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Title: Heather's Roasted Curry Powder
Categories: Ceylon Condiment
Yield: 6 Servings
| 1/4 | c | Ground cumin |
| 2 | tb | Fennel seeds |
| 3 | tb | Coriander powder |
| 25 | Curry leaves * | |
| 10 | Cardamom pods, crushed | |
| 6 | Whole cloves | |
| 1 | tb | Ground black pepper |
| 6 | One-inch pieces rampa ** | |
| 3 | One-inch pieces cinnamon stick | |
| 1 | tb | Dried, crushed red chilies |
| 1 | tb | Mustard seeds |
Start with a large pan, and dry-roast the ingredients separately over low to medium heat, roasting the mustard seds last. In a few minutes, the mustard seeds will start to pop (keep the lid on the pan or the mustard seeds will fly out). Then stir in the coriander and cumin; when the spices; when the spices begin to turn light brown, add the rest of the ingredients. Since the curry powder mix can burn very quickly, stir it continuously. Roast the spices for about 7 to 10 minutes, until they are dark golden brown. Then remove them from the heat, and grind or powder them immediately while they are still warm (whether you do it by hand with a mortar and pestle or in a food processor, the must be FINELY ground). Store in an airtight bottle - keeps well for two weeks or more.
*Curry leaves - edible gray-green leaves that resemble bay leaf, used in flavoring sambols and fish, vegetable, or meat curries. The Sri Lankans use curry leaves fresh, but they can be used dried if fresh leaves are not available. The Sinhalese term for the plant is 'karapincha', and if you can find them fresh, they add great depth and flavor to a dish. They are not removed before serving, and they are edible. There is no substitute for curry leaves.
**Rampa (pandanus leaf) - Spear shaped aromatic leaves used to flavor curries. From the lemongrass family, rampa is not edible, but it is used as a flavoring in boiling rice. Sri Lankans do not remove it before serving; they just leave it on the plate.
From: FIRE & SPICE - THE CUISINE OF SRI LANKA by Heather Jansz Balasuriya and Karin Winegar, McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, New York. 1989. ISBN 0-07-003549-0 Posted by: Karin Brewer, Cooking Echo, 1/93
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