Sri Lankan Food

[jop]

Imbul Kiri Bath - Milk Rice

Ingredients:
Coconut Treacle Mix
800 g finely scraped Coconut
2 Cups Treacle (Coconut or Kithul treacle)
4 Cloves
Pinch of Salt

Milk Rice:
2 Cups short grain white Rice
2 Cups thick Coconut milk
2 tsp Salt
3 Cups Water

Directions:
Coconut Treacle Mix
Pour the treacle into a pot and bring to a boil while stirring.
Add the Coconut and mix well.
Take off the heat.
Add the pinch of salt and the cloves, mix well.

Milk Rice:
Put Rice and water into a pan and bring to a boil.
Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
Add coconut milk and Salt.
Stir with handle of wooden spoon, cover and cook on low heat for another 10-15 minutes (until the milk has been absorbed).

Combine:
Divide the slightly cooled milk rice into two portions.
On a flat dish, evenly spread out a layer of milk rice using one portion (should be at least. 1 cm thick).
Then evenly spread the coconut treacle mix on top.
Cover it completely (including from the sides) with the second portion of the milk rice.
It is important to do all this before the milk rice cools down too much as it will become too sticky to handle.
Cut into blocks.
Serve with bananas for breakfast or at tea time

 

[jop]

Lime Pickle

Ingredients:
25 Limes
150 g Sugar
75 g Salt
1/4 bottle (2 cups approx.) Vinegar

Directions:
Pierce the limes using a fork.
Mix vinegar, salt and sugar (preferably in a clay pot) and heat on a stove while stirring.
When mixture begins to boil, add the limes (including any juice left behind).
Continue to heat, turning the limes from time to time.
Heat until the lime rinds discolor and shrink.
Remove from heat and let it cool for awhile.
Pour the mix into a preserve jar (fill it to the top), close lid tightly and leave it in a cupboard for about six months.
Lime pickle (Lunu Dehi) can be used in chutnies or with rice & curry

 

[jop]

Poll Sambol - Coconut Sambol

Ingredients:
2 cups scraped, fresh coconut or desiccated coconut (add 1/4 cup of warm water and mix well to moisten the desiccated coconut).

2 small pearl onions or shallots, sliced.
1 small green chile, sliced.
1 clove garlic, sliced.
1-2 tsp Hot red chile powder.
1 tsp Salt.
1-2 tsp Maldive fish (optional).
1 medium lime.

Directions:
Grind or chop all ingredients except coconut, in a grinder or chopper (a mortar & pestle can also be used).
Once the ingredients are crushed and mixed thoroughly, add the coconut.
Continue to grind until the coconut turns evenly red and all ingredients are well mixed. (This can also be done with fingers).
Squeeze half a lime. Mix well.
Taste and adjust salt & lime.
Serve with rice and curries.

 

[jop]

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:
1 cucumber
1 onion
2 small green peppers
1 tomato
1 tsps Black pepper powder
to taste salt
pinch sugar
1 tsp lemon (or lime) juice

Directions:
Slice cucumber, onions, green pepper and tomato. Put into a plastic bag and add lemon juice, salt, sugar and black pepper powder.

 

[jop]

Seeni Sambol

Ingredients:
5 large Onoins peeled and finely chopped
1/4 cup Maldive Fish
1 1/2 inch Ginger root (crushed)
8 cloves garlic (crushed)
3 tbs crushed red Chilies
5-6 cardamoms
3-4 cloves
1 small sprig Curry leaves
1-2 pieces Rampe
1 piece Sera
1 piece Cinnamon
Salt to taste
1 tsp Tamarind paste
2 tbs Sugar
4-6 tbs Vegetable oil

Directions:
Mix the first 12 ingredients well. Heat the oil in a shallow pan. Add the mixed onions and keep stiring. When the onions are well fried and dry, add the tamerind paste and keep stiring until well mixed. Allow to fry a few minutes longer. The mix will turn dark brown when well fried. Add the sugar and keep stiring for a little while longer. Taste and adjust salt if required.

 

[jop]

Roasted Curry Powder

Ingredients:
1 cup Coriander seeds
1/2 cup Cummin seeds
1 tbs Fennel seeds
1 Cinnamon stick
1 tsp whole Cloves
1 tsp Cardamom seeds
10-15 dried curry leaves
5-6 dried red Chillies (optional)
5-6 dried Rampe pieces
1 tbs black pepper seeds
2 tbs raw rice

Directions:
In a dry pan, over low heat, roast each ingredient separately. Stir constantly (Coriander, Cummin, Fennel and rice must be fairly brown but do not let them burn). Mix all the roasted ingredients, put into a grinder and grind to a fine powder. Store in an air tight jar.

 

[jop]

Mallung - Sri Lankan Hurb Salad

Ingredients:
2 cups finely shredded green leaves
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 green chillies, seeded and chopped, optional
l/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons pounded Maldive fish
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 tablespoons freshly grated or desiccated coconut

Directions:
Put leaves into a saucepan with all the ingredients except coconut. If there is not much water clinging to leaves after washing, add a sprinkling of water. Stir well, cover and cook Over medium heat, about 6 minutes. Uncover, add coconut and toss over low heat until coconut absorbs all the liquid. Remove from heat. Serve hot or cold as an accompaniment to rice.

