Recipes
Here are a selection of Sri Lankan Recipies which I hope you will
enjoy!
KAHABATH (COCONUT MILK RICE)
Literally translated to mean "yellow rice", this Sri Lankan
rice speciality is cooked in coconut milk. It is often made on special
occasions and is always served with Sri Lankan chicken curry, fried
aubergines and potato curry.
(Preparation time 10 minutes; Cooking time 30 minutes.)
INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)
300g (11oz) Basmati rice
2 tablespoonsful oil or ghee
½ a medium-sized onion finely chopped
10 curry leaves
1 stalk lemon grass (optional)
5cm (2") screwpine (optional)
8 peppercorns
4 cloves
5 cardamoms
5cm (2") stick cinnamon
0.75 litres (27fl ozs) boiling water
¼ teaspoonful turmeric
salt to taste
50g (2 oz) creamed coconut
METHOD
1. Wash the rice in a sieve under running cold water until the water
that runs is clear. Leave to drain.
2.In a heavy-bottomed pan heat the oil or ghee. Add the onion, the
curry leaves, the lemon grass, the screwpine and the whole spices
(peppercorns, cloves, cardamoms and cinnamon). Fry on a low to medium
heat until the onions are golden brown.
3. Add the rice (which should be quite dry) and fry for a minute.
Now add the boiling water, the turmeric, the salt and the creamed
coconut chopped into little pieces. Bring to the boil and stir to
make sure the coconut is dissolved. (Alternatively the coconut can
be dissolved in the boiling water prior to adding to the rice.)
Put the lid on, lower the heat so as to simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Garnish with
deep-fried onions (see basic recipes 000) and fried cashews (see
recipe 000) and serve hot.
BATH TEMPERADU (SRI LANKAN FRIED RICE)
Fried rice in Sri Lanka is made from samba rice which is a pearly
white grain. Only vegetables are usually added to already cooked
rice. However, there is a modern tendency to mix in prawns, bacon
and meat, and to flavour the rice with soy sauce.
(Preparation time 15 minutes; cooking time 30 minutes.)
INGREDIENTS (Serves 6)
2 cups Basmati rice
3¼ cups cold water
1 medium-sized onion
15 curry leaves
5cm (2") screwpine
2 carrots
2 leeks
50g (2 oz) white cabbage
1 green pepper
50g (2 oz) frozen peas
50g (2 oz) ghee
salt to taste
METHOD
1. Put the rice in a sieve and wash under running cold water until
the water that runs is clear. Since rice absorbs water if left to
soak, the washing should be done very quickly.
2. Put the rice into a pan and add the water. Bring rapidly to the
boil. Give it a stir, put the lid on, and, on a very low heat, cook
for 15 minutes.
3. Take the pan off the heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Leave
the rice to get cold.
4. Finely chop the onion. Peel and grate the carrots. Wash and finely
shred the leeks and the white cabbage. Wash the pepper and finely
chop it. Spread the frozen peas in a plate to thaw.
5. In a large pan, heat the ghee. Add the onions, the curry leaves
and the screwpine and fry until the onions are lightly browned.
Add the carrots, leeks, cabbage, pepper, peas and salt. Stir until
well mixed. Put the lid on, and, over a low heat, cook for 2 minutes.
6. Fluff up the rice with a fork and put in a little at a time into
the vegetables, stirring after each addition to ensure that the
dish is well mixed. Remove from heat and put on a platter, and serve
hot.
BEAN CURRY
This is my version of a traditional Sri Lankan bean curry. If you
cannot get hold of the fine Kenyan beans any green beans can be
used but the cooking time will have to be adjusted.
(Preparation time 10 minutes; cooking time 15 minutes)
INGREDIENTS (Serves 4 )
250 g (8oz) fine Kenyan green beans
1 small onion finely chopped
2 tablespoonsful oil
¼ teaspoonful mustard seeds
6 curry leaves
1 teaspoonful coriander powder
1 teaspoonful cumin powder
¼ teaspoonful turmeric
1 tablespoonful coconut milk powder
salt to taste
METHOD
1. Wash the beans. Trim the tops and tails of the beans and cut
each bean into approximately 2.5cm (1") pieces. (The cutting
can be done quickly by holding the beans in bundles.)
2. In a medium-sized pan boil a litre (2 pints) of water. Put in
the beans and bring rapidly to a boil and continue to boil rapidly
for 2 minutes. Strain the beans and put into a bowl of cold water.
(This helps them to remain crisp.)
3. In a medium-sized pan heat the oil. Add the mustard seeds and
allow to "pop". Add the curry leaves and onions and fry
until the onions are lightly browned. Drain the beans. Add the spices
(turmeric, cumin, coriander) and toss in the beans and fry for a
minute. Stir until well mixed. Add the salt and sprinkle the coconut
milk powder onto the beans. Stir and cook on a very low heat with
the lid on for a minute. The beans should be slightly crunchy and
retain their green colour.
