SRI LANKA CUISINE

INTRODUCTION

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ri Lanka ‘The Pearl of the Indian Ocean’, is a fascinating and beautiful island with a remarkable variety of landscapes, ranging from arid plains to endless rows of tea bushes in the highlands, from tropical rain forests with their exotic animal life and flowers to miles of palm fringed beaches.

Sri Lanka has over 2500 years of recorded history and was the seat of a small but important Asian civilization. Since those times man has not had to search far for his food - apart from the abundance of fish in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka is blessed with a luxurious supply of vegetables and fruit - such as jack, breadfruit, mangoes, pineapple and papayas. There are also the coconut palms which apart from providing oil and copra are the source of coconut milk, a vital ingredient in Sri Lankan cooking.

Although it is a small island (no point is more than 70 miles from the sea) Sri Lanka boasts a wide variety of regional cuisines, there being a marked difference between the cooking of the north and the south, the east and the west. Kandy in the hill country produces recipes using hill - grown fruits and vegetables, the cuisine from the coastal areas abounds with fresh fish and dishes from the north have distinct southern Indian flavours.

Sri Lanka was an important centre for the spice traders in the 15th and 16th centuries, men who travelled many miles in search of their goals. They sought cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and cloves as well as precious gems. Sri Lankan food has no doubt been influenced by the customs and culinary traditions of these traders, some of whom settled on the island.

Sri Lankans use many spices, the combination being very much a question of personal preference and specific quantities and measurements are not considered necessary. The cook throws in a handful of this and handful of that and a dash of the other, a good swirl of salty water; taste, consider and adjust seasoning. That’s the way Sri Lankan women cook in their homes, and no two women cook exactly alike. Even using the same ingredients, the interpretation of a recipe is completely individual. One has to watch, make notes and try to achieve the same results by trial and error.

Rice is the staple food of the people of Sri Lanka and has been adopted by all the communities (except, perhaps the die - hard British). When enquiring whether one has had a meal, the literal translation of the question as asked in the Sinhalese language is, ‘Have you eaten rice?’ And all over the island the midday meal is rice and curry, Sinhalese style.

It also includes soups, lentils, sambals and vegetables. Sri Lankan curries are known for their fiery hot spice flavours and coconut milk is a very distinctive addition. Curries which are inevitably part of every meal, are not necessarily classified according to the main ingredients, but according to the type of spicing, the method of cooking, or the colour, which to the initiate, conveys a whole lot more than whether a curry is white, red or black.

White curries are based on coconut milk and are usually mild and have a lot of liquid so they double as soups. Red curries are based on a few spices and a large amount of chillies that give the curry its vivid colour and red hot flavour. Black curries are the most typical curries in Sri Lanka. They get their dark colour because the coriander, cumin and fennel are roasted until a rich coffee brown colour is achieved. This dark - roasting brings out nuances of flavour in a subtle and wholly pleasant way, making the cooking of this little island strongly individual.

For such a meal everything is put on the table at once - rice, fish or meat curries, soup, vegetables and accompaniments. It is perfectly correct to have a serving of everything on your plate at one time. Soup may be ladled over the rice or sipped from a cup between mouthfuls, but it is not the first course and the best way to enjoy such a meal is to eat with the fingers as the people of the country do.

Desserts are unknown except on festive occasions, and the meal usually ends with some of the luscious fruit so plentiful on the island: mangoes of at least a dozen different varieties; pawpaw so sweet they seem to have been macerated in honey; bananas in even greater variety than mangoes; mangusteens and rambutan in season; avacados which are served with cream and sugar or jaggery or treacle, never in a salad as they are served in the West; and the huge ungainly jak fruit, spiky green from the outside which has large, golden, fleshy seed pods of overwhelming sweetness and distinctive flavour

A LOOK INTO HISTORY

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n addition to regional characteristics, some of the most popular dishes reflect influences from other lands. After a hundred years or so it does not matter that this or that style of cooking was introduced by foreigners who came and stayed, either as traders or conquerors - Indians, Arabs, Malays, Moors, Portuguese, Dutch and British. The dishes they contributed have been adapted to local ingredients, but retain their original character. They are not presented as Sinhalese dishes but accepted and enjoyed as a part of richly varied cuisine.

The influence of the Muslim and Malays is responsible for the use of certain flavourings such as saffron and rose water and the spicy korma, pilau and biriyani which are Sri Lankan only by adoption.

