Curry Powders

A curry powder is a complete spice blend, ground ready to use, that forms the base of a curry on its own. In Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu it is the everyday way to cook: a spoonful of thool or kudu goes into the pan with onions, curry leaves and pandan, and coconut milk follows. In Britain, curry powder also means the mild or hot Madras blends that shaped the high street curry house.

The biggest difference is roasting. Roasted curry powder, the dark, smoky Sri Lankan blend, is made by dry roasting coriander, cumin, fennel, curry leaves and spices before grinding, and it is used for meat, chicken and fish. Everyday curry powder is unroasted and lighter, for vegetable, lentil and white curries. Jaffna curry powder is the hot, red, chilli-rich style of northern Sri Lanka, and Madras curry powder is the familiar golden blend of British and South Indian cooking.

Big bags of roasted curry powder are common in homes that cook curry daily, while smaller packs suit anyone trying Sri Lankan cooking for the first time. Keep the powder in a sealed tin or jar, and dry roast a spoonful in a pan for a minute to revive an older batch. For single spices, see ground spices, for ready Sri Lankan pastes, Sri Lankan curry mixes, and for everything else, the spices and masalas department.