 

[jop]

Chili Sauce

Ingredients:
14 oz can Tomato sauce
1 inch piece Ginger (crushed)
4 cloves Garlic (crushed)
1 tbs Chili powder (for HOT chili sauce increase upto 2 tbs)
1 cup Sugar
1/8 cup Vinegar
Salt to taste

Directions:
Mix all ingredients, stir and boil for 5-10 minutes. Taste great with Malu Paan.

 

[jop]

Raw Curry Powder

Ingredients:
2 tsps Coriander seeds
1 tsp. Cummin
1/4 tsp. Fennel

Directions:
Crush all ingredients separately to a fine powder and thoroughly mix them together.

 

[jop]

Wattakka Curry - Pumpkin Curry

Ingredients:
450g (1 lb) pumpkin
2 tablespoonfuls desiccated coconut
5 cloves garlic
a few curry leaves
½ medium-sized onion
1 teaspoonful coriander powder
½ teaspoonful cumin powder
1/4 teaspoonful turmeric
1/4 teaspoonful black mustard seed
1 teaspoonful oil
salt to taste
28g (1 oz) creamed coconut
1 cup hot water

Directions:
1. Wash the pumpkin. Peel off the skin and remove the seeds and the fibrous flesh around the seeds. Cut the pumpkin into 2.5cm (1") cubes.
2. Roughly chop the garlic and the onion.

3. In a heavy-bottomed frying pan, over a low heat, dry roast the coconut until dark brown. It requires constant stirring to prevent the coconut from burning. In a food processor assemble the peeled garlic, the chopped onion and the roasted coconut. Add 2 tablespoonsful of water and grind to a smooth paste.

4. In a medium-sized pan heat the oil, add the mustard seeds and cook covered on a low heat until the seeds 'pop'. Add the curry leaves and the spices (coriander, cumin and turmeric) and fry for half a minute. Dissolve the creamed coconut in the hot water and add it together with the salt. Add the ground ingredients and lastly add the pumpkin pieces and bring to the boil. Simmer covered for 12-15 minutes or until a skewer when inserted goes through.

 

[jop]

Kaha Bath - Yellow Rice

Ingredients:
3 Cups long grain Rice
4 tbs ghee or butter
2 medium Onions, finely sliced
6 Cloves
20 black Peppercorns
12 Cardamom pods, bruised
1 ½ tsp ground Turmeric
3 ½ tsp Salt
5 Cups Coconut milk
Rampe leaf (or 4 pieces Daun Pandan)

Directions:
Wash rice and drain thoroughly.
Heat butter on a saucepan.
Add onions and fry until golden brown.
Add cloves, cardamom, peppercorns, salt, turmeric and rampe.
Add rice and fry until rice is well coated with butter and turmeric (stir constantly).
Add coconut milk and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover with lid and cook for another 25 minutes or so (until rice is cooked) without lifting the lid.
When rice is cooked, the spices and leaves used will have surfaced to the top. Remove them and serve hot with curries.

 

[jop]

Kiri Hodi - White Gravy

Ingredients:
1 medium Onion sliced
1 hot green pepper sliced
4-6 curry leaves
2 pieces rampe
2 cloves garlic
2 tsps Raw curry powder
1/8 tsp. Turmeric powder
1/8 tsp. finely ground, dry mustard
1/2 tsp. fenugreek seeds
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp medium tomato (cut into pieces) or 1/4 cup canned tomatoes
1 tsp Maldive fish (optional)
1 cup water
2 cups thick Coconut milk

Directions:
Take all ingredients (except coconut milk) into a saucepan and cook on slow heat. When the onions are soft and tomatoes are cooked, add coconut milk. Allow to simmer while stirring for a little while. Do not let the mixture boil. Take off heat, adjust salt and add a squeeze of lemon juice. It is important to keep stirring after adding coconut milk to prevent the milk from coagulating.

 

[jop]

Bitthara Curry - Egg Curry

Ingredients:
6 Eggs hard boiled
Oil for deep frying
1 small Onion sliced
1-3 small hot green Chilies sliced
1/2 cup canned Tomatoe or one medium fresh Tomatoe chopped
1 tsp raw curry powder (see recipe for raw curry powder )
1/4 tsp Turmeric
1 clove Garlic
1/2 tsp ground black Mustard
1-2 inch piece Cinnamon
1 tsp red Chili powder (optional)
Few Curry leaves and rampe
Salt to taste
1/2 cup Coconut milk or fresh milk

Directions:
Remove shells from hard boiled eggs and deep fry until the eggs turn light brown.
Drain the oil from the eggs.
In a saucepan take all the other ingredients and add enough water to cover the contents halfway.
Heat the ingredients for a few minutes and then add the deep fried eggs.
Simmer for few minutes longer.
Add coconut milk and simmer for few minutes.
Taste and adjust salt.

