Sri Lankan Food

[jop]

Dhallo Uyala (Cuttle fish) Black Curry

Ingredients:

Cuttle fish (dhallo) cleaned, washed and cut into 2 inch strips - 1Kg
Curry Powder freshly ground (may be about four or five lumped table spoons)
Cinnamon (about a 1 inch piece)
Cloves (about ten)
Garlic (three or four)
Cardamoms (about ten)
Lemon or lime juice (about four or five table spoons full - to taste)
Lemon grass (a four inch piece)
Coffer lemon rind (grated) - about a table spoon - This is not compulsory but it adds an exquisite taste to the dish
Salt - to taste
Red Chillie powder - to taste
Curry leaves chopped up - a couple of sprigs
A bit of butter (or oil or Ghee) - about three table spoons
One full Bombay or Spring Onion ( Chopped)
Green Chillies (Chopped)
Coconut milk (thick) - One and a half cups


First put the curry powder on to a dry saucepan and roast it on a medium flame until it becomes black (but not burnt). When it is nearly done add the red chillie powder and roast it as well. It is good to have a mask or something on as the fumes of roasting chillie powder can get into your nose and eyes etc. Once this is done leave it aside.

Then take another saucepan, add the butter into it and keep it on a medium to high flame. When the butter is fairly hot add the chopped garlic, curry leaves and the chopped onions. When the garlic and onions are turning light brown in colour add the roasted curry powder and the chillie powder. After a couple of minutes increase the flame to high and add the well drained pieces of cuttle fish into the saucepan and stir it well until all the ingredients spread on all the pieces of cuttle fish. Also make sure that all the pieces of cuttle fish get fried a little bit in the hot butter as well.

Then add the rest of the ingredients (except the lemon juice) with the thick coconut milk and let it cook on a slow fire with the saucepan three quarter covered. Stir it once every three minutes or so. Please note that you don't have to add a lot of liquid as when you cover dhallo and cook it produces a lot of liquid on its own. Once the dhallo is cooked let it simmer with the saucepan lid removed until the gravy thickens. If the gravy is not thick it doesn't taste as nice. When the cuttle fish is cooked and the gravy is thick remove it from the fire and let it cool before adding the lemon juice.

Notes:
a) Usually cook Dhallo at least a day before it is used as it tastes better. It does not taste as good if eaten immediately after it is cooked.
b) The variety of cuttle fish available in Australia does not require that much cooking. But I think the variety of Dhallo available in Sri lanka requires longer cooking times. So it is best to experiment first.
c) The same recipe can be used when cooking baby octopus. However I don't like cooking it as cleaning baby octopus is a pain and time consuming.

 

[jop]

CHICKEN AND PINEAPPLE CURRY

SERVES 04

INGREDIENTS

25 gm ghee or butter
500 gm chicken cut as for curry
70 gm sliced onion
01 tsp lime juice
01 tsp chopped ginger
01 tsp chopped garlic
02 tbsp unroasted curry powder
01 tsp chillie powder
150 ml coconut water
100 ml natural or plain yogurt
75 ml thick coconut milk
150 gm semi riped pineapple cubed
01 tbsp fresh coriander leaves chopped
salt to taste


METHOD

1. Marinate the chicken with curry powder/chillie powder/lime juice/yougurt and set a side for about 30 minutes.

2. Heat the fat in a saucepan to medium heat, add the onion fry until onions are light brown.Mix in ginger and garlic cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Add the marinated chicken and cook for about 5 minutes until chicken is lightly coloured.

4. Pour the coconut water and bring to the boil.Simmer for 15-20 minutes.

5. Stir in coconut milk and pineapple,cook for further 5 minutes.Finish off by adding coriander leaves and salt to taste. Serve hot.

