6 Sri Lankan Food Recipes which are Easy to Cook – written by Amila Gamage Wickramarachchi
Source:-foodcnr.com
AMILA GAMAGE WICKRAMARACHCHI
Amila Gamage is the blogger behind Food Corner. She is a Sri Lankan living in Singapore and shares her cooking adventures in this blog. Apart from recipes,you will also find travel,health and kitchen inspirations in this blog. She is the founder of Sihela Consultants.(www.sihelaconsultants.com) She started writing this blog in 2011 and still continuing.
Sri Lanka, the beautiful island in the Indian Ocean has its own traditions and culture which make it a unique paradise on earth. This is where you cannot forget the food culture of Sri Lanka. If you visit Sri Lanka, you will have a list of Sri Lankan foods to try during your stay. But if you like cooking Sri Lankan food do you have any recipe suggestions?
If you enjoy cooking and if you like trying food recipes from different cuisines, then you must try Sri Lankan recipes too. With blends of spices and tastes of coconut cream most of the Sri Lankan foods are authentic and unique for this beautiful island of Indian Ocean.
However, it is always wise to try easy recipes before you start trying some difficult food which needs lot of ingredients and time. Easy to cook recipes are the go-to cookbooks for any busy individual; add in a foodie personality and you see cravings for easy-to-cook food from international cuisines.
Although I have shared many Sri Lankan recipes which you can try out at home, in this post I want to highlight some of the Sri Lankan food recipes which are easy to cook.
Sri Lankan Food Recipes which are Easy to Cook
1. Kiribath (Milk Rice)
Kiribath or milk rice is prepared in a variety of ways. The basics include boil a pot of rice first. Add coconut milk and salt before the rice finishes cooking. Once a sticky consistency is observed, cut into wedges and serve like slices of cake. Easy, ha? It is delicious too!
Thick coconut milk of a coconut
Salt to taste.
Method
Add more salt if required.Cook for a few more minutes until the coconut milk is absorbed.
2. Dhal Curry
Sri Lankan Dhal Curry (mild spicy)
Dhal Curry is a common Sri Lankan curry, made using split red lentils or masoor dhal rinsed and boiled until soft. Fresh ingredients including onions and fresh green chillies are sautéed and mixed with tempered spices like mustard seeds, turmeric and curry leaves. All ingredients are finally combined with a cup of coconut milk for a rich creamy flavor.
There are many different ways to cook Dhal Curry in Sri Lankan style. Below recipes will sure inspire you. Select your best Sri Lankan dhal recipe and start cooking it. It is super easy!
Sri Lankan dhal curry with green chili
Ingredients: (for 3-4 servings)
1 cup dhal (masoor dhal/parippu)
½ medium sized onion sliced
4-5 green chili sliced
1 sprig curry leaves
1inch piece pandan leaf/(rampa)
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp raw curry powder
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
Piece of cinnamon
Salt to taste
1/2 cup thick coconut milk
1/2 cup thin coconut milk
Method
Wash dhal properly few times and place in a cooking pot.
Add all the spices mentioned under ingredients list together with, onion, chilli,rampa & curry leaves.
Mix all & add thin coconut milk. Cover & cook in medium flame till dhal is cooked well.
Once dhal is cooked add thick coconut milk. Mix well.
Adjust salt to taste.
Simmer for another 1 minute till the curry becomes thick enough as you want.
It is ready to serve with rice or bread.
Sri Lankan dry dhal curry (parippu curry)
Serve & enjoy!
3. Sri Lankan Chicken Curry
Kukul Mas Curry or chicken curry is one of the easy to make Sri Lankan recipes with spices like fennel seeds, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom tempered in hot oil before combining with chicken and spices like curry leaves, lemon grass, and a puree of tomato, chilli, curry and turmeric powders. Adding coconut milk enriches the curry base and finally stewing for an hour or so.
Although there are different ways to cook Sri Lankan chicken curry, I suggest below recipe if you are a beginner.
4. Pol Sambola
Pol Sambol or fresh coconut relish recipe is the easiest among the lot of Sri Lankan recipes. With ingredients including finely grated coconut, red onion, Maldive fish, dried whole chillies, lime juice and salt, added together and finely ground before serving Pol Sambol makes it a spicy and hot dish which goes well with plain rice, bread or any type of roti. It is really easy to make. Try it and experience the different tastes of Sri Lankan food!
It is ready to serve.
5. Kiri Hodi
Known as Kiri hodi or white curry this is one of the easiest recipes to try from Sri Lankan cuisine. However although it is easy to cook you also need to pay attention from the beginning to the end of process to keep your dish of kiri hodi looks appealing and inviting!
Ingredients: (for 3-4 servings)
1 Medium sized tomato
½ medium sized onion sliced
2-3 green chilies sliced
1 sprig curry leaves
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 inch Piece of cinnamon
Salt to taste
1 cup thick coconut milk
1/2 cup thin coconut milk
1-2 tspn lime juice
1 tbspn Maldive Fish (optional)
Method
Wash and dice tomato into pieces.
In a pan, add all the spices together with, tomato, onion, green chili & curry leaves.
Add maldive fish too if you use.
Mix all & add thin coconut milk.
Cook in low flame till onions are tender. Stir time to time.
When onions and tomatoes are cooked, add thick coconut milk.
Stir continuously till coconut milk starts boiling. Cook in a very low flame.
Adjust salt to taste. When coconut milk starts to boil, remove the pan from the stove. Add lime juice. Continuously stir for another few minutes till the curry cools down. This will avoid any lumps of coconut milk.
It is ready to serve.
6. Kola Sambola
A Sri Lankan meal is not completed if there is no addition from edible greens. Such greens are eaten as raw or as cooked. A raw green salad prepared in Sri Lankan way is called as ‘kola sambola’ and there are plenty of leaves which you can use in such a salad. One of the popular Sri Lankan kola sambolaya is ‘Gotu Kola Sambola’.It is really easy to prepare. You will only need few ingredients and the raw salad is ready in few minutes.
Gotu Kola Sambola recipe.
Arugula Sambola (Arugula Salad)
Ingredients (for 3-4 servings)
Handful of Arugula Leaves
½ cup fresh grated coconut
3-4 small red onion/shallots sliced
2-3 green chili sliced
Salt to taste
1 tbspn lime juice
Method
Step 1:
Wash and clean Arugula Leaves.
Drain water.
Slice Arugula Leaves in to thin pieces but not very thin.
Slice onion and green chili.
Step 2:
In a bowl, mix fresh coconut, onion, green chili and salt together with lime juice. You can check the taste at this time and adjust salt if necessary.
Then Add sliced Arugula Leaves on it.
Mix all together gently just before you are ready to eat.
Don’t mix hard as Arugula Leaves are more delicate. A delicious Sri Lankan style raw salad is ready to serve with Arugula Leaves.
Fenugreek Leaves Salad (Uluhal Kola/Methi Leaves)
Ingredients (for 3-4 servings)
1 Bunch of Fenugreek Leaves (Methi Leaves)
½ cup fresh grated coconut
3-4 small red onion/shallots sliced
2-3 green chili sliced
Salt to taste
1 tbspn lime juice
Method
Wash and clean Fenugreek Leaves. Remove the end of stems if those are more mature and hard.
Drain water.
Slice Fenugreek Leaves in to very thin pieces.
Slice onion and green chili.
Above are some the basic and easy Sri Lankan food for anyone who loves to try different cuisines. Hope you will enjoy your time cooking!
Have you tried Sri Lankan recipes before?
