Learn how to make the most amazing roasted curry powder, which is the base for many of my flavor-packed curry recipes! 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! Here’s how to make AUTHENTIC Sri Lankan Curry Powder!
Sri Lankan roasted 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 Sri Lankan 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 Cardamom pods (you will only use the seeds – about 12 – 15 pods)
Teaspoons (5 ml teaspoons)
3 Cloves
2 Mustard seeds
1 Fennel Seeds (heaped)
Some curry powders also include curry leaves, but I prefer to add them straight into the curry!
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. For example, I use the unroasted version of this curry powder to make amazing fish curry and prawn curry (shrimp curry).
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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Sri Lankan Roasted Curry powder
Ingredients:
- 4 tbsp coriander seeds
- 3 tbsp cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp black peppercorns
- 2 tbsp basmati rice
- 2 tsp cardamom pods you will only use the seeds from the pods, about 12 – 15 pods
- 2 tsp whole cloves about 10 -15 cloves (see notes)
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
Instructions:
- Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods and discard the husks.2 tsp cardamom pods
- Place the rice on a dry non stick pan. Heat over medium heat until the rice starts to turn light brown.2 tbsp basmati rice
- Add the rest of the spices and the cardamom seeds to the rice, and pan roast for a further 3 – 5 minutes until the spices start to brown, toast and become aromatic.4 tbsp coriander seeds, 3 tbsp cumin seeds, 2 tbsp black peppercorns, 2 tsp whole cloves, 2 tsp fennel seeds, 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- Keep moving the pan to prevent the spices from burning. Also adjust the cook times according to your stove and pan, to avoid burning the spices. Or your curry powder will be bitter.
- 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.
Tips & Tricks
Unroasted curry powder
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.Notes about cloves
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. The cloves I typically use are large, and I can only fit a few in 1 teaspoon. If your cloves are smaller in size, reduce the amount accordingly. The same goes for other spices as well.Which spices are the most important?
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.What is my curry powder is bitter?
If you find the 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).How long can I keep this?
Ground spices don’t retain their freshness as well as whole spices. This is why I prefer making batches of this when needed. Every time I make the curry powder, the longest it has lasted in my kitchen is 2 weeks before I need a new batch, but usually I make this once a week. I 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.Nutrition Information:
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
If you’re a fan of flavor-packed curries and Sri Lankan food, then you may love these recipes too!
Rachael Forbes says
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?
Dini says
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.
Grace says
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.
Dini says
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
Sarah Hilton says
Simply wonderful – Thank you for a great recipe
Dini says
Thank you for letting me know Sarah! Glad you liked the recipe. 🙂
Patrina says
Do you have to use basmati rice? I only have jasmine. Can’t wait to try it…
Dini says
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! 🙂
KE says
Hi! I just grounded and sifted all the spices and just have a question. I used a coffee grinder (not electric) and once I sifted everything there was a lot left over (looked like mainly shells, some rice and curry seed). I got a good amount of powder but is it normal to have a lot you sift out?
Dini says
Hi KE
I never sifted my curry powder. I use an electric coffee/spice grinder (one of the cheap ones) or a mortar and pestle to grind the spices to a fine powder. I don’t recommend using a manual coffee grinder if it’s not able to produce a finely ground powder. The whole spices you throw away will be a waste too. I hope that helps!
Anton says
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 .
Sandy Gungan says
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
Dini says
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
Roy says
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?
Dini says
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.
Roy Brophy says
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
Dini says
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
Roy Brophy says
Hi – looks good. One question – black or green cardamoms?
Dini says
Hi Roy
This curry powder uses green cardamoms. Thank you 🙂
Roy Brophy says
Thanks for the speedy response!
Might be worth changing the recipe – black ones would make quite a difference!
K says
How much meat can this be used with?
Dini says
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.
Sherwin Drieberg says
Can you please tell me how much of the curry powder that would be used per pound of Beef or Chicken please.
Dini says
Hi Sherwin!
This will be dependent on the meat and what spice level of curry you want! I greatly vary how much I add to my own curries depending on the taste that I am craving for.
As a guide, you can use this recipe, where I use about 2 1/2 tbsp for 2 pounds of bone-in chicken. However in this pork curry, where other spices play a bigger role, I only use about 1 heaped teaspoon for 1 1/2 pounds of pork meat.
I hope that helps!
Alia says
Thankyou, stank the house out but really worth it, delicious.
Rabi says
Psst. Telling people that a crucial ingredient to their cuisine stinks is pretty offensive.
Olive says
The house didn’t stink – brought back memories of mum’s cooking of yesterday years.
Also the aroma helps clear your sinuses.
Olive says
Oops! Meant yester years …
othman says
Thank you for the tips. Definitely i will try.
cakespy says
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!
Bam's Kitchen says
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!
Michelle says
Dini- I love curry and this sounds amazing!
Thanks for hosting another fun filled party!
Michelle
Jennifer says
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!