When the Portuguese ruled Sri Lanka for 150 years in the 16th and 17th centuries, they left behind words which have worked into the language and customs which are very much a part of rural and urban life. Many recipes end up with instructions to ‘temper’ the dish. This comes from the Portuguese word, ‘temperado’, which means to season and fry. The Portuguese also contributed a number of sweetmeats which are popular to this day. These are served at celebrations and people take great pridein old family recipes, which they guard with jealous care.

Then followed the Dutch, and though their rule ended after a mere 138 years, their descendants stayed on in this prosperous land. They too brought with them recipes laden with butter and eggs in true Dutch tradition, but in the spice rich land of their adoption, they took on new flavour with the addition of local spices. UTENSILS

List Of Basic Kitchen Equipment For Rice & Curry

Stew pan	Knives
Saucepan	Knitted swabs for cleaning.
Basin	Hopper spoon.
Kettle	Pan with flat lid
Steamer	Nambiliya cast iron.
Strainer for coconut milk	Wooden spoons.
Measuring cups.	Slotted frying spoon.
Measuring spoons.	Dishcloths.
Coconut scraper or grater on ball bearing, screw-on-type for table top.	String hopper watties made of good cane and the board rimmed.
1 wire soup strainer	Enamel funnel
Chopping boards	Iron rod for cracking coconuts.
Dust bin.	Scrubbing brushes
Dust pan.	Sieve
String hopper mould, aluminium or wooden.	Storage bottles with lids and spoons.
Frying pan	Storage bins
Deep frying pan with a frying basket.	Coconut shell (polished) spoon for milk.
Iron girdle for roti, thosai etc. made of heavy cast iron	hopper pans with lid cast iron 6"-7" diameter.
Grinding stone with a rubber mounts on the under side.	Mortar and pestle unglazed type used by the chemists
Flat grater with different sized holes.	1 wire soup strainer

COOKING METHODS USED IN THE SRI LANKAN KITCHEN

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n the preparation of dishes the method of cookery involved should be thoroughly understood and appreciated so that the best results can be achieved. The methods of cookery are divided into two sections.

¨ Cooking by moist heat, commonly used for the preparation of rice and curry.

¨ This method is usually done in a covered vessel such as a clay pot or tin oven or in a gas or electric oven.

COOKING BY MOIST HEAT

BOILING

In boiling, the food is cooked in some liquid such as water coconut milk, fresh cow's milk, sterilised milk, tinned unsweetened milk or stock, or brine etc. The liquid may be either cold or at boiling point. Boiling meat, fish or vegetables softens the fibres thus rendering such food easy to digest. Furthermore, most forms of harmful bacteria may be killed by this process making it safe for consumption. Water boils at 212°F(or 100°C) at sea level, and the boiling point is lowered 1 F for every rise of 500 ft. in altitude.

This temperature need not be maintained right through the process of cooking when the method of boiling is followed in respect of certain foods. Meat and other protein foods, when boiled, should be cooked in fast boiling liquid only for a few minutes at 212°F so that the coagulation of the outside protein takes place sealing the nutrients. Cooking continues thereafter at simmer point (180ºC 190°F) or just below boiling point, to soften, the food. Excessive heat will cause shrinkage by the hardening of the protein, nor will prolonged very slow cooking help the heat to penetrate into the food to be cooked.

The term simmering is used frequently in recipes, and may need explanation. Simmering is a continuation of the boiling process on at a lower temperature to that of boiling i.e. 180ºC/190° F. This is above stewing point i.e. 160°F-180°F. In simmering occasional bubbles will appear at regular intervals on the surface of the liquid unlike the ebulition (dancing bubbles) noticeable in boiling liquid which has reached 212°F.

Points To Be Remembered

¨ Salt is generally added to water after it has reached boiling point. The addition of salt tends to lower the temperature of the liquid.

¨ The liquid must be kept at boiling point (212ºF)or at simmering point (180ºF-190°F)until the food is cooked.

¨ Use sufficient liquid so that the food does not burn with the evaporation of the liquid. A lid, if used, should be well fitting to minimize evaporation of liquid.

¨ In boiling all types of yams, special care must be taken. Plenty of water should be used. The yams should be covered with water to well above the level of the yams. Special mention must be made of Manioc (tapioca). In certain tapioca yams prussic acid is present. Prussic acid is poisonous, but very volatile. Therefore, when cooking tapioca, all yams should be completely submerged in water, and the vessel in which the tapioca is cooked should be kept open. This will help the volatile prussic acid to escape. The liquid in which the tapioca or other yams is boiled should never be used for stocks and gravies. Once the water is drained from the boiled yams they maybe kept on low heat for a short time to allow excess moisture to evaporate and prevent stickiness.

