Masala Vadai

Ingredients

Bengalgram dhall 1 cup
(Split pea)
ginger 1' piece
cummin seeds 1 tbs
onion 2
green chillies 4
salt
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves
oil for frying

Method

Soak bengalgram dhall for 2-3 hours. Then grind it with ginger coarsly.
to this add chopped onion, chopppd greenchillies, cummin sedds Chopped
curry & Corriander leaves and salt. Mix well make small paties. Deep
fry it.

Kottu Roti

Ingredients

3 cups of Godhamba roti, shredded
2 carrots, julienned
1/2 cup shredded cabbage (optional)
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 leeks, sliced
2 eggs
1 tsp chopped ginger
1 tsp chopped garlic
1/2 - 1 tsp of chillie powder
1/2 - 1 tsp of curry powder
salt and pepper
1-2 green chillies, chopped
1 tbsp oil or butter

Method

Heat the oil in a pan under low flame. Add ginger and garlic and fry till fragrant.
Next add the spices, fry for minutes or so. Next add the vegetables and stir-fry for couple of minutes. Remove from the contents from the pan.
Now add some oil to pan, add the beaten eggs, green peppers and the rotis and stir. Add some pepper and salt to taste.
Serve hot.

Halapa (හැලප)

 

Ingredients

½ cup rice flour
½ cup Kurakkan flour (Ragi flour) (instead of both ragi & rice flour, you can use 1 cup Ragi Flour)
1 cup grated coconut
¼ cup honey (instead use 4 tsp sugar as a substitute,change the qty of sugar as per your taste)
Salt to taste

Method

Heat a pan & add grated coconut. Make it just warm & add honey or sugar & mix well. Remove from burner once the mix is brown in colour. Keep aside.
In a bowl mix rice & ragi flour together.
Use some warm water into it & make dough.Add some salt to taste.

Spread kanda leaves or banana leaves on a table. (if you use banana leaves,keep it over a flame few minutes to reduce its moisture & cut into pieces of about 7’’ * 7 ‘’
Now take a small qty of the dough ,make it as a ball & spread over the leaf making a thin round shape pastry.
Put some from sugar/coconut mixture on it & spread well.

Then fold it half & press the dough.
Continue the same process with remaining dough.

Steam for about 15-20 minutes or until cooked.
Serve & enjoy!!

Thosai

Ingredients

3 cups rice (idli rice)
1 cup skinless split urad dhal (skinless undu)
3/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
Salt to taste
Vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil

Method

Wash the rice and urad dhal well. Add the fenugreek seeds to the mix and fill enough water in the rice-dhal bowl to cover them about 2" deep. Soak overnight.

The next morning, drain all the water from the rice and urad dhal. Now put some in a food processor and grind - adding very little water if necessary - to a smooth yet slightly grainy paste.

When all the rice-dhal mix is ground like this, put it into a large mixing bowl and add enough water to make a batter. The consistency of the batter should be such that it thickly coats a spoon dipped in it.

Now keep the Dosa batter aside in a warm, dark spot, covered, for 6-8 hours. After this fermentation, add salt and stir the batter well. Now you are ready to make Dosas.

Put some cooking oil in a small bowl and keep ready. You will also need a large flat nonstick pan, 2 sheets of paper towels, a ladle, a spatula and a basting brush.

Fold a sheet of paper towel into a wad and dip lightly into the bowl of cooking oil. Squeeze out any excess and then rub the paper towel all over the surface of the pan to grease. The correct amount of oil is such that it is barely visible on the pan. Now turn on the heat/ flame at medium high.

Fill the ladle up to the 3/4 level with Dosa batter. Gently pour this batter onto the center of the pan - just as you would for a pancake - till the ladle is empty.

Now begin to spread the batter in sweeping circular motions to form a pancake of roughly 8" diameter. Do not be alarmed if the Dosa develops tiny holes as you spread the batter. This is normal.

When the upper surface begins to look cooked (it will no longer look soft or runny), flip the Dosa.

By this time, ideally, the surface that was underneath should be light golden in color. Allow to cook for 1 minute after flipping.

The Dosa is done. Serve the ready Dosa with side dishes like Coconut Chutney and Sambar. I like to make and serve Dosas immediately while I cook as this means they are crisp and fresh when eaten. This, however, is not absolutely necessary. You can also make, stack and serve the Dosas later. Just ensure you keep them warm till serving time by placing them - just like with pancakes - in a closed dish.

