Curry bases & pastes

Sri Lankan Curry Paste

Name: Sri Lankan Curry Paste
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Sri Lankan
Ingredients: 30g coriander seeds; 15g cumin seeds; 8g fennel seeds; 4g black peppercorns; 2g fenugreek seeds; 6 cardamom pods; 6 whole cloves; 1 stick cinnamon; 30 leaves curry leaves; 2 (300g) red onions, roughly chopped; 8 cloves (40g) garlic; 40g fresh ginger, peeled; 10g chilli powder; 3g turmeric; 30g tamarind paste; 60ml coconut oil; 6g salt

Whole spices roasted dark, ground and blended with onion, garlic, ginger, curry leaves and tamarind, then fried in coconut oil. Deep, toasty and warmly spiced.

makes 15 cubes, about 26p each

Jump to recipe

Illustration of a bowl of Sri Lankan Curry Paste

Time: 40 min20 min prep · 20 min cook
Makes: 15 cubes
Cost per cubePer cube: 26p
Calories per cubeCalories: 66 kcal
A serving: 2 cubes
Spice

Ingredients

Batch size

cubes

30gcoriander seeds
15gcumin seeds
8gfennel seeds
4gblack peppercorns
2gfenugreek seeds
6cardamom pods
6whole cloves
1 stickcinnamon
30 leavescurry leaves
2 (300g)red onions, roughly chopped
8 cloves (40g)garlic
40gfresh ginger, peeled
10gchilli powder
3gturmeric
30gtamarind paste
60mlcoconut oil
6gsalt

Allergens: none of the 14 major allergens in the ingredients as listed. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Nutrition

estimated

	1 cube	2 cubes
Energy	66 kcal	132 kcal
Protein	1.2g	2.4g
Carbs	6.2g	12.4g
Fat	4.4g	8.8g
Fibre	2.3g	4.6g
Salt	0.41g	0.82g

Method

Step 1: Dry-roast the whole spices in a heavy pan over a medium heat, stirring all the time, until they turn a deep, even brown and smell toasty. Add half the curry leaves for the last minute. (6 min)
Step 2: Cool, then grind to a fine powder with the chilli powder and turmeric.
Step 3: Blitz the onions, garlic, ginger, tamarind, salt and ground spices to a smooth paste, adding a splash of water only if it won't turn.
Step 4: Heat the coconut oil in the same pan over a medium-low heat and fry the rest of the curry leaves for 30 seconds. Add the paste and fry, stirring, until it darkens and the oil separates. (12 min)
Step 5: Cool, spoon into 30ml trays and freeze.

Use it for

2 cubesChicken curry with coconut milk
3 cubesBeef or pork curry
1 cubeRed lentil dhal
2 cubesPotato, green bean or cashew curry

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per cube	66	1.2g	6.2g	4.4g	2.3g	0.41g
Per 2 cubes	132	2.4g	12.4g	8.8g	4.6g	0.82g

Cook’s notes

Fry straight from frozen in a little oil before adding meat, vegetables and coconut milk.
Fry a 5cm piece of pandan leaf with the curry leaves if you can find it, and lift it out before freezing.
Rapeseed oil works in place of coconut oil.
Always keep it frozen or in the fridge: garlic in oil must not sit at room temperature.

Use it for

Chicken curry with coconut milk · 2 cubes
Beef or pork curry · 3 cubes
Red lentil dhal · 1 cube
Potato, green bean or cashew curry · 2 cubes

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, freeze it in 30ml ice-cube trays, then bag and label the cubes. It keeps for 6 months.
Use from frozen: Fry straight from frozen in a little oil before adding meat, vegetables and coconut milk. Never refreeze thawed cubes.
A portion: 2 cubes is a serving: about 132 kcal.

Sri Lankan Curry Paste questions

Why roast the spices so dark?

Roasting them to a deep brown gives the smoky, toasty flavour of Sri Lankan roasted curry powder, used for meat and fish curries. Stir constantly and take them off the heat as soon as they are evenly dark, as they burn quickly.

Where can I find curry leaves?

Indian and Sri Lankan grocers sell them fresh, and many larger supermarkets have them in the world food aisle. They freeze well, so keep a bag in the freezer; dried leaves have much less flavour.

Can I use ready-made curry powder?

Use 60g Sri Lankan roasted curry powder in place of the whole spices and skip the first two steps. Fry it with the paste in the same way.