Metropole Kary Powder
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.
See Also
Vietnamese Four-Spice Powder
Vietnamese Chilli Dressing (Nước Sốt Ớt)
Homemade Garam Masala
Magic Sauce (Sốt diệu kỳ)
