Flavours from an island

Enjoy the fine flavours of Sri Lanka with these delicious recipes...

From the tiny island nation of Sri Lanka comes a rich, melting pot cuisine that rides high on spices, seafood, curries and rice. It’s a common myth that Sri Lankan cuisine is just an extension of South Indian cuisine. But the fact is that Sri Lanka is in a world of its own when it comes to food. Woo your friends and family with these taste-bud-tantalising curries and exotic Sri Lankan dishes that are so easy to make:

Cashew & Peas Curry

Ingredients: Cashew nuts 250 gm, fenugreek seeds 1 tsp, chilli powder 3-4 tsp, onions chopped 50 gm, coconut milk extracts (1st & 2nd) 200 ml, cardamom 1 pc, cinnamon 1 pc, coriander powder 2 tsp, cumin powder 1 tsp, turmeric powder ¼ tsp, curry leaves 1 sprig, clove 1 pc, salt 1¼ tsp.

Method: Cover cashew nuts with boiling water, add 1 tsp of bicarbonate soda. Soak overnight. Wash in several changes of water. Boil until tender, but do not let them turn soft. Wash in cold water after boiling. Heat oil in a pan and add curry leaves, onions. Fry till onions turn light brown. Add the cashew nuts mixed well with all the powdered ingredients and salt. Cook for 5-10 minutes. Add coconut milk. Bring to boil and simmer till done.

Fish Ambultiyal

Ingredients: Tuna (boneless) 500 gm, onion 50 gm, fenugreek seeds ½ tsp, whole pepper 1 tsp, pandan leaf 1 pc, salt as needed, water 1 cup.

For the paste: Cardamom 4 pcs, cinnamon powder 3 tbsp, cumin powder 3 tbsp, coriander powder 1 tsp, pepper 1 tbsp, chilli powder 1 tsp, roasted curry powder 1 tsp, garlic crushed 3 cloves, chilli flakes 1 tsp, goraka (gamboge) 5 pcs, salt to taste.

Hathmaluwa

Method: Boil some water and add 2 pieces of goraka. Boil for about 10 minutes. Let it cool. Keep the water aside. Grind the softened goraka pieces and all the ingredients in the ‘paste’ section together and set aside. Wash the fish with clean water and a little lime. Combine it with the paste you made. Line a large clay pot in the piece of banana leaf. Place the paste-covered fish. Add the water that you boiled the goraka in. Cook in a wood-fired stove on high heat until the mixture has started bubbling. Keep on slow fire until the fish is cooked. Remove & keep in the same clay pot until serving. This dish can last for two to three days if properly cooked. Serve with rice, roti or bread.

Hathmaluwa

Ingredients: Cashew nuts (raw unroasted) 200 gm, eggplant 50 gm, jackfruit seeds 50 gm, runner beans 50 gm, sweet potato 50 gm, pumpkin 50 gm, ratala (baby potatoes) 50 gm, ash plantain 50 gm, carrot 50 gm, turmeric ½ tsp, chilli powder (unroasted) 1 tsp, thuna paha (local spice mix such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves) 1 tbsp, salt to taste, red onions 20 gm, green chili 20 gm, curry leaves 10 gm,
coconut milk: thick cream (first squeeze) and diluted (second squeeze) 1 cup, water 1 cup.

Method: Clean and wash the cashew nuts well and soak for few hours. Chop the peeled jackfruit seeds and keep aside. Cut the eggplant, runner beans, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, ratala, ash plantain and carrot into dices. Add onions, garlic and green chilli in a clay pot and add water along with all the spices. Then add soaked cashew nuts and jackfruit seeds, cook for few minutes. Add long beans, pumpkin, ash plantains with the first extract of coconut milk and cook until done. Once the vegetables are cooked, smash the jackfruit seeds by a spoon and mix well.

(The author is executive chef, Movenpick Hotel Colombo)