The base for any delicious curry recipe is the curry powder. This Sri Lankan roasted curry powder is deeply aromatic and has very robust and complex flavors. The ingredient ratios are easy to remember (4:3:2:1 and 3:2:1), so go ahead and make a big batch and use it any way you like to make flavorful curry dishes!
Learn how to make AUTHENTIC Sri Lankan Curry Powder!
Everyone (or at least most people) has their go-to recipe, their go-to meal, the one that they love to make, the one that’s a breeze to make, the one that they use the word comfort to describe.
For me, that would be a curry. A Sri Lankan curry to be exact. I have lived most of my life outside of Sri Lanka, but my childhood is inextricably linked to everything that is Sri Lanka. Especially the food. Oh, the food! Nothing hits the spot for me quite like a Sri Lankan curry, and that doesn’t come as a surprise, considering the staggering amount of flavor one could coax out of a well-made curry. Everything else pales in comparison.
And at the heart of all that is the roasted curry powder.
I’ve never had a shortage of authentic Sri Lankan curry powder (including the store-bought variety), until we moved to where we live now. Since then I’ve taken matters into my own hands, and if you’d like to smell and taste the magnificent aromas and flavors of a straight-up, authentic Sri Lankan roasted curry powder, then you should truly make it yourself. It’s easy, the spices and flavors are more pronounced, and the aromas will make you swoon (quite literally – I do recommend that you crack open the window or door, or have some decent ventilation, because for someone not used to these aromas they can be both incredible and a little overwhelming).
And here’s why my roasted curry powder is different from any other recipe out there – the recipe is super easy to remember! The ratios are easy to remember – 4:3:2:1 and 3:2:1.
That’s 4:3:2:1 in tablespoons and 3:2:1 in teaspoons.
Coriander seeds are the main spice in Sri Lankan roasted curry powder. Another is black pepper (as opposed to chili powder). Black pepper is what gives this roasted curry powder its heat. However, most people also use a lot of chili powder when they make curries which obviously adds to the heat. So here are the ingredients and the ratios.
Tablespoons (15mL tablespoons)
4 Coriander
3 Cumin
2 Black Peppercorns and 2 Uncooked Rice
1 Black Mustard
Teaspoons (5 ml teaspoons)
3 Cloves
2 Green Cardamom Seeds (seeds from the pods)
1 Fennel Seeds (heaped)
As you can see, a good curry isn’t all fire and brimstone – it’s got a lot of subtle, fragrant yet robust spices that add a lot of delicate and nuanced flavors.
This Sri Lankan roasted curry powder is first roasted till it’s nice and toasty, and then ground to a find powder. Dry roasting spices can transform an otherwise not especially exciting spice into something a lot more intense and complex with great depth of flavor. Such roasted curry powder is typically used in meaty dishes – where the meat can withstand that robust curry flavor. With more delicate meat like fish or seafood, you would use UNROASTED curry powder (which has a more delicate flavor), with the addition of a little more fennel and an acidic component like tamarind or lemon/lime.
With a curry powder this simple to make, you can easily make bigger batches too. And once made, you store it in an air-tight container in a cool, dry place.
Here I have used US tablespoons which measure 15 mL, but you can use the UK version of tablespoons too which are sometimes measured at 20 mL. This would lead to slightly different spice ratios, but that’s OK, because that’s the beauty of a curry powder – there’s no one magic ratio that has to be followed as a rule. Each person, each family can have their own version that suits their preferences better with a little more of this and a little less of that and so on. This is my Sri Lankan roasted curry powder and it’s the base for a lot of my favorite curries (like this Spicy Green Apple Curry). And it’ll soon be yours too! 🙂
Also note, that I used green cardamoms as seen in the photos. Black cardamom is much larger than green cardamoms and have a different taste. They are not interchangeable in this recipe.
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Ingredients
- 4 tbsp coriander seeds
- 3 tbsp cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp black peppercorns
- 2 tbsp basmati rice
- 1 tbsp black mustard seeds
- 3 tsp whole cloves
- 2 tsp scant, cardamom seeds from green cardamom seeds from the pods
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
Instructions
- Place the rice on a dry non stick pan. Heat over medium heat until the rice starts to turn light brown.
- Add the rest of the spices and pan roast for a further 3 - 5 minutes until the spices start to brown, toast and become aromatic. Keep moving the pan to prevent the spices from burning.
- Remove from the heat and let the spices cool down.
- Once the spices cool down - use a spice grinder (or a mortar and pestle) to grind the spice mix into a powder in batches and mix well. Store in an air tight container.
- Use as needed.
Recipe Notes
I usually make a double batch because we make a lot of curries at home. I personally prefer making small batches every time to keep each batch fresh (as opposed to making one large batch and keep it stored for a long period of time).
If you’re a fan of flavor-packed curries and Sri Lankan food, then you may love these recipes too!
