Group · Herbs & spices
Colombo powder
Colombo powder was born in the French Caribbean, brought by indentured workers from southern India in the 19th century. It combines coriander, cumin, turmeric, fenugreek, mustard and, in the original Creole recipe, ground toasted rice, which acts as a binder.
On nutrition facts, the entry gives 327 kcal per 100 g, 37.8 g of carbohydrate, 27.7 g of fibre and 12.6 g of protein, the values of the Ciqual line « Spice (average food) », as no table measures colombo separately.
Macronutrient breakdown
Nutrition table per 100 g
| Calories | 327 kcal |
| Kilojoules | 1370 kJ |
| Protein | 12,6 g |
| Carbohydrate | 37,8 g |
| Fat | 7,9 g |
| Fibre | 27,7 g |
Micronutrients per 100 g
All measured nutrients, ranked by share of the daily reference intake.
- Manganese13,6 mg680 %
- Vitamin K1116 µg155 %
- Iron18 mg129 %
- Copper0,93 mg93 %
- Potassium1430 mg72 %
- Calcium479 mg60 %
- Magnesium186 mg50 %
- Vitamin E4,76 mg40 %
- Vitamin B9dietary folate equivalents26,3 µg
See the other 14 nutrients
- Vitamin B51,65 mg28 %
- Phosphorus190 mg27 %
- Omega-3 ALA0,53 g27 %
- Vitamin B60,31 mg22 %
- Selenium9,18 µg17 %
- Zinc1,63 mg16 %
- Omega-6 LA1,49 g15 %
- Vitamin B10,12 mg11 %
- Vitamin B31,52 mg10 %
- Vitamin B20,09 mg6 %
- Iodine9,12 µg6 %
- Vitamin A46,1 µg6 %
- Vitamin C4,29 mg5 %
- Vitamin D0,09 µg2 %
Anses Ciqual 2025. Source: Anses, 2025, Ciqual food composition table
Tips
Colombo is a dish as much as a powder. Colombo of chicken, goat or fish: a browned meat, the powder toasted with it, then root vegetables and a long simmer. Allow one tablespoon, or 6 g, for four to six people.
It needs to be fried first. Like curry powder, colombo releases its aromas in hot fat, not in water. Thirty seconds in the fat in the casserole before adding the liquid, no more, or the turmeric turns bitter.
The vegetables carry the dish. Christophine (chayote), sweet potato, carrot, aubergine: they provide the fibre and most of the volume. A very decent version can be made without meat, with red lentils.
Lime juice at the end of cooking. This is the Creole touch that wakes the whole dish up, and it costs nothing. Lemon plays the same role as vinegar in a European stew.
Buying and storage. The toasted rice it contains makes it more fragile than a pure spice: six months away from light, in a closed jar.
Sources
Average nutrition values per 100 g, given for guidance (spices and condiments are eaten in small amounts; values vary by brand and preparation).