Before you start making the next Dosa, fold another sheet of paper towel into a wad and dip it in ice cold water. Squeeze the wad to remove excess water and then rub it all over the surface of the pan to cool it slightly. This ensures your next Dosa will spread evenly and not break because the pan is too hot. Now proceed as you did for the last Dosa.

Mung Eta Kiribath

Ingredients

1 portion of Mung Eta (green gram)
3-4 portion of white rice
Cream of 1 coconut or Milk (thick - about 1-2 cup for 4 cups of rice)
salt to taste

Method 

Clean and wash the Mung eta and rice. Put the Mung eta in a pan, and add some water to cover mun to boil them. Cover the lid and cook the the Mun first as Mung is little harder than rice. Once the Mung is boiled (before completely coocked) add rice and cook under low heat. When the rice and Mung mixure is almost done, mix salt with milk or coconut milk and add to the mixure then stir and cook for another few minutes.

Now you can put hot Mung Eta Kiribath on to a platter and flatten it using flat spoon. Cut it into squares or any shape you wish and serve with, Lunu Miris, Seeni Sambol or Juggery. 

Devilled Prawns

Ingredients

1 lb Prawns, shelled and devained
1-2 onions, sliced
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
2-3 banana peppers, cut into diagonal pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 inch piece of ginger, minced
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp tomato sauce/ketchup
1-2 tsp chillie powder
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt to taste

Method

Fry the garlic, ginger and chillie powder till fragrant. Add the prawns and cook till it turns pink. (Don't overcook)Add the remaining ingredients and cook till the onions are wilted a bit.Serve hot.

Crab Curry

Ingredients

2 whole large cooked brown crabs
3 cloves
1 cinnamon stick or 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2 red chillies, chopped
400ml can coconut milk
Juice of 1 lime, plus lime wedges to serve (optional)
1/2 tsp mustard powder
3-4 curry leaves or a bay leaf

Method

Remove the crabs' claws. Leave them whole and set them aside. Pick the crabs, mixing the remaining white and brown meat, and keep chilled in the fridge until you need it.Heat a small frying pan or skillet and dry-roast the cloves, cinnamon, cumin, coriander and fennel seeds, so that you unlock their flavour. This only takes a minute or so, and you will smell it happening. Remove the spices from the heat and set aside.In a pan or pot large enough for everything, heat the vegetable oil and fry the garlic, onions and chillies. If you don't like your food particularly hot (Sri Lankans do) remove the chilli seeds, or just use 1 chilli. Allow to cook quite briskly; it doesn't matter if the onions catch a little in the pan. Add the coconut milk to the curry, then fill the can with water and add to the pan. Simmer for 10-15 minutes over a medium heat.Combine the mixed crabmeat with the lime juice and mustard powder and add to the curry with the intact claws, spices and the curry leaves or bay leaf. Heat through and stir gently. Check the seasoning and serve with a crab claw, garnished with lime, if you like.

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Kola Kenda (Herbal Porridge)

Ingredients

Green leaves loosely pack in 500ml container ( You may use Gotukola, Mukunuwenna, Ranawara, Welpenela, Polpala, Iramusu, Hathawariya, Elabatu, Aligetapera, Erabadu or a mix of any these.
1 1/2 cup of cooked rice (prepared from white or red raw rice)
About 1 L of water
7-8 tbsp (heaped) of coconut powder
1 tsp of salt

Method

Crush the cooked rice with 1 cup of water for 10 second in an electric blender and put in to a pot.
Dissolve the coconut powder in 1/2 cups of water and add in to the pot.
Add salt and bring to boil in medium heat.
Blend the green leaves with 1-2 cups of water in the electric blender and strain the juice well.
Add the juice to the boiling mixture and stir continuously.
Add the rest of the water.
Remove from fire when the mixture just starts to boil. Leave for few minutes to cool.
Serve with a piece of juggery. 

Cheesy Chicken Omlette

Ingredients

3 large eggs
2 slices bacon
2 Tablespoons leftover chicken - chopped
1 teaspoon butter
1 and 1/2 Tablespoons tomato - chopped
1 Tablespoon bell pepper - chopped
1 clove of garlic - minced
1 green onion - chopped
1 Tablespoon ranch dressing
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper - to taste

Method

In a skillet over medium high heat, cook bacon until crisp. Crumble, set aside.Melt butter in an omelette pan over medium heat and saute vegetables, about 2 minutes. Beat eggs; season with salt and pepper and pour into the pan, covering the vegetables. Place a lid over the pan.In a small bowl, combine bacon, chicken, and ranch dressing. Stir well to coat.
Once the omelette has set and puffed slightly, carefully flip.Spread the chicken and bacon mixture over the omelette, sprinkle cheese on top, followed by the chopped tomato. Turn off heat and cover with a lid, allowing the cheese to melt.
Lift the lid, fold omelette in half, cut into two wedges and serve.

