Dry Roasting

Dry Roasting (also called dry frying or pan roasting) is a technique much used in South East Asia with spices and ingredients such as rice, sesame seeds and coconut. There are degrees of roasting which the experienced cook knows will give a certain effect. For instance, a light roasting of spices will barely change their colour but will bring out the flavours. Medium roasting will change the flavours somewhat and really dark roasting will produce a completely different effect in the finished dish. It must be emphasised that the roasting is done over low heat, and the ingredient is constantly stirred and never allowed to burn.

The sweet, fresh taste of grated coconut becomes much richer and more complex when it is roasted until chestnut brown. It is used to flavour and thicken sambals and curries.

Roasted and ground rice gives a very special flavour and crunch to certain salads, and what is essentially a bland, neutral ingredient takes on quite a distinctive flavour through dry roasting.

Sri Lanka is famous for its 'black' curries, the colour a result of long, slow dry roasting of spices such as fennel, cumin and coriander. The dark roasting brings out nuances of flavour in a subtle way. Although the final colour of the dry roasted spices should be a deep, rich coffee brown, at no time should the heat under the roasting spices be high or the curry will have an undesirable burnt taste.

If you have never taken the time to dry-roast spices, you should try it, just for the wonderful smells that the spices will emit. Dried whole spices are often much more fragrant and flavorful then already ground spices, because the natural oils are retained better.

Some Asian chef's recommend dry-roasting each spice separately, as smaller spices take less time then larger ones. A small heavy pan (e.g. cast iron) works best for this task.

They say that you should roast the spices a little longer once they first release their perfume into the air. Uniformly brown but not burnt, the spices will be roasted to the core and not just toasted on the surface. Be sure to stir or shake the pan frequently for even browning. Be careful not to burn them though or your dish will be bitter.