Sri Lankan Flavours by Channa Dassanayaka

Author:Channa Dassanayaka
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: CKB044000
ISBN: 9781742734729
Publisher: Hardie Grant Books
Published: 2010-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Curry blends

My mother stressed that the order in which each ingredient was placed in the pan for roasting was essential. The biggest ingredients are added first to roast through – chilli, coriander seeds, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick – while ingredients such as fenugreek and turmeric are added last so as not to burn them. This is the secret of fine curry powder.

Each and every house in a village will make a slightly different blend of curry powder, but my mum always said the secret is in the spices.

When the mixture was right, the aroma of the roasting spices could be smelt in neighbouring villages. And when the aroma was right, I always used to wish I could join the family making that blend for lunch.

In the village today, they still make curry powder by hand rather than buying it from the shops. My mother would grind the spices with coconut, using a grinding stone and adding water to the bowl. She would keep the ball of moist curry powder in the fridge for use. You should keep curry powders in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, or in the fridge, as you would fresh coffee.

Roasted curry powders are ideal for meat curries, while unroasted powder suits vegetable curries. But this is a rule that can be broken.

For vegetarians, cook with roasted curry powders as it will produce a stronger flavour in the absence of meat flavouring. You should also use roasted curry powders in soya curries.

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