Vadouvan Masala (French Curry)

Britian is the most well-known colonizer of India, but there were much smaller territories colonized by the French as well. One of them was the city of Pondicherry - a small outpost on the banks of Tamil Nadu. Today, Pondicherry still holds a strong French influence.

One of the finest remnants of the French culinary legacy in India is Vadouvan, or French Masala, which in essence is a French twist to the Indian spices, merging the best of both worlds -- the strong Indian aromatic scent with the vibrant French spices, to get the full-bodied and rounded smell. A mix of shallots, onion, garlic, fennel, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves is evenly balanced with the nutty undertones of sesame and coconut oil --- all that is cooked up is a pungent, juicy flavour adding life to the curries. When roasted and fried in oil or butter, it unleashes the depth and the warmth that is simply irresistible. Surprisingly, chillies are spared in Vadouvan, rather unique for an Indian spice blend. Though, one can add fresh chillies to garnish.

Vadouvan, popularly used as a curry base, can be used together with other curry masalas (goes well with Madras or Mauritius masala). It also serves as a standalone spice, when used towards the end of cooking; suggesting the perfect warmth and balance your dish desperately needs.

When particularly used in dahls and biryanis, Vadouvan is unusually brilliant and has become one of the hot favorites of the foodies. No wonder, Vadouvan can instantly spice up your kitchen repertoire.

We are happy to accommodate orders greater than 4 ounces. Please send us an email to request a custom order.