Metropole Kary Powder

April 5, 2023

Metropole Kary Powder © kvalifood.com

A Vietnamese curry powder blend from the Metropole hotel tradition - a French-colonial era spice mix that reflects the cross-pollination between Vietnamese and French cooking. It’s heavy on ginger and turmeric, with chilli and white pepper for heat. Use it as you would any curry powder: in sauces, marinades, or rubbed onto meat before grilling.

Ingredients

8 oz (200 g) Ginger
6 oz (200 g) Turmeric
1¾ oz (50 g) Chilli
1¾ oz (50 g) White pepper

Directions

If using fresh ginger and turmeric, slice them thinly and dry them completely - either in a low oven (100°C) for several hours or in the sun until brittle.
Break the dried ginger, turmeric, and chilli into smaller pieces.
Grind all four ingredients - dried ginger, dried turmeric, chilli, and white pepper - together to a fine powder using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
Sift to remove any large pieces, then store in an airtight container.

Notes

The weights likely refer to fresh ginger and turmeric, which would yield considerably less powder once dried.
This is different from standard Indian or Thai curry powder - the ginger and turmeric dominance gives it a distinctly Vietnamese character.
Named after the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, a colonial-era landmark.