the pan to keep the spices moving, and doing this off heat from time to time will also help to evenly toast the spices. Make sure not to burn the spices, as this will result in a bitter curry powder.
Remove from the heat and place all the toasted spices in a plate or bowl for the spices to cool down.
Add the dried curry leaves to the spices and mix once or twice to allow the spices to cool down faster.
Once the spices cool down, use a spice grinder (or a mortar and pestle) to grind the spice mix into a powder (in batches if needed), and mix well. Store in an airtight container.
Use as needed.

Notes

Unroasted curry powder is the same as this, but the spices are not toasted in the pan. They are simply placed in a spice grinder and pulsed until finely ground.
Coriander, cumin, black pepper, cardamom. Other ingredients can be left out if you don't have them, or reduced to your liking.
You can also use yellow mustard instead of black/brown mustard (if that is all you have access to).
The ingredient ratio here is more of a guideline. If you don't like cloves, please feel free to leave them out or add less.
If you're sensitive to the flavor of cloves, feel free to leave them out.
The same goes for other spices as well.
If you find your curry powder to be bitter, it's most likely because you toasted the spices for too long and burned them.
It can also be bitter if your spices have gone rancid (especially mustard).
Please note that ground spices don't retain their freshness as well as whole spices do. This is why I prefer making small batches of this with whole spices when needed.
Every time I make the curry powder, the longest it has lasted in my kitchen is 2 weeks before I need to make a new batch, but usually I make this once a week.
I make a double batch because we make a lot of curry recipes at home. I personally prefer making small batches every time, to keep each batch fresh at all times.

Nutrition Information

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Serving 1tbsp Calories 25kcal (1%) Carbohydrates 4g (1%) Protein 1g (2%) Fat 1g (2%) Saturated Fat 0.1g (1%) Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2g Monounsaturated Fat 1g Trans Fat 0.001g Sodium 5mg (0%) Potassium 86mg (2%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 0.1g (0%) Vitamin A 107IU (2%) Vitamin C 41mg (46%) Calcium 52mg (5%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 25 kcal

% Daily Value*

Serving	1tbsp
Calories	25kcal	1%
Carbohydrates	4g	1%
Protein	1g	2%
Fat	1g	2%
Saturated Fat	0.1g	1%
Polyunsaturated Fat	0.2g	1%
Monounsaturated Fat	1g	5%
Trans Fat	0.001g	0%
Sodium	5mg	0%
Potassium	86mg	2%
Fiber	2g	8%
Sugar	0.1g	0%
Vitamin A	107IU	2%
Vitamin C	41mg	46%
Calcium	52mg	5%
Iron	2mg	11%