Egg Sambol

Ingredients

6 eggs, full boiled, shelled and halved
two big onions, shredded into thin slices
three cloves of garlic, crushed
teasp. of olive oil
a few curry leaves
table spoonful of maldive fish
juice of four cumquats

Method

Heat the oil in a non-stick pan. Combine the ingredients other than the boiled eggs and the juice of cumquats and add to the hot oil. Stir well until the onions look like seeni sambol.Add the halved eggs and spoon the onion mixture over them. Cover and lower the heat and let cook for five minutes. Then remove the egg halves from the pan, and add the cumquat juice and mix well.Lay the egg halves on a serving plate and pile the sambol in the middle. Decorate the dish with a sprig of parsley or karapincha if you wish. Can go hot or cold to the table

Curried Egg Omlette

Ingredients

Omlette6 Eggs2 Large Onions finely chopped
4 Green chilies finely chopped
1 teaspoon blackpeper powder
salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method

Beat the eggs until frothy in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients. Heat the oil in a frying pan, pour the egg batter when oil is heated enough, do not overheat or the batter will burn. Lower the heat to medium and let the batter cook. Fold the omlet into three ( flip one side to the middle and flip the opposite side over the fold) let it cool. Cut into 1" - 11/2" cubes.

Curry

Ingredients:
1/2 cups of coconut milk
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 1/2 teaspoon roasted curry power
1 1/2 teaspoon chilli power
1/4 teaspoon tumeric power
2 cloves, cardamom and 1 inch stick of cinamon
1 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (ulu haal)
1 teaspoon ginger paste and garlic paste
4 shalots sliced
1 inch pandan leaf or Rampa)
sprig of curry leave
salt to taste
1 tablespoon oil

Method:

Mix all the ingredients except the onion and ginger and garlic paste and lime, in a pan. Heat the oil in a deep pan, add sliced onions and saute until lightly browned.Add fenugreek seeds and the garlic and ginger paste, keep stirring until you can smell the aroma, pour in the coconut gravy mix and let it boil.When the gravy starts to boil drop in the egg omlet pieces, reduce the heat add the lime juice at the end. Don't let the gravy boil after adding the lime juice.Now you have a very tasty curry that can be eated with anything like bread, rotti, plain rice or fried rice.

Fried Egg Curry

Ingredients

6 eggs (boiled) 2 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 tspn chillie powder
1 tspn ground cummin seeds
1 tspn saffron powder
Salt to taste
2 dessert spn pounded maldive fish
1/2 of a large red onion
2 green chillies sliced
1 sprig curry leaves
a few dill seeds
1/4 lime
cooking oil
1 tspn roasted curry powder

Method

Boil the eggs hard and shell them, fork slightly (to avoidbursting), spread a little salt and turmeric powder and deep fry until golden brown.In a bowl mix together the coconut milk, chillie powder, ground cummin, saffron, salt, maldive fish, 3/4 of the sliced red onions and sliced green chillies. In a pan temper the remaining onions, curry leaves, dill seeds with a dessert spoon of oil. Now pour the coconut mixture and bring to a boil. Then add the fried eggsand lime juice and let the curry simmer on a low flame till gravy has an oily appearence. Remove from fire, spread the roasted curry powder and cover. 

Fried Kathurumuruga Leaves

Ingredients

400 g Kathurunurunga Leaves
100 g Maldive Fish
02 tbs Onions (Sliced)
02 tbs Garlic (Sliced)
20 g Pea Nuts (Rosted)
Lime Juice
Sailt
Papper Powder
oil

Method

Deep fry the Kathurumuruga leaves till green in color and spread it in a newspaper to drain the oil. heat some oil in a sucepan and temper pounded maldive fish, onions, garlic ans cashewnuts. when the ingredients are tempered add fried Kathurunurunga Leaves and rosted peanuts and mix well. Finally add lime juice, salt and pepper. Remove from fir and mix well.