CASHEW-NUT CURRY
When cashew-nuts are in season in April this Sri Lankan speciality
is made using freshly picked nuts. By soaking cashews in bicarbonate
of soda it is possible to recover the "milky" flavour
of the fresh nuts.
(Soaking time 4 hours. Preparation time 5 minutes. Cooking time
15 minutes.)
INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)
300g (10oz) cashew nuts
1 teaspoonful bicarbonate of soda
2 tablespoonsful oil
½ medium-sized onion finely chopped
4cm (2") piece cinnamon
3 cloves
4 cardamom pods
¼ teaspoonful turmeric
1½ teaspoonsful coriander powder
1 teaspoonful cumin powder
salt to taste
25g (1oz) creamed coconut, chopped
200ml (8fl oz) water
METHOD
1. Into a large bowl put the bicaronate of soda and a litre (18
fl ozs) of cold water. Soak the cashew-nuts in it for 4 hours making
sure that the nuts are immersed in the water.
2. Drain away the water and wash the cashew-nuts in cold water.
3. In a medium-sized pan heat the oil on a low to medium heat. Add
the onion, the cinnamon, the cloves and the cardamom and fry until
the onions are lightly browned. Add the spices (turmeric, coriander
and cumin) and the nuts and stir until well mixed. Add the salt,
the creamed coconut, and the water and bring to a boil. Lower the
heat and stir from time to time until most of the liquid has evaporated.
This dish does not contain any sauce - the spices should coat the
nuts.
AUBERGINE CURRY
This aubergine preparation is made on special occasions. It is often
served with yellow rice (recipe 000) and Sri Lankan chicken curry
recipe (000)
(Preparation time 10 minutes. Cooking time 40 minutes.)
INGREDIENTS (serves 4)
600g (21oz) aubergines
1 teaspoonful salt
oil for deep frying
2 tablespoonsful oil
½ a medium-sized onion finely chopped
¼ teaspoonful turmeric powder
1 teaspoonful cumin powder
1 teaspoonful coriander powder
1 teaspoonful whole mustard seeds ground
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
2.5cm (1") piece of ginger, grated
3 green chillies chopped
10 curry leaves
1 tablespoonful malt vinegar
4 tablespoonsful water
2 tablespoonsful coconut milk powder
salt to taste
½ teaspoonful sugar
METHOD
1. Wash the aubergines. Remove the stalk. Cut each aubergine lengthwise
into 4 slices. Sprinkle with salt and leave uncovered in a single
layer for half and hour.
2. Rinse the aubergines quickly under running cold water and pat-dry
with kitchen paper. Cut each slice into strips and then into 2.5cm
(1") cubes.
3. Deep-fry the aubergine cubes a few at a time until golden brown.
Drain thoroughly on kitchen paper.
4. In a medium-sized pan heat the oil and fry the onion until golden
brown. Add the turmeric, cumin, coriander and mustard and stir for
a couple of seconds. Add the garlic, ginger, chillies and curry
leaves. Remove pan from heat and drain off excess oil. Add the vinegar,
the water, the milk powder, the salt and the sugar and bring slowly
to the boil. Add the fried aubergine pieces and stir and simmer
on a low heat until most of the liquid has evaporated.
PUMPKIN CURRY
In Sri Lanka the large orange pumpkins are a popular vegetable.
This is a traditional Sri Lankan preparation and has a delicious
flavour.
(Preparation time 20 minutes; cooking time 25 minutes.)
INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)
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
¼ teaspoonful turmeric
¼ teaspoonful black mustard seed
1 teaspoonful oil
salt to taste
28g (1 oz) creamed coconut
1 cup hot water
METHOD
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.
ALA THEL DHAALA (SPICE FRIED POTATOES)
These potatoes are hot and are usually eaten with fried rice or
any special rice dish such as kahabath see recipe (000)
(Preparation time 15 minutes; cooking time 35 minutes)
INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)
450g (1 lb) potatoes
225g (8 oz) finely sliced onions
1 tablespoonful maldive fish, powdered (when available)
1 tablespoonful vegetable oil
salt to taste
½ teaspoonful chilli powder, coarsely ground
a few curry leaves
1 dessertspoonful lime or lemon juice
oil for deep frying
METHOD
1. Wash the potatoes and place in a saucepan. Cover with cold water
and bring rapidly to the boil. Allow to boil for 10 minutes. Drain
away the water and peel the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into 2.5cm
(1") cubes.
2. Heat the oil and deep fry the potatoes until lightly browned.
Deep fry the onions until golden brown.
3. In a frying pan or skillet heat the tablespoonful of oil. Fry
the maldive fish for about 30 seconds. Add the curry leaves, the
salt and chilli powder and mix well. Lastly toss in the potatoes
and the onions and stir. Remove from heat. Prior to serving add
the lime or lemon juice.
