Key takeaways

• Udari makes 15 spices: 6 pure spices, 5 curry powders, 3 masalas and a roasted chilli powder.
• Unroasted curry powder suits vegetables and dhal; roasted curry powder is for dark meat and 'black' curries.
• Curry, Roasted Curry and Milky Fish Curry Powders contain no chilli; Meat and Red Fish Curry Powders do.
• Fry curry powder for only 20 to 30 seconds after the onions, and add a splash of liquid if the pan is very hot.
• Keep spices sealed, dry and away from the stove, and always use a dry spoon.

Introduction

Walk into any Sri Lankan kitchen at lunchtime and you can smell the island’s history. Mustard seeds pop in hot oil. Curry leaves and rampe crackle. A spoon of dark roasted curry powder hits the pan, and the whole house fills with the scent of coriander, cumin, fennel and cinnamon. Sri Lankan food is famous for its depth and fire, and almost all of it comes from spices.

At Udari Nuts & Spices, we make 15 spice products for that kitchen. Some are pure, single spices: chilli powder, chilli pieces, turmeric, pepper, mustard and cinnamon. Some are traditional curry powders, each built for a particular dish: curry powder, roasted curry powder, meat curry powder, red fish curry powder and milky fish curry powder. Others are masala blends for chicken, fish and biriyani, plus our roasted chilli powder for dark, smoky curries. Every one is marketed by Raiden Marketing, part of the Raiden (Pvt) Ltd family of brands.

This guide brings them all together. First, we explain why Sri Lanka is called the spice island and how we prepare Udari spices. Next, we introduce the base spices that appear again and again in our blends, with their Sinhala names. Then we go through all 15 products one by one: what each contains, how it tastes, and exactly how to use it. We finish with storage tips, an honest word on spices and health, and answers to the questions cooks ask us most.

Keep this guide open next to the stove. It is written to be used.

Sri Lanka, the spice island

For more than two thousand years, traders have sailed to Sri Lanka for its spices. Arab, Persian, Indian and Chinese merchants knew the island long before Europeans arrived. Cinnamon was the great prize. True cinnamon, Cinnamomum verum, is native to Sri Lanka, and its delicate, sweet bark was worth more than gold in some ancient markets.

From the 16th century, the Portuguese, then the Dutch and finally the British fought to control Sri Lanka’s spice trade. The Dutch turned cinnamon into a state monopoly and planted the first cinnamon gardens. Pepper, cardamom, cloves and nutmeg were also grown and exported. Chillies, which are so central to Sri Lankan cooking today, actually arrived from the Americas through the Portuguese, and Sri Lankan cooks soon made them their own.

Today Sri Lanka remains one of the world’s most respected spice origins. It supplies the large majority of the world’s true cinnamon; estimates usually range from about 80% to 90%. Ceylon pepper is prized for its strong pungency, and Sri Lankan export promoters describe it as unusually rich in piperine, the compound that gives pepper its bite. Pepper is grown mainly in the mid-country districts, including Matale, Kandy, Kegalle and Kurunegala, often as a vine climbing shade trees in home gardens.

At home, Sri Lankans cook with spices every day. The island’s curries combine native spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, curry leaves and rampe with seeds such as coriander, cumin, fennel and fenugreek, which have been traded and grown here for centuries. The result is a cuisine of its own, different from Indian or Thai cooking, with dark roasted curries, fiery sambols and creamy coconut milk gravies.

How we prepare Udari spices

Good spices start with good raw materials and careful handling. Our process follows the same principles for every product.

Cleaning comes first. Whole spices often carry dust, small stones, stalks or husks from drying yards. Cleaning before milling protects both quality and safety.

Roasting is a craft. For our roasted products, whole spices are roasted until they darken and release their oils. Under-roasted spices taste raw and dusty; over-roasted spices taste bitter and burnt. The aim is a deep, toasty fragrance.

Milling releases flavour. Spices keep their aroma best when whole. Once milled, essential oils start to escape, so we grind and then pack promptly.

Packing protects. Light, air and humidity are the enemies of ground spices. We use sealed, laminated pouches that block light and moisture and keep each powder’s colour, aroma and strength until you open it.