 

[jop]

DEVILLED LIVER

Ingredients:

1 lb. Liver
2 hard boiled eggs
A few tender cabbage leaves(boiled)
A pinch of sugar
1 level tsp roasted chillie powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tblsp. tomato sauce
1/4 lb. onions
1 tsp. mustard mixed with one tsp. vinegar
1/2 lb. bacon
3/4 cup thick coconut milk
1 oz. butter
1 tbsp. vinegar
1" piece cinnamon Rampe

Garnish:

1/4 measure cooked samba
2 eggs
4 ripe chillies
1 oz. red onions
1 oz. butter
Green peas

Cut liver into neat slices. Wash and drain. Quarter or slice the onions. Fry bacon. Next fry the onions in the bacon fat, adding a little more butter if necessary. Mix together mustard, chillies, salt, tomato sauce, vinegar, rampe and cinnamon.

Heat the 1oz. butter in a saucepan, add liver and allow to fry about 10-15 mts. Then add the 3/4 cup milk, cabbage bacon onions and allow to cook slowly. Just before taking off the fire add halved eggs.

Slice ripe chillies very fine. Slice onions. Heat 1 oz. butter in a pan. Add onions chillies and cook. Have ready the well beaten eggs. Add eggs and stir briskly and after this add the cooked samba rice and mix well together mix in some peas.

 

[jop]

Biththara Curry (Egg Curry)

6 eggs
1/2 coconut grated
4red chilllies
1tsp mustard seeds
4flakes garlic
1/4 inch ginger
1tsp turmeric
tamarind juice to taste
1 onion sliced
1 tomato chopped
salt to taste

Hard boil the eggs. Shell, cut into halves and set aside. Grind the coconut, chillies, mustardseeds, garlic, ginger, turmeric and tamarind juice. In a vessel heat oil and fry the onion well. Add the ground masala and the tomato. When fried well add a cup of water and bring to a boil. Lay the eggs gently over the masala and finally garnish with a coriander leaves. Serve with hot white rice.

 

[jop]

Kukul mas curry (Chicken curry)

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken
1 medium onion chopped
2 green chilies chopped
4-5 curry leaves (optional)
1 inch piece of Rampe(optional)
1 piece of lemon grass(sera) (optional)
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 inch piece of ginger
1-2 tsp chilie powder
1 1/2 tsp roasted curry powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp mustrad seed(crushed)
salt to taste
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 tbsp vinegar


Method:

Trim any excess fat from the chicken, then cut into desired size.

Grind the ginger and garlic into a paste.

Mix the chillie powder, curry powder, turmeric, pepper, salt and the lemon grass with the chicken, cover and allow to marinate for about 1-3 hours.

Fry the onion, green chilles, curry leaves, rampe and the ginger garlic paste in the oil under low heat. When the mixture is golden brown add mustard and cover
and simmer for about 3 minutes.

Now add the chicken, add vinega and salt. Stir. Cover and cook under low heat for about 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is tender.

Remove from heat and serve hot.

 

[jop]

Sri Lankan Milk Rice - Kiri Bath

This is a popular breakfast item in Sri Lanka. A must in most
auspicious occasions.

Ingredients

4 cups of white rice
Cream of 1 coconut (or one 13 oz can)
salt to taste


Method

Clean and wash the rice. Put the rice in a pan, stick in the
index finger on surface of rice and fill water upto slightly above
the 2nd joint of the index finger. Cover and cook the the rice
under low heat.

When the rice is almost done, mix the salt with the coconut
milk and add to the rice stir and cook for a few more minutes.

Serve the hot rice on to a platter and flatten it using flat spoon
or spatula. Cut it into squares and serve with Seeni sambol,
cutta sambol or juggery.

 

[jop]

Dun Thel Bath (Ghee Rice with Green Peas)

This is a popular dish for special occasions, either lunch
or dinner. Goes well with a meat curry and a salad.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

5 cups of long grain rice(Basmathi, Jasmine or Samba)
5 cardamons
5 cloves
1 tsp cummin seed
4 tbsp ghee
2 cups green peas
1 cup raisins
salt to taste


Method

Clean and wash the rice. Put the rice in a pan, stick in the
index finger on surface of rice and fill water upto the 2nd
joint of the index finger. Cover and cook the the rice
under low heat.

When the rice is done, heat the ghee in a heavy bottom pan
under low heat. When it is hot add the cardamons, cloves and
the cummin seed and fry for about 1 minute.

