Life's too short to stuff a mushroom. So . . . .: Sri Lankan Curry Powder

Although it's the Man of the House who does most of the cooking where I live there are, however, specific cooking related jobs that are all mine. You guessed! Yes! The cleaning up after the daily event! I should add that, after a satisfying meal, I am happy to do that. As the cook also does the time and money consuming grocery shopping, I feel that I have the best end of the arrangement.

Making the curry powder is another of my traditional tasks, so having been reminded just a few times that I wouldn't be served a proper curry until I produced a freshly ground pot or two, today was the Big Day. Fortunately it was also a warm, spring day so I was able to open all doors and windows to allow the neighbourhood the pleasure of the spicy aromas that began to waft from my kitchen.

Ingredients for a Sri Lankan Curry powder

My recipe was given to me more than forty years ago by the most generous, kind hearted and friendly Sri Lankan lady I have ever known, Wimal Perera. Every time I make curry powder I remember her and especially a story she told me, very seriously, when we were talking about having children. I had just produced my third and final baby. It was after one of her famously delicious and traditional lunches and she was sitting with me while I was feeding him when she revealed that after her marriage the babies didn't come and the families were so worried that they took her to the holy Hindu shrine at Kataragama, in Sri Lanka, to seek divine intervention. Shortly afterwards she realised that this had worked and she produced a son, followed in quick succession by three more babies, another son and two daughters. "Enough!" she said. And went back to Kataragama to say "Thank you! But no more babies!" Wimal was considerably older than I and has now passed away leaving me with her recipe and many happy memories.

More ingredients for Sri Lankan Curry powder

To make curry powder you need a heavy bottomed pan which you heat a little before dry roasting the various seeds. I start with the coriander seeds and the heat on high, stirring and shaking the pan as the seeds begin to turn colour and start jumping and popping around in the pan.

Coriander seeds

When the seeds are ready - darker and dry - I spread them over a thick pile of newspaper covered with lunch wrap to cool.

Roasted coriander seeds cooling

I then roast separately the cumin, fennel, rice and black pepper seeds BUT leave the coconut until the very last because it roasts very quickly and also is sticky on the pan.

Cumin seeds dry roasting

I love all of the individual aromas of these spices but the fennel and clove aromas are my favourite!

Fennel seeds

The pan becomes very hot so it's necessary to lower the heat as well as to stir and shake so that the seeds are roasted evenly. The rice is included as a thickening agent for the curry.

I roast the cardomon pods, cloves and broken cinnamon sticks together, adding the lemon grass and curry leaves at the last minute. They dry out in just a few seconds.

The very last ingredient to roast is the coconut and care needs to be taken not to burn it.

By now all the ingredients are layered, cooling on the thick paper. I tip them into a lidded plastic box and shake to mix thoroughly and for easy pick up to go into the grinder.