¨ In boiling leafy vegetables, the smallest quantity of water should be used. The pan should be kept open to preserve the green co1our. Soda bicarbonate should not be added to greens to preserve the colour as vitamin C is destroyed. Liquid left over from boiled leafy vegetables may be used for stocks, gravies or as liquid for soaking grated coconutprior to squeezing to extract milk. The liquid is rich in food nutrients such as mineral salts and water-soluble vitamins.

¨ All starches such as rice should be boiled for the first half of the cooking with pan open to prevent frothing of water due to excessive starch, as this is likely to spill over and spoil the cooker or put out the fire in the case of an open hearth.

¨ All pulses should be boiled from the start with plenty of water. If pulses are washed and soaked for sometime this tends to shorten the average cooking time. The water used for soaking may be utilized for cooking.

STEAMING

Steaming is cooking by moist heat, vapour or steam given out from boiling water. Steamed foods are lighter than foods cooked by other methods. This method therefore is used frequently in the preparation of foods for invalids and infants. There are two methods of steaming.

¨ Direct steaming

¨ Indirect steaming

Direct Steaming

The steam comes directly in contact with the food to be cooked e.g. pittu, string-hoppers etc. The food to be cooked is placed in a vessel with small perforations so that steam may pass through the perforations directly into the food to be cooked. In this method the pressure of the steam need not be controlled when cooking starchy foods, but better results are obtained if pressure in the steam is low especially in the steaming of meat, fish and preparations rich in egg.-e.g. custards, watalappan.

Indirect Steaming

The food to be cooked is placed in a bowl or other receptacle and this is placed in a vessel half filled with boiling water. The heat from the boiling water as it comes in contact with the vessel in turn cooks the food by conduction or convection currents.

Points To Be Remembered:

¨ The water level must be maintained and the pan with the water must never be allowed to get dry. If more water is to be added to maintain the water level, only boiling water is to be added. A pan with a well fitting lid should be used when steaming foods to prevent the escape of steam. It is important not to over-steam fish or egg dishes. Over cooking causes shrinkage and toughening of the protein which spoils the appearance of a meat product and makes it tasteless and tough.Egg dishes may be removed from the heat when the sides are set although the centre is still slightly soft. The heat contained in the dish will be sufficient to cook the centre. This method prevents curdling or separation which may take place if the protein is overcooked.

STEWING

Stewing is cooking by moist heat over a low flame (160-180°F) in a minimum quantity of liquid over a prolonged period of time. The liquid is always served with the cooked food and sufficient liquid for this purpose is added from the start. Preferably the pan should be of a heavy quality to prevent burning of the food during prolonged cooking and should have a tight-fitting lid to minimise evaporation of liquid. This method is usually followed when cooking foods that are fibrous or tough in order to soften them and thus facilitate digestion. It is commonly used in the cooking of meat curries and vegetables that are fibrous. e.g. tender jak fruits, roots of the lotus etc.

Points To Be Remembered

¨ .Low heat right through the cooking period and the temperature maintained throughout at 160-l80°F.

¨ Stewed foods such as fruits, vegetables and meat should never be cooked to the point where the food breaks into minute pieces. Each piece of cooked food must maintain its shape, but should cut or break easily.

¨ If the gravy is a little more than the desired amount, the pieces should be removed and the gravy reduced to the required consistency and added to the pieces of cooked food.

FRYING

Frying is a method of cooking by moist heat, the liquid being always some kind of oil. In this particular method the temperatures reach a fairly high degree. However, temperature instructions should be carefully followed for each type of fried food. There are three ways of frying.

Dry Frying

In this method of cooking no oil is used in the pan, foods are put into a heated pan and tossed around until the food is fried. Only foods very rich in fat are fried according to this method, for during the cooking process the fat in the food melts with the heat in the pan, and the food is fried in its own fat. e.g. bacon and all pork products. In Eastern countries this type of dry frying is quite common with condiments and spices that have a certain amount of volatile oil. One of the most important constituents of a condiment or spice is the volatile oil or essential oil to which its aroma is due. This aroma is generally brought out prior to use by dry frying in a heated pan. These spices also have important flavouring matter in them which is accentuated by dry frying; condiments and spices mostly rich in these essential oils are the following; dry chillie, coriander, cardamom, clove, cinnamon, black cumin, sweet cumin, mace, curry leaves, lemon grass, rampe, fenugreek, garlic. In the dry frying process an oiliness is noticeable and it is this which brings out the aroma. Further cooking will then give the desired colour. The process of dry frying is sometimes referred to as pan roasting, but strictly speaking in Eastern cookery it should be classified as dry frying.