Next add the remaining ingredients except the rice and cook
for another 2-3mins. Now add the rice and mix well.
Add salt to taste. Serve hot.

**** It ghee is not available then substitue it with 4 tbs of
butter.

 

[jop]

Sri Lankan Biriyani Rice

Serves 5-6

Ingredients

2 cups Long grain rice,washed and drained
1 lbs Chicken, cut in to 2-3 inch pieces
2 medium onions, sliced
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp chillie powder
2 tsp curry powder
5 cloves gralic, peeled and crushed
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 lb green peas(frozen)
1/4 lb raisins
5-6 leaves of curry leaves
2 inch piece cinamon
1/4 lb cashew nuts, cut into small pieces
3 tbsp butter(or vegetable oil)
3 cardamoms
3 cloves
salt to taste

Method
Heat the oil in a large pan and gently fry the onion till golden
brown. Add the green peas, raisins and fry for another minute.
Remove from the pan and set aside.

Reduce the heat and add the chllie powder, curry powder, curry leaves, garlic
and ginger for 3-4 minutes. Add the meat, balck peper and saute for about
8-10 mins.

Add the chopped tomatoes, cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms, turmeric and salt
and saute for 2 minutes. Add about 1 1/2 cup of water, cover and
cook until the meat is almost cooked.

Remove about 1/2 cup of the gravy and add more salt if needed
and set aside.

Add the rice to the pan and add sufficient water to cook the
rice and simmer covered, on a very low fame for about 15-20
minutes until the rice is cooked. ****

*** If you are using a rice cooker the transfer the meat to the
rice cooker, add the rice and sufficient water and cook according
to directions.

Garnish with the fried onions, peas and raisins. Serve hot
with the gravy.

 

[jop]

Sri Lankan Rotti (a bread)

Ingredients:

· 400g flour (2 1/2 - 3 cups)
· 1/2 cup coconut scraped
· 3 teaspoons salt water
· 1/2 cup cold water

Optional:

· 6 sliced red onions
· 2 dry chilies cut
· Tablespoon butter/margarine

Method:

Mix together in a bowl; sieved flour, scraped coconut, and salt water. Add cold water and mix to a suitable consistency that will not stick to the bowl. If desired add the sliced onions and cut dry chilies. Make 6-8 equal balls.

Grease wax paper with a little butter. Flatten an even, round rotti. Apply butter to surface.

Heat pan with stove and bake the rotti on it. When one side is baked, turn over to the other side and brown.

Serve with sambol, curry, butter, or jam.

 

[jop]

Traditional Watalappan

(A Sri Lankan Dessert)
This is a Sri Lankan interpretation of a steamed egg custard. It is considered to be the King of puddings, and was served to the Queen Elizabeth 11 on one of her visits. Use only Sri Lankan Kitul Jaggery.
(Preparation time 15 minutes. Cooking time 1 hour)

(serves 6)

Ingredients:
150g (5 oz) creamed coconut
225g (8 oz) jaggery
5 eggs (size 4)
1 teaspoonful grated nutmeg

Directions:
1. Place jaggery in a pan with 50ml (2 fl oz) water. Bring to the boil, and simmer until the jaggery has dissolved. Dissolve the creamed coconut in 50 ml (2 fl oz ) of hot water and allow to cool. Beat the eggs and strain into a 1¼ litre (2 pint) bowl. Mix the jaggery and milk into the beaten eggs. Add grated nutmeg. Cover bowl with greaseproof paper. Steam in a pressure cooker or colander for 1 hour. Alternatively the mixture can be divided into 6 ramekin dishes and steamed covered for 20 minutes in a pan of simmering water.
[Jaggery is an unrefined brown sugar made from the sap of the toddy palm (Caryota urens). It is available in Sri Lankan shops in a ready-to-use form known as Kitul Treacle.]