Grilled Chicken with Bell Pepper

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 red or green bell pepper
2 large Onions sliced into rings
Soy sauce
1tspn olive oil or cooking oil
red chillie powder
black pepper powder
Vinegar
Salt to taste
1tbsn ketchup

Method

Cut the Chicken breasts into 1inch thick square pieces and wash well.Drain the excess water and add chillie powder,black pepper powder,vinegar,salt to taste,soy sauce,ketchup and 1tspn oil.Mix well and marinate in the Refrigerate overnight or atleast 5hours before grilling.
Heat the grill(I use a George Foreman Grilling Machine) and when it's hot add few chicken pieces at a time and press it well.Cook it for a about 8 minutes or until well done.
While grilling the chicken soak the Onion rings and sliced bell pepper in soy sauce and olive oil.When the chicken is done transfer it into a dish and add the onions and bell pepper in to the grill.When they are brown add it to the chicken dish and mix well.
(when you grill meat all the excess fat is drained and it's a healthy way to cook meat)

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Chicken Black Pepper Curry

Ingredients

1 lb Chicken breast
1 large Onion
1 large tomato
2 Banana Peppers(Malu miris) or green bell pepper
Turmeric powder
Chopped 2 cloves Garlic
Chopped Ginger
Rampe
Curry leaves
1 inch stick of cinnamon
slightly crushed Black Pepper
Tamarind
Salt to taste
Cooking Oil

Method

Slice the half of the onion the regular way and the other half in to 2 inch size pieces.Cut the Chicken breasts in to small pieces.Slice the outside of the Tomato in to 2inch pieces and chop the middle part and leave it aside. Heat the cooking oil and add the chopped Onions,rampe,curry leaves,chopped green chillies and cinnamon and let it fry.Then add chopped garlic, ginger,turmeric powder ,salt,sliced chicken and Tamarind juice and let it boil for a while.You will get a nice yellow curry.Do not add water or coconut milk in to it.When it's done add the chopped middle part of the tomato.Then add crushed pepper,Slied tomato(big pieces),sliced banana pepper,Onions(2inch sliced)and a bit of salt and let it simmer for awhile and enjoy it. You can add a little bit of chillie powder but make black pepper the main ingredient. 

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Spicy Chicken

Ingredients 

8 chicken thighs (skinless)
2tsp ground black pepper
1/4 c dark soy sauce
2 to 3 tbsp English sauce (Worcestershire sauce)
1/4 cup tomato ketchup
8 to 10 fresh garlic cloves (minced or chopped)
2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp seasoning salt
2 onions (cut up into rings)

Method 

Clean and dry (with a paper towel) the chicken thighs. Then add all the other ingredients and mix well. Heat a medium size sauce pan on stove. Add only chicken thighs and cook for a minute or so.
Then add remaining sauce to chicken, cover and cook about 20 minutes. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes till further done. Turn chicken over few times to cook through both sides.
If you like it a bit more hot and spicy, you can add hot sauces such as chili sauce or any other.
Serve hot with rice or mashed potatoes.

Southern Fried Chicken

Ingredients

8 pcs Chicken, breasts, drumsticks and thighs
2 cups All purpose flour
1 tbsp Chili powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Black pepper
1 cup Milk or butter milk

Method

Clean the chicken, cut into parts as breasts, drumsticks, and thighs. Dry it with paper towel. Pour the milk into a deep bowl and put chicken parts and let it soak at least 2 to three hours in the refrigerator.Get a zip lock bag put all the other ingredients to the bag and mix them well. (flour, chilli powder, black pepper powder, salt)Take the chicken out of the refrigerator, add them in to the seasoning bag and seal the bag. Mix it well until the chicken parts gets coated with the flour mixture. Take the chicken pieces out from the bag and lay them on a plate. Keep them for another hour. Heat the oil in a deep fry pan, in a low flame and add the chicken few pieces at a time and fry them under a low flame until golden brown.
Serve hot.