GOAN SALMON CURRY
This salmon curry is spicy and hot! If you prefer a milder curry,
de-seed the chillies.
(Preparation time 15 minutes. Cooking time 45 minutes.)
INGREDIENTS (serves 4-6)
6 dried red chillies
½ teaspoonful turmeric powder
¼ teaspoonful garam masala
1 tablespoonful cumin seeds
1 teaspoonful coriander seeds
1 teaspoonful mustard seeds
For the sauce:
3 tablespoonsful oil
1 onion finely sliced
1 tomato chopped
2 onions finely chopped
8 cloves garlic chopped
6 green chillies chopped
5cm (2") piece of ginger, grated
40g (1½ oz) tamarind
3 tablespoonsful coconut milk powder
salt to taste
1 kg (2lbs 4 oz) salmon cutlets (see basic recipe 000)
METHOD
1. Grind the dried chillies, turmeric, garam masala, cumin, coriander
and mustard seeds to a fine powder.
2. Put the tamarind into a pan together with 200 ml (1/3 pint) of
water, and bring slowly to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Strain
the tamarind into a bowl pressing down the fibres to extract as
much of the tamarind as possible. Discard the fibres, and reserve
the tamarind liquid.
3. In a pan, large enough to hold the pieces of fish in a single
layer, heat the oil. Fry the sliced onion until golden brown. Add
the tomato, the chopped onion, the garlic, green chillies and ginger,
and fry on a low to medium heat for about 20 minutes, or until the
oil separates.
4. Add the ground spices, the tamarind water and salt, and bring
to a boil. Add the coconut milk powder, and stir until well mixed.
Lastly add the fish, bring slowly to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
Turn the pieces of fish over, and simmer for another 5 minutes,
or until the fish is cooked.
SRI LANKAN RED CHICKEN
In Sri Lanka curries are distinguished by their colour, red, black
and white. This red chicken is fiery and hot. The hotness can be
reduced by substituting paprika powder for the chilli powder in
the recipe.
(Preparation time 10 minutes. Cooking time 1 hour 20 minutes)
INGREDIENTS (serves 4)
8 chicken thighs
½ teaspoonful black pepper ground
salt to taste
3-4 tablespoonsful oil
2 medium-sized onions
20 curry leaves
8 cloves garlic
5cm (2") piece ginger
3 teaspoonsful chilli powder
1 teaspoonful paprika powder
2 teaspoonsful granulated sugar
METHOD
1. Remove the skins from the thighs, and cut off any excess fat.
Put the thighs, the pepper and salt into a pan, together with half
a litre of cold water, and bring to the boil. Simmer for 1 hour.
2. Remove the pieces of chicken onto a plate. Bring the stock rapidly
to a boil, and continue boiling until it has reduced to about 150ml
( ¼ of a pint ) and set aside.
3. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Grate the ginger.
In a medium-sized pan, heat the oil. Add the onions and the curry
leaves, and fry until the onions are golden brown. Add the chicken
pieces and continue to fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the chilli, paprika,
the sugar and the stock and bring slowly to the boil. Simmer for
5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the chicken from sticking
to the pan.
KIRI PANI (YOGURT AND TREACLE)
This is the most traditional of Sri Lankan desserts. The buffalo
milk yogurt which is set in eathenware pots, has a delicious layer
of cream. It is always eaten with treacle (kitul pani ) which can
be made by boiling down jaggery which can be bought in Sri Lankan
shops. Greek yogurt made from ewe's milk is an excellent subsitute.
(Preparation time 5 minutes. Cooking time 30 minutes)
INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)
2 200g (7oz) cartons of Greek yogurt
225g (8oz) jaggery
½ cup water.
METHOD
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.
SRI LANKAN CHRISTMAS CAKE
This cake combines traditional ingredients with exotic fruits and
spices. In Sri Lanka, a marzipan made of cashewnuts is the only
icing used, and the cake is served in small pieces which are individually
wrapped in decorative paper. Eating this cake was the culunary highlight
of my year and I used to sneak into the kitchen and taste it during
its preparation. Using a food processor to chop the fruit and nuts
tends to alter the texture of the cake and although it is time consuming,
I would advise you to chop all the ingredients by hand.
(Preparation time 55 minutes. Cooking time 1 hour 15 minutes.)
INGREDIENTS Makes 2 cakes.
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
½ a nutmeg grated
2 teaspoonsful ground cinnamon
1 teaspoonful ground cardamom
½ teaspoonful ground cloves
225g (8oz) semolina
225g (8 oz) butter at room temperature
12 size 2 eggs
400g (14 oz) soft brown sugar
METHOD
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.
WATALAPPAN
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)
INGREDIENTS (serves 6)
150g (5 oz) creamed coconut
225g (8 oz) jaggery
5 eggs (size 4)
1 teaspoonful grated nutmeg
METHOD
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.]
|