 

[jop]

Sri Lankan Christmas Cake

Ingredients:
50g (2 oz) candied peel
100g (3.5oz) chow (without syrup)
100g (3.5oz) stem ginger (without syrup)
100g (3.5oz) raisins
300g (10oz) sultanas
125g (4oz) currants
225g (8oz) candied ash pumpkin or crystalised pineapple
225g (8oz) cashew nuts chopped
50g (2oz) almonds chopped
100g (3.5oz) glacé cherries
3 tablespoonsful brandy
3 tablespoonsful rose water triple strength
2 tablespoonsful honey
1 tablespoonsful vanilla
1/2 a nutmeg grated
2 teaspoonsful ground cinnamon
1 teaspoonful ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoonful ground cloves
225g (8oz) semolina
225g (8 oz) butter at room temperature
12 size 2 eggs
400g (14 oz) soft brown sugar

Directions:
1. Finely chop the fruit and the nuts (the first 10 ingredients). Put into a bowl together with the honey and essences (the brandy, rose water, vanila) and the spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves). Mix thoroughly and leave covered for 24 hours.
2. Double line 2 cake tins of diameter 20 cm (8") with lightly- oiled greaseproof paper. Put the oven on to 140oC (275oF)

3. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the semolina and the butter. Separate the eggs. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks together with the sugar until pale. Mix in the semolina. Add the fruit, a little at a time using a cutting motion, to make sure that the cake batter is thoroughly mixed in with the dried fruit. This movement provides a lot of wrist exercise!

4. Whisk half the egg whites until stiff. (The rest can be used for meringues.) Add 4 tablespoonsful of the egg whites and beat into cake mixture to slacken it. Fold the rest of the beaten egg whites and mix thoroughly. Put the cake mixture into the two tins and cook for about 1½ hours, or until a skewer when inserted comes out clean. Cool the cake on a wire rack. Once cold prick the surfaces with a skewer and pour two tablespoonsful of brandy over each cake. Cover with foil, place in an airtight tin and leave for a week before icing.

Triple strength rosewater is available from chemists shops. In Sri Lanka the christmas cake is cut into pieces and individually wrapped and served during the festive season. The marzipan is made from ground cashew-nuts.

 

[jop]

Kiri Pani - Yogurt And Treacle

Ingredients:
2 200g (7oz) cartons of yogurt
225g (8oz) jaggery
½ cup water.

Directions:
1. In a heavy-bottomed pan bring the jaggery and the water slowly to the boil. The heat should be kept to a minimum until the jaggery has dissolved. Once the jaggery has dissolved bring it to the boil and allow to reduce until you have a thick pouring sauce. Strain into a sauceboat or jug and pour over the yogurt before serving.

 

[jop]

Sau Dodol (Weli Thalapa) - a dessert

Ingredients:
2 lbs Rice flour
4 cups thick Coconut milk
4 cups Kithul or Coconut trealce
2 tsp Salt

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt thoroughly. Add a little coconut milk to the flour and mix until the flour forms into small balls like beads. Do not add water. Cover and steam the flour beads for abourt 30 minutes or until cooked. Remove from the steamer and separate the flour beads and set aside. Boil the treacle and coconut milk in a large saucepan and add the flour beads while stirring. Keep stirring the mixture until oil starts to separate. Remove from heat. Transfer into a greased dish and shape into a block. Cut into pieces of any shape.

 

[jop]

Rulang Aluwa (a dessert)

Ingredients:
1 lb Semolina (Wheatlets)
2 lbs Sugar
1/2 tsp powdered Cardamom
1/4 tsp powdered Cloves
50 Raw Cashews, chopped

Directions:
Roast the Semolina and set aside. Prepare a cutting board by sprinkling some roasted semlina and have it ready. In a saucepan add 1 cup of water to the sugar and heat. When the syrup thickens and starts to form a crust like layer on the sides of the saucepan, add the semolina and the spices. Mix thoroughly. Add the chopped cashews and mix thoroughly. Remove from heat before the mix thickens and transfer onto the cutting board. Flatten and form into a block (about 1-1/2" thick). Cut into pieces.