Roasted or unroasted? The two kinds of Sri Lankan curry powder

The single most important thing to understand about Sri Lankan spices is the difference between unroasted and roasted curry powder.

Unroasted curry powder, sometimes called amu thuna paha, is made by grinding the spices as they are. It is light brown or golden, with a fresh, bright, slightly floral aroma. Sri Lankan cooks use it for vegetable curries, dhal, potato curry and milky (white) curries, where they want a gentle flavour that does not overpower delicate ingredients. In our range, this is Udari Curry Powder, and the turmeric-rich, chilli-free Udari Milky Fish Curry Powder follows the same idea.

Roasted curry powder, called badapu thuna paha, is made by roasting the whole spices until they turn dark brown before grinding. It is deep, smoky and intense. It is the backbone of Sri Lanka’s famous black curries: black chicken curry, black pork curry, beef curry, mutton curry and dark cuttlefish curries. In our range, this is Udari Roasted Curry Powder, and Udari Roasted Chilli Powder brings the same roasted depth with heat.

A simple rule: light ingredients, light powder; rich meats, dark powder. Many cooks keep both in the cupboard and sometimes use a little of each.

The base spices: a quick glossary

The same family of spices appears again and again across our blends. Knowing them helps you understand what each Udari product will taste like.

Udari Chilli Powder

Ingredients: 100% ground dried chillies (Capsicum annuum).

Chilli powder is the everyday heat of Sri Lankan cooking. Udari Chilli Powder is made from dried red chillies, cleaned and finely ground into a bright red powder. It adds both fire and colour.

How to use it:

• Add ½ to 2 teaspoons to fish, meat, egg and vegetable curries, depending on how hot you like them.
• Mix with salt and lime to make the classic lunu miris base, or add to pol sambol with grated coconut, onion and lime.
• Sprinkle over fried fish, prawns, devilled dishes and roasted cashews.
• Use in marinades for chicken, fish and meat with turmeric, salt and a little lime.

Cook’s tip: add chilli powder to the pan with a little liquid or after the onions, not into very hot dry oil, where it burns quickly and turns bitter.

Pairs with: Udari Turmeric Powder, Udari Curry Powder, Udari Red Fish Curry Powder.

Udari Chilli Pieces

Ingredients: 100% crushed dried chillies (Capsicum annuum), including seeds.

Chilli pieces, also called chilli flakes or kudu miris, are dried chillies crushed into coarse flakes with their seeds. They give bursts of heat and visible red flecks rather than an even colour.

How to use it:

• The essential spice for devilled dishes: devilled chicken, devilled prawns, devilled potatoes and devilled cashews.
• Fry in oil with onion and Maldive fish for seeni sambol and katta sambol.
• Sprinkle on kottu, fried rice, noodles, pizza and eggs.
• Add to tempering for dhal and leafy greens with mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Cook’s tip: fry chilli pieces briefly in oil to release their flavour, then add the other ingredients. They burn faster than whole chillies, so keep the heat moderate.

Pairs with: Udari Oven Roasted Cashews, Udari Pepper Powder.

Udari Turmeric Powder

Ingredients: 100% ground turmeric rhizome (Curcuma longa).

Turmeric, kaha, is the golden heart of Sri Lankan cooking. It gives curries their warm yellow colour and an earthy, slightly bitter flavour. Udari Turmeric Powder is made from dried turmeric rhizomes, ground into a fine, bright powder.

How to use it:

• Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon to almost every curry: dhal, potato, pumpkin, fish and meat.
• Rub fish with turmeric and salt before frying; it adds colour and flavour.
• Make yellow rice (kaha bath) with turmeric, coconut milk, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and rampe.
• Add a pinch to warm milk with pepper and cinnamon for a comforting evening drink.

Cook’s tip: a little goes a long way. Too much turmeric tastes bitter and medicinal. Turmeric also stains, so wipe spills quickly.

Pairs with: Udari Curry Powder, Udari Milky Fish Curry Powder, Udari Pepper Powder.

Udari Pepper Powder

Ingredients: 100% ground black pepper (Piper nigrum).