- Sri Lankan Chicken Curry
- Sri Lankan Crab Curry
- Sri Lankan Shrimp Curry (Prawn Curry)
- Authentic Black Pork Curry
- Cashew Curry (VEGAN)
- Mango Curry (VEGAN)
- Sweet and Spicy Apple Curry (VEGAN)
- Curried Beef Roti (Beef Stuffed Godhamba Roti)
Can you sub the rice for something else? What will happen if its left out?
I am trying not to eat any carbs/starch.
Hi Sian!
You can leave out the rice 🙂 It acts as a thickener for the curry, so it doesn’t really add flavor.
Hope that helps!
I am really looking forward to trying this to hopefully impress my guest on Saturday 🙂
Apart from basmati rice and roti, what else would you seve this curry with?
Hi Rachael!
I like to serve curry with a few side dishes. If you’re serving a fish or meat curry, then a vegetable side dish is a must. I like to go with something sweet like apple curry, or my favorite beetroot curry. I also like to serve it with a side salad (with lettuce, tomatoes and red onions) or pappadums or fried chili on the side too.
I’ve used it with chicken and with pork. You’re right – it’s the best curry powder in the world. I hope to make the non-roasted version soon for crab. Do
I do anything different or is the recipe exactly the same except for the roasting part? And thank you for sharing this.
Hi Grace!
I’m so glad you love this curry powder as much as we do! Thank you so much for letting me know.
The only thing that’s different is the roasting part 🙂 You can add a little extra fennel if you like too. Let me know how the crab curry comes out!
Cheers, Dini
Simply wonderful – Thank you for a great recipe
Thank you for letting me know Sarah! Glad you liked the recipe. 🙂
Do you have to use basmati rice? I only have jasmine. Can’t wait to try it…
Hi Patrina, I haven’t used jasmine rice myself, but that should work too. Rice helps thicken your curries a little more when you cook with this curry powder, plus it acts as a filler to make your curry powder last a bit longer. I hope you like it! 🙂
Hi, I am a student at York University in Toronto, Canada. Thanks for sharing this recipe, I am writing a 4000 level essay on your Chicken curry & spice .
Hi Dini, there seems to be a difference in the recipe in the article and the one at the end in the box. The first says 3 tsp cloves ad 2 tsp cardomom, whereas the second recipe says just 2 tsp cloves and 1 tsp cardomom. Which version is the correct (preferred) one. Thanks Sandy
Hi Sandy,
Thank you for letting me know. I’ve fixed the recipe to reflect the original ratios. But I have used both amounts before, and love it either way. If you’re not a fan of clove flavor, then you can reduce the amount of cloves you add, and the same goes for the cardamom too. 🙂
I hope that helps.
Cheers, Dini
When you say “2 Black Peppercorns and Uncooked Rice” what does that mean? 2 of each? or mix peppercorns & rice together 50/50? or what? I don’t understand. Also – just normal Basmati rice?
Hi Roy,
Yes, it’s 2 of each, 2 tbsp of black peppercorns and 2 tbsp of rice. This is mentioned in the recipe. And yes, it’s just regular uncooked basmati rice.
Hi Dini,
Again – thanks for the very speedy response. I notice you have updated the recipe! That’s excellent service – well done.
When I find an error in an online recipe followed by comments, and no one else has noticed – I wonder what I’m doing wrong – am I being nit picky! Black/green cardamoms not being specified is very common, as is items in the ingredients that are not mentioned in the method!
Thanks,
Roy
Not at all Roy. 🙂 Thanks so much for pointing that out to me. It absolutely helps make the recipe and post that much better and robust, and I really appreciate it when I receive comments like that from my readers! So thanks again, and I hope you enjoy this curry powder! 🙂
Cheers,
Dini
Hi – looks good. One question – black or green cardamoms?
Hi Roy
This curry powder uses green cardamoms. Thank you 🙂
Thanks for the speedy response!
Might be worth changing the recipe – black ones would make quite a difference!
How much meat can this be used with?
Hi K
This makes roughly about 1/2 cup of curry powder. Which lasts me about 4 – 6 curries, depending on how I use the curry powder.
Thankyou, stank the house out but really worth it, delicious.
Psst. Telling people that a crucial ingredient to their cuisine stinks is pretty offensive.
The house didn’t stink – brought back memories of mum’s cooking of yesterday years.
Also the aroma helps clear your sinuses.
Oops! Meant yester years …
Thank you for the tips. Definitely i will try.
What an informative post!! I love how you went way beyond the recipe and explored technique, too. I love spice mixes so this is right up my alley!
Don’t you just love the smell of the roasting spices and of course the fun popping sounds. Great little combo of spices and I have everything in my home to make a batch right now. Just pinned!
Dini- I love curry and this sounds amazing!
Thanks for hosting another fun filled party!
Michelle
I have just recently started eating curry and I still only used a golden curry paste from a jar. I think I can make my own now and I’m sure it will be 1000 times better! Love the new site too!