Vadouvan

Vadouvan

What it is

It is the French reading of the Tamil vadagam: a paste of shallot, garlic and curry leaf worked with fenugreek and mustard, then sun-dried into crumbly nuggets rather than ground to powder. Because the aromatics are already cooked into it, it behaves like a dried mirepoix — a base, not a dusting.

In the kitchen

Start the dish with it: two tablespoons sweated in butter or oil for three or four minutes over low heat before anything else enters the pan. It burns faster than curry powder because the onion sugars are already there, so keep it below a sizzle.

Goes with

Scallop Cauliflower Carrot Lentils Butter Coconut milk

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