Long before chillies arrived, black pepper was Sri Lanka’s hot spice. Udari Pepper Powder is ground from dried black peppercorns and has a sharp, woody heat and a strong aroma.

How to use it:

• Make Sri Lanka’s famous black pepper chicken or pepper beef, where pepper is the main spice.
• Add to mulligatawny, rasam and clear soups.
• Season omelettes, fried eggs, stir-fries and fried rice.
• Mix with salt for a simple table seasoning, or add to marinades for grilled fish and meat.

Cook’s tip: add some pepper at the start of cooking for depth, and a pinch at the end for fresh aroma, because pepper’s fragrance fades with long cooking.

Pairs with: Udari Meat Curry Powder, Udari Turmeric Powder.

Udari Curry Powder

Ingredients: coriander (Coriandrum sativum), cumin (Cuminum cyminum), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum), mustard seed, turmeric (Curcuma longa), garlic (Allium sativum), cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum), cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum), cloves (Syzygium aromaticum), curry leaves (Murraya koenigii) and rampe (Pandanus sp.).

This is Sri Lanka’s everyday, unroasted curry powder. Coriander, cumin and fennel form its body, while cardamom, cinnamon and cloves add warmth and fragrance. Curry leaves and rampe give it the unmistakable aroma of a Sri Lankan kitchen. It contains no chilli, so you control the heat separately.

How to use it:

• The go-to powder for vegetable curries: potato, beans, pumpkin, jackfruit, brinjal and mixed vegetables.
• Add to dhal curry with turmeric and coconut milk.
• Use in kiri hodi, the gentle coconut milk gravy served with string hoppers.
• Add to kaju maluwa (cashew curry) with Udari Cashew Nuts.

Cook’s tip: use 1 to 2 teaspoons for a curry for four. Add it after the onions have softened and stir for 20 to 30 seconds before adding vegetables or coconut milk.

Pairs with: Udari Turmeric Powder, Udari Chilli Powder, Udari Cashew Nuts.

Udari Roasted Curry Powder

Ingredients: roasted coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, mustard seed, turmeric, garlic, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, curry leaves and rampe.

Udari Roasted Curry Powder uses the same family of spices as our curry powder, but every whole spice is roasted until dark before milling. That changes everything: the powder becomes deep brown, smoky and intensely aromatic. It is the secret behind Sri Lanka’s legendary black curries.

How to use it:

• Black chicken curry and black pork curry, often with goraka, pepper and a little roasted rice.
• Beef, mutton and lamb curries, where its depth matches the richness of the meat.
• Cuttlefish and dried fish curries.
• Add a teaspoon at the end of cooking (a “finishing” sprinkle) to boost aroma in any meat curry.

Cook’s tip: for extra depth, dry-roast the powder in a pan for 30 seconds before using it, stirring all the time, then add it to the curry. Do not let it burn.

Pairs with: Udari Roasted Chilli Powder, Udari Pepper Powder, Udari Chilli Pieces.

Udari Meat Curry Powder

Ingredients: chilli (Capsicum annuum), black pepper (Piper nigrum), coriander, cumin, fennel, garlic, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, curry leaves, rampe, lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) and coconut.

Udari Meat Curry Powder is a complete, ready-to-use blend for meat. Unlike our plain curry powder, it already contains chilli and pepper for heat, and lemongrass and coconut for a rounded, aromatic finish. It is designed to bring out the natural flavour of chicken, beef, pork and mutton.

How to use it:

• Marinate 500g of meat with 2 to 3 teaspoons of powder, salt and a little vinegar or lime for at least 30 minutes, then cook with onion, garlic, ginger and tomato.
• Use for chicken curry, beef curry, mutton curry and sausage or meatball curries.
• Add to devilled meat dishes along with Udari Chilli Pieces.
• Use in rolls, patties and cutlets fillings for a properly spiced short eat.

Cook’s tip: because it already contains chilli, taste before adding extra chilli powder.

Pairs with: Udari Roasted Curry Powder (for a darker curry), Udari Pepper Powder.

Udari Red Fish Curry Powder

Ingredients: chilli, black pepper, coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, mustard seed, turmeric, garlic, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, curry leaves and rampe.

