Roasted Chili Powder

Smoky heat for sambols, curries and tempering

Red chili is the backbone of Sri Lankan cooking, and roasting is how the island gets the most from it. Dried red chilies are dry-roasted until they darken and smell sweet and smoky, then ground into a deep red powder that carries heat and flavour together.

Raw chili powder can taste flat and sharp. Roasting rounds that edge off, adds a toasted depth and lets the fruity, earthy notes of the chili come forward. Our powder is ground in small batches and sealed in a tin, so the colour and smoke stay vivid.

The heat is steady and building rather than sudden, with a smoky finish. It is the chili behind pol sambol, seeni sambol and many a curry, and it stands up to coconut, onion and tamarind without getting lost.

Start with a pinch and build, because the heat grows as it cooks. Use it in sambols, curries, marinades and tempering (the hot oil step where spices are fried briefly to release their flavour). It also seasons roasted nuts, fried fish and vegetables. Keep the tin sealed, and wash your hands after handling.