Fried Chicken with Bacon and Green Peas

Ingredients

3 Chicken thighs skinned
4 Numbers Garlic
A small piece of ginger
2 Medium sized Bombay Onions
100 Grams Bacon chopped and fried until crisp
Small packet of green peas defrosted
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon of Vinegar
Vegetable Oil for frying

Method

Wash the chicken really well and keep aside.Mash the Garlic and Ginger into a paste. Rub same onto the chicken adding salt and pepper to taste. Add the vinegar too.Leave to marinate for about 1 hour preferably in the fridge.Boil the chicken until its well done and separate the chicken and its liquid. Retain the liquid in a separate container. Deep fry the chicken in vegetable oil and remove excess oil by drying chicken on old news paper.Put a tablespoon of oil into shallow frying pan and saute the onions.Add the liquid in which the chicken was boiled and stir well and bring to boil. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed only. You may have to thicken this gravy by adding a teaspoon of corn flour mixed with water if required. Once gravy is done put in the fried chicken and toss the chicken around until they are coated with the gravy.Just before serving add the bacon and the green peas. You can either mixed in both or just lay it on top of the chicken.This dish can served with mashed potatoes and an assortment of boiled vegetables as a main course or it can be a side dish for a Fried Rice. 

Ulundu Wade

Ingredients

2 cups black gram dhal (urdu dhal)
green chillies chopped
ginger
onion finely chopped
curry leaves
cumin seeds
salt
(add spices according to common sense)
1 tbl spns baking soda
2 tbl spns magarine
2 tbl spns all purpose flour
oil to fry

Method

Soak urdu dhal in water for 4 hours (not too much water)
Add salt, green chilli, ginger, curry leaves and grind in to a paste (not too smooth)
Add onion pieces, and cumin seeds and mix well
Add baking soda, butter, and wheat flour and mix in to a dough.
Keep the dough in the fridge for 1/2 hour
Make the dough in to balls and flatten them to 1 1/2 cm thick discs and make a hole in the centre of each. Deep fry in hot oil until they are golden brown in color.
Drain off excess oil and serve with coconut chutney.

Mushroom Curry බිම්මල් කරිය

Ingredients

Mushroom 250g
Onion chopped
2 green chillies chopped
cinnamon 1'' stick
fenugreek seeds 1/4tsp
cumin seeds 1/4 tsp
mustard seeds 1/4 tsp
cloves 2
cardamon 2
garlic paste 1/2 tsp
ginger paste 1/2 tsp
turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
chille powder 1/2 tsp
Sri lankan roasted curry powder 1/2tsp
Salt
Tomato pureed 1
soya sauce 1tsp
1 cup 1st extract coconut milk
cilantro leaves chopped 1/4 cup
oil 2 tbsp

Method

Wash the mushrooms and tear them to rough strips and mix them with little salt.
Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin,mustard and fenugreek seeds and let them splutter. add cloves, cardamom and cinnamon stick. Then add in the garlic and ginger paste. Stir.
Add the onions and green chillies and sautee till onions become translucent.
Add the mushrooms. stir well. and cook in low heat for a minute.
mix tomato puree with turmeric, curry powder and chillie powder and soya sauce.
Add the mixture to the pan, stir and cook for a minute.
Then add in coconut milk and cook for a minute mixing well.
Adjust salt and seasoning.
When the curry is done. turn off heat and mix with cilantro leaves.

Aappa (Hoppers)

 Ingredients 

Yeast mixture: 

      2 tsp yeast granules

      1 tbsp sugar

      1/8 cup lukewarm water

4 cups rice flour

1 cup lukewarm water + 1 cup lukewarm beer

1 13 oz can of coconut milk + 1/2 can of lukewarm water

2 tbsp sugar

t tbsp oil

salt to taste

Method

Mix the ingredients for the yeast mixture and leave for 15 minutes until frothy. If the mixture is not frothy at this  point, the yeast you used is too old, you will need a new packet of yeast.(Picture 1)
Put the rice flour into a large bowl and add the yeast mixture. Next add the 1 cup lukewarm water + 1 cup  lukewarm beer. Mix well. (Picture 2) Now cover the bowl with a wet cloth or plastic wrap and leave for about eight hours in a warm place. The batter should rise to double the original amount.

Finally before preparation add 3/4 of the (coconut milk with water) and 2 tbsp sugar and stir well. If more  liquid is needed, add the remaining of the coconut milk little by little. The batter should be thinner than a  pancake batter. Add salt to taste. (Picture 3)

Soak a small piece of cloth in oil in a saucer. Heat a thachhiya (a small wok) on medium. When hot  rub the pan thoroughly with the oiled-cloth. Add about 1/4 cup of the batter to the pan and turn the  pan in a circular motion so that the batter sticks to the sides of the pan. (Picture 4)

Cover and cook for about a minute under low-medium heat. Use a butter knife to loosen the edges of  the hopper and serve hot.