Fish curry is the soul of coastal Sri Lankan cooking, and the red, tangy kind is the most loved. Udari Red Fish Curry Powder is a roasted blend made for raw fish cooked the traditional way: with goraka or tamarind, in a clay pot, until the gravy turns thick and red.

How to use it:

• Make fish ambul thiyal (sour fish curry) or a red fish curry with tuna (kelawalla), seer fish (thora), mullet or sardines.
• Cook prawn, crab and cuttlefish curries.
• Use 2 to 3 teaspoons for 500g of fish, with goraka paste or tamarind, garlic, curry leaves and a little coconut milk if you like.
• Rub onto fish steaks with salt before frying for a spicy crust.

Cook’s tip: add fish once the gravy is simmering, then shake the pot instead of stirring so the pieces stay whole.

Pairs with: Udari Fish Masala, Udari Chilli Pieces.

Udari Milky Fish Curry Powder

Ingredients: coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, mustard seed, turmeric, garlic, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, curry leaves and rampe. It contains no chilli.

Not everyone wants a fiery curry. The white or milky fish curry (kiri malu) is gentle, golden and creamy, cooked in coconut milk with green chillies for mild heat. Udari Milky Fish Curry Powder is designed for exactly that dish, and it is ideal for children and anyone who prefers milder food.

How to use it:

• Make kiri malu: fish simmered in coconut milk with onion, garlic, green chilli, curry leaves, rampe and 2 teaspoons of the powder.
• Use it for prawn and crab curries in coconut milk.
• Add it to egg curry, potato curry and other white curries.
• Use it as a mild, aromatic seasoning for fish soups.

Cook’s tip: add a squeeze of lime at the end to brighten the flavour, and keep the heat low once the thick coconut milk goes in, so it does not split.

Pairs with: Udari Turmeric Powder, Udari Pepper Powder.

Udari Roasted Chilli Powder

Ingredients: roasted dried chillies (Capsicum annuum), cumin, garlic, cinnamon, curry leaves and rampe.

Udari Roasted Chilli Powder combines the fire of chilli with the depth of roasting. The chillies are roasted until dark and fragrant, then milled with cumin, garlic, cinnamon, curry leaves and rampe. The result is a deep red-brown powder with a smoky, savoury heat.

How to use it:

• Ideal for raw fish, meat and some vegetable curries where you want heat and depth together.
• Use in black pork curry, dry fish curry and beef curry alongside roasted curry powder.
• Make dark, smoky devilled dishes and seeni sambol.
• Sprinkle a pinch into dhal tempering for a deeper flavour.

Cook’s tip: because it is roasted, it gives colour and flavour quickly. Start with less than you would use of plain chilli powder.

Pairs with: Udari Roasted Curry Powder, Udari Pepper Powder.

Udari Mustard Powder

Ingredients: 100% ground mustard seed.

Mustard, aba, has a pungent, nutty bite. Whole mustard seeds are a standard part of Sri Lankan tempering, but mustard powder is the secret to some of the island’s classic dishes.

How to use it:

• Essential for Sri Lankan pickles such as malay pickle and achcharu: mix with vinegar, sugar, chilli and garlic to make the mustard-vinegar paste.
• Add to brinjal moju (fried aubergine pickle).
• Make a quick mustard paste: mix powder with a little cold water and vinegar, wait 10 minutes for the heat to develop, and serve with grilled meats.
• Add a pinch to fish curries and marinades for a sharp, tangy note.

Cook’s tip: mustard’s heat develops when the powder meets cold water. Very hot liquid weakens it, so mix it cold first.

Pairs with: Udari Chilli Powder, Udari Turmeric Powder.

Udari Chicken Masala

Ingredients (typical recipe): coriander, chilli, cumin, turmeric, black pepper, fennel, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, garlic, fenugreek and nutmeg.

Udari Chicken Masala is a warm, aromatic blend for chicken. Where our meat curry powder gives a classic Sri Lankan taste, chicken masala leans towards rich, restaurant-style flavour, with more sweet spices such as cinnamon, cardamom and cloves.

