Sri Lankan Curry Powder Recipe

I love curries from all over the world, but there's something about Sri Lankan cuisine that sets them apart. Sri Lankan cuisine is a combination of fresh, wholesome ingredients (lots of fish and vegetables) alongside a heady array of spice.

Spices play an important part in creating so many Sri Lankan dishes, so it's no wonder that blended spice mixes (curry powders) are commonplace. These blends come in all manner of combinations - no two the same. Recipes change from city to city, village to village and even family to family.

All are integral in creating the authentic flavours of Sri Lanka and my special curry powder will do just that. A rich mix of earthy, sweet and spice that's perfect for so many Sri Lankan delights.

What's Ahead?

What is a curry powder?

Curry powders are blend of ground spices, used to create a specific flavour curries, soups and stews.

In India and Sri Lanka and South East Asia, there are many commercially available pre-mixed curry powders, some narrowed down to use for one specific dish!

Many Sri Lankans choose to blend their own spices at home. This is popular because the cook can modify flavour to suit their own taste. They can also control how much powder they make and often prepare in small amounts to ensure the spice mix is fresh - meaning the flavours are more pronounced.

Whether you use store bought, or prepare your own, it's the style of curry powder that brings an authentic flavour to your curry sauces, so when preparing a Sri Lankan curry, a Sri Lankan curry powder is essential.

Why it works?

It's all about flavour - A fresh curry powder can mean all the difference in making a good curry, a great curry. It's no secret that blending a fresh curry powder gives great flavour, and I'm all about flavour!

Stuff You'll Need

There's a wonderful array of whole spices that go into my Sri Lankan curry powder. All are available from any Indian store, online or and many from regular supermarkets.

• Whole Spices - fennel seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon and fenugreek seeds all bring their warming or fragrant properties to the mix.
• Chilli - the heat is mild from the addition of dried Kashmiri chillies. They're not too spicy but bring a wonderful colour to the curry powder.
• Dried Coconut - Sri Lanka is filled with coconut groves, and using dried coconut (desiccated) is a great addition to flavour and helps act as a thickener to sauces.
• Rice - like coconut, raw basmati rice when ground will help act as a thickener to sauces.
• Dried fenugreek leaves - Kasoori Methi are added for fragrance. The sweet herbal notes of dried fenugreek is one of my most favourite aromas and makes this curry powder special.

The resulting curry powder is a warmly spiced mix and not particularly spicy. When creating Sri Lankan dishes, which can be FIRE, along with the curry powder, I'll add fresh hot chillies to bring the heat. This gives me more flexibility.

That said, I also often make hotter versions of this curry powder too by switching the dried Kashmiri chillies with hotter chillies, or by mixing in a hot chilli powder or cayenne pepper to the ground spices at the end.

Step by Step

Creating the curry powder is a piece of cake. All you'll need is a spice/coffee grinder or a pestle & mortar.

1. Step 1 - Add chillies and cinnamon to a dry pan over a medium/high heat and stir them around for 20-30 seconds. The chillies may puff up a little.
2. Step 2 - Tip in all the other spices and stir well. Let them sit in the heat until they begin to jump around the pan. Stir for about a minute then tip into a waiting bowl. Be careful nor to burn the spices as this will result in a bitter flavour.
3. Step 3 - Let the spices cool for a couple of minutes then tip them into a a spice grinder or pestle and mortar (you'll have to do this in batches). Grind into a fine powder and then repeat with the remaining toasted spices. That's it!

You now have enough curry powder for around 4 curries. Store the powder in an airtight container for up to 6 months. The sooner you use it, the better the flavour - the flavours will dull in time but they'll be great for 6 months.

Pro Tips

• A spice grinder makes a world of difference. It makes light work of the laborious pestle and mortar, so invest in one if you can. You'll use it often once you discover how tasty freshly ground spices are in comparison to pre-ground spices.

Usage & Storage Suggestions

• Use wherever a recipe calls for 'curry powder', and specifically for any Sri Lankan recipe that calls for it.
• If you're creating your own curry, I would suggest anywhere between 3-4 tbsp of this curry powder with other ingredients like onion, garlic and ginger, to ensure plenty of fragrance and flavour.
• Store your powder in an airtight container in a dark, cool cupboard. It will stay fresh for up to 6 months. It will keep for longer, but the flavour will fade over time.
• Be sure to label your curry powder as you might forget your handiwork over time!

Ready to get blending?

So, as you can see, creating the most amazing Sri Lankan curry powder is really quite simple. And let me reiterate, makes a world of difference to the flavour.

Once you blend one powder, you're set for 4 curries, so a little work now, makes for less work later - that's a win in my book! Hope you enjoy.

More curry powder recipes

• Malaysian Curry Powder
• Madras Curry Powder

More Sri Lankan and South Indian recipes

If you like Sri Lankan curries, be sure to check out more of my favourites alongside some of my best South Indian recipes too.

• Chicken Ceylon (Sri Lankan Chicken Curry)
• Thora Malu (Sri Lankan Fish Curry)
• Cashew Nut Curry (Kaju Maluwa)
• Sri Lankan Green Masala Shrimp
• Keralan Chicken Curry (Nadan Kohzi)
• Parippu Curry – Kerala Style Dal
• Goan Chicken Vindaloo
• Chicken & Lentil Curry
• Chicken Chukka
• Jheenga Palak – Shrimp & Spinach Curry
• Lamb Madras Curry
• South Indian Salmon Curry

This recipe uses affiliations and may receive a commission based on your activity (link clicks). Learn more.