A super easy recipe for making Sri Lankan Basic Curry Powder (Thunapaha) either with homemade or store-bought 3 ground spices. If you love mild Sri Lankan curries, this is the curry powder to use.
Do You Love Mild Sri Lankan Curries?
The secret to a great Sri Lankan curry is in the Sri Lankan curry powders. To get the real flavor of Sri Lankan curries, I highly recommend you make curry powder yourself. Then you can whip up your own Sri Lankan curry in no time!
About Sri Lankan Curry Powder
Thunapaha (තුනපහ) or Thuna Paha (තුන පහ) is the generic term used in Sri Lanka for the curry powders (spice mixes) used in everyday cooking. As with many local dishes, there is no standard recipe or a set formula for making curry powders too.
So you’ll find many variations of Sri Lankan curry powder across the country. Each family has its own spice blends that are often personalized according to personal preferences and every household in Sri Lanka will claim that theirs are the best.
However, there are mainly three types of curry powders that are widely used in Sri Lanka, namely basic (Thunapaha), roasted (Badapu Thunapaha), and unroasted (Amu Thunapaha) that you can make using whole spices or ground spices.
What is Thunapaha
(Sri Lankan Basic Curry Powder)?
This basic Sri Lankan curry powder is locally known as just Thunapaha (or Thuna Paha), a mild spice mix and one of the staple curry powders in Sinhalese households in Sri Lanka.
Thunapaha = Curry Powder
It is also known as 3-spice curry powder as it is made with 3 spices (Coriander, Cumin, and Fennel). You can make it either with pre-ground or whole spices.
It is mainly used in mild curries like vegetable curries, white egg curry, or white fish curry where you do not want the spices to be too strong.
About Basic Curry Powder Recipe
In this post, I’ll show you how to make Sri Lankan Basic Curry Powder the easy way at home with ground spices in less than 5 minutes. You need only 3 ground spices; coriander, cumin, and fennel.
You can use homemade ground spices or you can buy them at the grocery store or online. Just measure the ground spices with a tablespoon or teaspoon, as required, and then mix them.
NOTE: Some Sri Lankan Basic Curry Powder recipes call for more spices like turmeric other than these 3 main spices.
Sri Lankan Basic Curry Powder Recipe
Made with Whole Spices
Sri Lankan Basic Curry Powder (Thunapaha)-made with whole spices
More Sri Lankan Curry Powder Recipes
Sri Lankan Roasted Curry Powder (Badapu Thunapaha)-made with whole spices
Sri Lankan Unroasted Curry Powder (Amu Thunapaha)-made with ground spices
Ingredients
You need only 3 ground spices to make this mild spice mix.
- Coriander Powder
- Cumin Powder
- Fennel Powder
The ground spices used in
Sri Lankan Basic Curry Powder
How to Store
Store the curry powder in airtight containers preferably glass containers. The best place to keep your spices is in a pantry or cabinet that maintains a cool temperature and is protected from direct sunlight and moisture.
Curry powder keeps well in an airtight glass container for about 6 months, though the fresher the better as the ground spices will gradually lose their flavor over time.
A Glass Container is Better
A Glass container is better for storing spices
You can keep your whole spices, ground spices, and curry powders fresh longer by storing them in glass containers as long as the glass container has an air-tight lid that is securely sealed.
Since glass is not porous, it is a good option for storing spices when compared to plastic containers as plastic is porous and allows air to leak into the container. And you can easily identify the contents in the glass container as it is transparent.
Do you Love Mild Curries?
If you love mild Sri Lankan curries, this is the curry powder to use. It is mainly used in curries where you do not want the spices to be too strong for example vegetable curry, white egg curry, or white fish curry.
For making Sri Lankan-style milder curries, I usually use a cinnamon stick, roasted fenugreek seeds, turmeric powder, fresh curry leaves, and pandan leaf separately with this basic 3-spice curry powder.
Click Here for More Sri Lankan Recipes!
Sri Lankan Basic Curry Powder (With Ground Spices) Step-by-Step Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Equipment
A small glass bottle with an air-tight lid
Ingredients
4 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground fennel
NOTE: You need about 2 teaspoons of curry powder for making a curry for 2 to 4 people (as a guideline)
Instruction
Measure the spices.
Put measured spices in the bottle.
Cover with the lid and then shake a few times. Store it in a cool, dry, and dark place to maintain flavor and shelf life.
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Sri Lankan Basic Curry Powder (Thunapaha) with Ground Spices
Equipment
- Small glass bottle with an airtight lid
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons of ground coriander
- 2 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon of ground fennel
Instructions
- Measure the spices.
- Put measured spices in the bottle. Cover with the lid and then shake a few times.
- Store it in a cool, dry, dark place to maintain flavor and shelf life.
Notes
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