How to use it:

• Make chicken curry, chicken masala gravy and butter-style chicken with tomato and cream or cashew paste.
• Marinate chicken with masala, yoghurt, salt and lime for grilled or oven-baked chicken.
• Season chicken kottu, fried rice and chicken rolls.
• Use it for egg and mushroom curries too.

Cook’s tip: for a creamy gravy without dairy, blend a handful of soaked Udari Cashew Nuts with water and stir it in at the end.

Pairs with: Udari Cashew Nuts, Udari Chilli Pieces.

Udari Fish Masala

Ingredients (typical recipe): chilli, coriander, turmeric, cumin, black pepper, fennel, fenugreek, garlic, ginger and mustard.

Udari Fish Masala is a marinade and frying blend for fish and seafood. It gives a bold, spicy coating and a beautiful red-gold colour.

How to use it:

• Fried fish: rub fish slices with fish masala, salt and lime, rest for 20 minutes and shallow-fry.
• Grilled or barbecued seafood: prawns, squid and whole fish.
• Fish cutlets and fish rolls: add to the potato and fish filling.
• Use it to boost fish curries alongside Udari Red Fish Curry Powder.

Cook’s tip: pat fish dry before applying the masala so the spice sticks and the fish crisps well.

Pairs with: Udari Red Fish Curry Powder, Udari Chilli Powder.

Udari Biriyani Masala

Ingredients (typical recipe): coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, fennel, bay leaf, nutmeg, mace, star anise, dried ginger and chilli.

Biriyani is a celebration dish in Sri Lanka, cooked for weddings, Eid, birthdays and family gatherings. Udari Biriyani Masala is a fragrant, sweet-spice blend that gives biriyani its rich, layered aroma.

How to use it:

• Chicken, mutton or beef biriyani: marinate the meat with biriyani masala, yoghurt, ginger-garlic paste and salt, cook it, then layer with par-boiled basmati or samba rice and finish with ghee.
• Vegetable or egg biriyani and ghee rice.
• Add a pinch to fried rice and pilau.
• Garnish with crispy fried onions, raisins and golden-fried Udari Cashew Nuts.

Cook’s tip: add a little masala to the meat and a little to the rice layers, so the aroma runs right through the dish.

Pairs with: Udari Cashew Nuts, Udari Turmeric Powder.

Udari Cinnamon Powder

Ingredients: 100% ground cinnamon bark.

Cinnamon is Sri Lanka’s most famous spice. True Ceylon cinnamon has a delicate, sweet, citrusy flavour, much softer than the stronger cassia cinnamon common in many countries. It is also naturally much lower in coumarin, a compound that is limited in food because large amounts can affect the liver.

How to use it:

• Sweets and baking: love cake, butter cake, kavum, kokis batter, watalappan and biscuits.
• Drinks: add a pinch to Hakgala Ceylon tea, coffee, milk tea or hot chocolate.
• Curries and rice: a pinch rounds out meat curries, biriyani and yellow rice.
• Breakfast: sprinkle over porridge, fruit, pancakes or toast with honey.

Cook’s tip: add cinnamon powder towards the end of cooking in savoury dishes, so its delicate aroma stays fresh.

Pairs with: Udari Biriyani Masala, Udari Cashew Nuts.

Matching Udari spices to Sri Lankan dishes

A Sri Lankan rice and curry lunch, the Udari way

A true Sri Lankan rice and curry is not one dish but a table of five or six, each with its own spice character. Here is how the Udari range covers a typical family lunch for six people.

Start the slowest dishes first: the black curry and the fish curry both taste even better after resting. Make the dhal and vegetable curries next, and the pol sambol just before serving, so it stays fresh and bright.

With six or seven Udari packs in your cupboard, you can cook a complete Sri Lankan feast from start to finish.

How to cook with spices: three Sri Lankan techniques

1. Tempering (thel dala). Heat oil, add mustard seeds and wait for them to pop, then add curry leaves, sliced onion, garlic, chilli pieces and rampe. Fry until fragrant. Tempering is used to finish dhal and to start many curries.

2. Frying the powder. Add curry powder after the onions soften and stir it in the oil for 20 to 30 seconds. This “blooms” the spices and removes any raw taste. Add a splash of water if the pan is very hot, to stop burning.