 

[jop]

Mung Kavum (a dessert)

Ingredients:
1 lb Rice flour
2 lb Mung flour
3 cups Coconut or Kithul Treacle (available in Sri Lankan Grocery Stores)
1 tbs. Ghee or Butter
1 tsp. Salt
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Batter:
1/2 lb Rice flour
1 cup Coconut milk
1 egg
pinch of Tumeric
1/2 tsp. Salt

Directions:
Mix the rice and mung flour to get an even mixture. Boil the treacle in a saucepan. Add the flour mix. When the mixture starts to thicken add butter and salt. Transfer the thickend mixtue into an aluminum tray (cookie tray) and allow to cool. Add about 1/2 cup water into the saucepan, leave on the hot plate and stir until thick syrup like consistency. Remove from heat. Add small amounts of this syrup to the flour mix in the aluminum tray and spread into 1/2 -1/4" thick block. Cut into shapes. Prepare the batter by mixing the ingredients well. Dip the above pieces in the batter and deep fry in vegetable oil.

 

[jop]

Wattilappam (a dessert)

Ingredients:
10 Eggs
2 ½ Cups thick Coconut milk
1 lb Jaggery
Pinch of Cinnamon, Nutmeg & Salt
½ tsp Cardamom

Directions:
Beat the eggs well.
Grate the jaggery and mix with the egg batter.
Add all the other ingredients and mix well.
Pour the mix into a greased bowl.
Cover with oil paper & steam for 1 1/4 hrs.
Let it cool in the container before serving.
Sprinkle some chopped cashews for added taste and decoration.

 

[jayanathjayaweera]

hmmmmmm

 

[jop]

Bibikkan - (a dessert)

Ingredients:
1 lb Semolina
1/4 lb Raisins
4 cups Honey
1/4 lb flour
25 Cashew nuts
2 cups Scraped Coconut
2 ozs Butter
rind of Lime
1/4 lb Sugar
2 tsps Vanilla
1 tsp Rose water
1/2 tsp Cardamom
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
Dates, Ginger preserves, Sultanas, Chow-Chow and any other fruit you like.

Directions:
Add sugar and honey to scraped coconut and cook over slow flame until coconut is cooked. Add all fruits and cool over night. Next day add butter semolina and flour to mixture. Then add vanilla, rose water, cinnamon and cardomons. Bake in moderate heat

 

[jop]

Ali Gyata Pera Dessert - Avocado Dessert

Ingredients:
3 large, fully ripe avocados
caster sugar to taste
1 cup cream dash of rum, optional

Directions:
Cut avocados in halves lengthways, remove seeds and reserve. Scoop pulp from shells and mash smoothly with a fork. Add sugar to taste and stir in the cream. Put into serving bowl, return seeds to the pulp, cover closely with plastic wrap and chill before serving.The presence of the seeds in the pure'e is said to keep the avocado from discolouring, but make sure that the surface is protected from air by putting the plastic on the surface of the mixture. If you like, extra whipped and sweetened cream can be piped over the top of the dessert and a few paper.thin slices of avocado (sliced at the last moment and sprinkled with lemon juice) used for decoration. Note: While some favour rum for flavouring, I prefer to let the delicate avocado flavour stand alone.

 

[jop]

Aluwa (Sri Lankan Dessert)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
1 x 410 g (141/2 oz) cups sweetened condensed milk
125 g (4 oz) butter
1 cup cooked mashed potato
1 cup finely chopped cashew nuts optional
2 tablespoons rose water
1 teaspoon ground cardamom, optional

Directions:
Put sugar, milk, condensed milk and ghee into a large heated saucepan (a non stick pan is excellent for this). Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches soft ball stage or 116°C (240°F) on a candy thermometer. (To test for softball stage, drop a little into a cup of ice.cold water. If it firms enough to be moulded into a soft ball. it has reached the required temperature. Remove from heat, add smoothly mashed potato and beat with a rotary beater until all lumps are beaten out. If using a pan with non stick lining, pour mixture into a bowl before doing this or the metal beaters will scratch the non stick surface. Return to heat and cook to soft ball stage or 116°C (240°F) once more. Remove from heat, stir in nuts, rose water and cardamom and mix well. Pour into a well buttered shallow dish or baking tin. Pres lightly with a piece of buttered banana leaf or aluminium foil to smooth and flatten the surface. Allow to cool and set, then cut into diamond shapes.