 

[jop]

Bitthara Appa - Egg Hoppers

Ingredients:
2 cups white long grain Rice
3/4 cup THICK Coconut milk or Evaporated milk
1 tbs Cooked white Rice
1 tsp dry Yeast
1/2 tsp Sugar
2 tbs lucke warm water
1-2 cups THIN Coconut milk or diluted Evap. milk
Eggs

Directions:
Soak rice in water overnight (or until soft).
Add yeast and sugar into luke warm water and set aside.
Drain water from cooked rice.
Blend the soaked rice, milk and cooked rice in a blender until thick and creamy (The consistancy should be that of thick cream).
Transfer into a bowl and add the foamy yeast mixture. Mix well.
Close and leave in a warm placefor at least 6 hrs.
Add thin warm coconut (or diluted evap. milk) to the thick batter while stirring (The consistancy of the batter should be similar to pan-cake batter).
Add salt to taste.
Pour spoon fuls into heated, greased hopper-pan (Can experiment with a Chinese wok, which is similar in shape to a hopper-pan)
make sure that the inside of the pan is well covered with the batter.
Close with lid and cook until done.
To make egg hoppers, cover the inside of the pan with the batter by swerling it (same as before) and then crack-drop an egg to the center, close with lid and cook until done.

The combination of plain and egg Hoppers are delicious when served with sambol or curry.

 

[jop]

Bean Curry

Ingredients:
1 lb (450 g) Beans, cut into pieces
1 medium onion, sliced
1-2 hot green Chilies, sliced
1 clove Garlic, crushed
5-6 Curry leaves & Rampe pieces (optional)
1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds
1 tbs Raw curry powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric
1/2 Cup thick Coconut milk (or fresh milk)
1 tbs Vegetable oil
Salt and Lime juice to taste

Directions:
Heat oil in a saucepan.
Add onions, green chilies, garlic and curry leaves.
Fry until the onions are golden brown.
Add the curry powder, salt, turmeric and fenugreek seeds.
Stir and fry for 2-3 minutes.
Add the cut beans and mix well until beans are well coated with the curry powder mix.
Reduce heat and allow the beans to cook.
Add the coconut milk (or fresh milk) and allow tho simmer for a few more minutes.
Add a dash of lime juice.
Taste and adjust salt

 

[jop]

Lunu Theldala - Spicy Onions

Ingredients:
1lb onions
1/2 cup oil
4 tspspns red pepper powder
3 tspns vinegar
2 tspns sugar
to taste salt
1 clove garlic
1 green pepper
pinch cinnamon (optional)
1 piece lemon grass (optional)

Directions:
Slice onions. Dice green pepper and clove of garlic. Add onions to oil in a pan at medium heat. Allow onions to fry until light brown in color. Then add the red pepper, diced green pepper, garlic, cinnamon, lemon grass and stir in well at medium heat for 3 minutes. Finally add vinegar, sugar and cinnamon and leave at low heat for 2 minutes.

 

[jop]

Ala Kirata Uyala - Potato Curry

Ingredients:
1 lb potatoes
1cup milk (Dairy or Coconut)
2 tblspns mustard
2 tblspns unroasted curry powder
1 tspns turmeric powder
1 onion
1 green pepper
to taste salt
pinch lemon grass

Directions:
Boil potatoes and remove off skin. Cut potatoes into cubes. Dice onions and green pepper.
Add potato cubes, mustard, curry powder, turmeric, salt and milk and bring to boil. Then add oil to a different pan at medium heat. Temper onions and green pepper for a minute. Add the contents of the first pot and bring to boil again.

 

[jop]

Curried Green Beans

Ingredients:
1/2 lb Green beans (frozen okay)
2 tblspns oil
2 tblspns curry powder
1 tblspns mustard
1 tspn turmeric powder
1 onion
1 clove garlic
to taste salt
pinch cinnamon

Directions:
Thaw beans if frozen. Dice onions and clove of garlic. Add the beans to an pan containing oil at low heat. Fry the beans at medium to low heat at for 5 minutes. Add curry powder, mustard, turmeric, onion, salt and cinnamon, mix well and cook for 3 minutes at low heat.

 

[jop]

Banddakka Curry - Curried Okra

Ingredients:
1 lb Okra
4-5 tblsspns oil
2 tbspns mustard
1tblspns unroasted curry powder
1 tblspns turmeric
1 onion
1 green pepper
pinch cinnamon
to taste salt
1tblsspn sugar
1 tblspn lime

Directions:
Dice onions green pepper. Thaw okra and dry with paper towels. Add oil to a pan on medium heat. Fry the okra until golden brown. Then add mustard, turmeric, curry powder, onion, green pepper, cinnamon, salt and sugar and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add lime juice.

 

[jop]

Beet Salad

Ingredients:
1 Can Sliced Beets
2 Tomatoes
1 Onion
2 Green peppers
1 tblsspn black pepper powder
to taste salt
1 tblspn lime juice

Directions:
Slice onions and green pepper and tomatoes Take salad dish. Add beet, tomatoes, onions and sliced green peppers. Add black pepper salt and lime juice and mix well. Rearrange the tomatoes, green pepper and beets for visual effect.