3. Marinating. Rub meat or fish with powder, salt and something sour (lime, vinegar or goraka) and leave it to rest. The flavour goes deeper, and the meat cooks more evenly.

Storing spices for maximum flavour

Ground spices lose aroma over time, and Sri Lanka’s heat and humidity speed this up. Follow these steps to keep Udari spices at their best:

• Reseal the pack tightly after each use, or move the powder into a dry, airtight glass jar.
• Always use a dry spoon. A wet spoon brings moisture, which causes lumps and mould.
• Keep spices away from the stove. Steam and heat are the enemies of spice aroma.
• Store in a cool, dark cupboard. Light fades colour, especially in chilli, turmeric and curry powders.
• Buy the size you will use. Use opened packs within a few months for the best flavour, and always within the best-before date.
• Smell before you cook. If a powder smells faint or dusty, its flavour has faded.

Spices and health: an honest view

Spices have been part of traditional medicine across South Asia for centuries, and modern science is studying many of them. Turmeric contains curcumin, black pepper contains piperine, and chilli contains capsaicin; all three are active plant compounds that researchers continue to investigate. Coriander, cumin, fennel and cinnamon are traditionally used to support digestion.

However, the amounts of spice used in cooking are small, and research results do not mean that a spice can treat or prevent disease. We sell Udari spices as foods that make meals delicious, not as medicines. Enjoy them as part of a balanced diet with plenty of vegetables, pulses, fish and whole grains, and speak to a doctor about any health condition.

People with a mustard allergy must avoid Udari Mustard Powder and check the ingredients of our blends, which may contain mustard seed.

Udari spices for shops, hotels and caterers

Hotels, restaurants, caterers and food manufacturers need spices that taste the same every time. Raiden Marketing supplies Udari spices to retailers and food-service businesses as well as to home cooks through the online shop. Ask us about:

• retail packs for supermarkets and grocery shops
• catering packs for hotels and restaurants
• combo packs such as our rice and curry pack and fish lovers’ pack
• gift hampers that pair Udari spices and cashews with Hakgala Ceylon tea

An example in practice

This is an illustrative example to show how the products can be used. It is not a real customer story.

Ruwan works in Dubai and misses his mother’s Sunday lunch: red rice, black chicken curry, dhal, fish ambul thiyal and pol sambol. When his family visits from Sri Lanka, they bring a bag of Udari spices.

He starts with the black chicken curry, using Udari Roasted Curry Powder, Udari Roasted Chilli Powder and a little Udari Pepper Powder. For the dhal, he uses Udari Curry Powder and Udari Turmeric Powder, finished with a mustard seed and curry leaf tempering. The fish curry is made with Udari Red Fish Curry Powder and goraka. For dessert, he sprinkles Udari Cinnamon Powder over a simple watalappan.

His colleagues, who have never tasted Sri Lankan food, ask for the recipes. Ruwan realises that with the right spices, home is just a few spoonfuls away.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Udari Curry Powder and Udari Roasted Curry Powder?

Curry Powder is unroasted, golden and gentle, made for vegetable curries, dhal and milky curries. Roasted Curry Powder is made from spices roasted until dark, giving a deep, smoky flavour for black curries, meat and cuttlefish.

Do Udari curry powders contain chilli?

Udari Curry Powder, Roasted Curry Powder and Milky Fish Curry Powder contain no chilli, so you add heat separately. Meat Curry Powder, Red Fish Curry Powder and Roasted Chilli Powder already contain chilli.

Which powder should I use for chicken curry?

For a classic Sri Lankan chicken curry, use Udari Meat Curry Powder. For a dark “black” chicken curry, use Udari Roasted Curry Powder with roasted chilli and pepper. For a rich, restaurant-style gravy, use Udari Chicken Masala.

Are Udari spices free from artificial colours and flavour enhancers?

Udari single spices are 100% spice. Our blends are made from spices and herbs as listed on each pack.

How much curry powder should I use?

As a guide, use 1 to 2 teaspoons for a vegetable curry for four, and 2 to 3 teaspoons for 500g of meat or fish. Adjust to taste, and remember that blends with chilli are hotter.

Can I use chilli powder instead of chilli pieces?

You can, but the result is different. Chilli powder spreads heat and colour evenly through a dish. Chilli pieces give bursts of heat and visible flakes, which is what devilled dishes and sambols need.

Is Udari Cinnamon Powder Ceylon cinnamon?

Udari Cinnamon Powder is made from cinnamon bark. Ceylon cinnamon is sweeter, more delicate and much lower in coumarin than cassia.

How long do ground spices last?

Unopened, they keep until the best-before date on the pack. Once opened, use them within a few months for the best aroma, and store them airtight, dry and away from heat and light.

Are Udari spices suitable for vegetarians and vegans?

Yes. Our single spices are plant products, and our blends are made from spices and herbs.

Why does my curry powder taste bitter or burnt?

Usually because it was added to oil that was too hot, or cooked too long without liquid. Lower the heat, stir the powder for only 20 to 30 seconds, and add a splash of water or coconut milk if it starts to stick. Roasted powders need even less frying time.

Can I make my own curry blend with Udari single spices?

Yes. Many cooks start with Udari Curry Powder and adjust it with Chilli Powder for heat, Pepper Powder for bite, Turmeric Powder for colour and Cinnamon Powder for sweetness. Make a small amount, taste and note what you like.

Where can I buy Udari spices?

Buy online in the Udari Nuts & Spices shop, or contact Raiden Marketing on +94 70 724 9800 or [email protected] for retail, wholesale and hotel supply.

Conclusion

Sri Lankan food is built on spices: the bright gold of turmeric, the fire of chilli, the bite of pepper, the deep smoke of roasted curry powder and the sweet whisper of cinnamon. Each Udari product has a clear job, from the gentle Curry Powder for vegetables and dhal to the dark Roasted Curry Powder for black curries, the Red and Milky Fish Curry Powders for the coast’s two great fish curries, and our masalas for chicken, fish and biriyani.

We clean, roast where needed, mill and seal every spice so that it reaches your kitchen full of aroma. Use this guide to pick the right pack, cook with confidence and bring the true taste of the spice island to every meal.

Shop all 15 Udari spices online, or contact Raiden Marketing for retail, hotel and bulk supply. For the perfect partner to your curries and biriyani, see Udari Article 1 on our cashew nuts.

Shop Udari Spices

Related reading

• උදාරි ශ්‍රී ලාංකීය කුළුබඩු මාර්ගෝපදේශය: සෑම තුනපහ කුඩුවක්ම, මසාලාවක්ම සහ පිරිසිදු කුළුබඩුවක්ම, එහි අමුද්‍රව්‍ය සහ භාවිත කරන ආකාරය
• Udari Cashew Nuts and Oven Roasted Cashews: The Complete Guide to Sri Lankan Cashews and Their Quality

Sources

• Udari Nuts & Spices product information and ingredient lists (Raiden Marketing)
• Sri Lanka Export Development Board, "Ceylon cinnamon reigns supreme in the global cinnamon market": https://www.srilankabusiness.com/blog/ceylon-cinnamon-reigns-supreme-in-the-global-cinnamon-market.html
• Sri Lanka Export Development Board, "Ceylon pepper, hailed as the king of spices": https://srilankabusiness.com/blog/ceylon-pepper–hailed-as-the-king-of-spices.html
• Sri Lanka Export Development Board, pepper cultivation in Sri Lanka: https://www.srilankabusiness.com/spices/about/pepper-cultivation-sri-lanka.html
• Daily FT, "Global demand for Ceylon cinnamon on the rise": https://www.ft.lk/top-story/Global-demand-for-Ceylon-Cinnamon-on-the-rise/26-780379
• CBI (Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs), the European market potential for cinnamon (coumarin in cassia and Ceylon cinnamon): https://www.cbi.eu/market-information/spices-herbs/cinnamon-market-potential
• Ministry of Industries, Sri Lanka, spices sector overview: https://www.industry.gov.lk/web/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Sector-overview-spices-final.pdf
• European Food Safety Authority, coumarin in flavourings and cinnamon: https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/793