Shallow Frying or Pan Frying

Shallow frying is cooking in a small quantity of oil where at no stage is the food completely covered in oil. With different shallow fried foods the amount of oil used varies as the following examples illustrate.

a. Pancakes -The pan is only smeared with a trace of oil to give an oiliness to the pan and thus to prevent sticking:

b. Omelettes -One or two dessertspoons of oil for a two egg omelette, depending on the size of the pan:

c. Potatoes or beef cutlets-if cooked with butter and crumbs, these should have oil half way up the cutlet. However, if a fish or beef fillet is uncoated and dusted only with seasoned flour the depth of oil in the pan should not exceed 8". Thus three variations of shallow frying maybe distinguished in Eastern Cookery

In the third variation mentioned above, the quantity of oil prevents the food from sticking to the pan and is also sufficient to partially cook or lightly fry the food. While shallow frying, in order to prevent burns from spluttering oil, food should be placed away from the cook, in the pan.

Tempering

The term 'temper' is not found in any Western or Eastern cookery books but is typical of Ceylonese curries. Its origin is from the Portuguese 'temperadu' which means 'to fry and season'. The culinary association of ‘temper’ in Ceylonese cookery is with shallow frying of onions, curry leaves and possibly other condiments, to release the flavour or accentuate it.

Generally the oil is heated to a very high temperature to bring about instant browning and release of the aroma. This aroma helps in the secretion of digestive juices and wets the appetite. In certain cases, the tempered ingredients may even be the curry powder itself or only onions, or both; sometimes food that is completely cooked may be tempered before serving to produce a more oily appearance and increase the flavour; or curry powders and fragrant powders (Suwanda Kudu) specially prepared, are tempered for a few seconds and sprinkled over the curry for appearance and flavour just prior to serving.

Sautéing

This method of cooking is quite commonly used in Ceylonese curry. It is the cooking of foods in a quantity of oil in which the ingredients are tossed until cooked. In sautéing non-starchy food, the oil is not a11 absorbed by the food, though the food may be cooked. The extra oil is drained off prior to serving (e.g. kankun, mukunuwenna.)

In the case of potatoes and other starchy foods the oil is fully absorbed by the time the food is cooked. This method is sometimes, fo11owed also as a first step to cooking vegetables such as beans, leeks, carrots or beef in order to bring about different flavours with the curry powders, or to retain the green colour of some vegetables. The food is first sautéed in a small quantity of oil until it is partially cooked and then the coconut milk is added and the food is allowed to simmer. This definitely improves the flavour of meats and the colour of green vegetables. Where the liquid does not completely cover the food to be cooked, a lid must not be placed on the pan if the green colour is to be retained.

Deep Frying

In this method of cooking the food is completely covered with oil. Though more oil is used than in other frying methods the results are excellent, as deep fried foods, if properly cooked will never be greasy whilst other methods of frying e.g. dry, shallow, tend to make the cooked food greasier in appearance.

In deep fried foods high temperatures are necessary. Different temperatures are maintained for different foods, but generally the temperatures are above 320ºF. In deep frying it is important that protective coverings should be used in the frying of meat and fish to prevent shrinkage and the escape of the nutrients into the oil. Vegetables according to use, however, may be deep fried without a protective covering. e.g. brinjals, onions, plantains etc.

The following temperature chart is a guide to the heat required for frying oil in this process.

Temperature Chart

Pappadam	.370°F
PanRolls	.360°F
Onions for seeni sambals	.360°F
Fritters (Plantain fritters)	.365°F
Fried Fish(with a covering g)	.350°F
Cutlets or croquettes	.350°F
Brinjals for Curry	.360°F

Points To Be Remembered In Deep Frying:

¨ Oil-the importance of the choice of the oil to be used cannot be over stressed. In fact success of deep fried foods depends mainly in the selection of the oil. The following points may be noted:

¨ The oil should be odourless

¨ It should be capable of reaching a very high temperature without smoking or burning. Coconut oil is the general choice for the cooking of rice and curry in Ceylon. Two verities are used: the refined and the unrefined. The refined oil is colourless, odourless and capable of reaching very high temperatures. The unrefined oil has the very characteristic smell of the coconut and is not always capable of reaching high temperatures without smoking for on reaching high temperatures the oil tends to impart a burnt flavour into the fried foods. Unrefined oil becomes rancid more readily than the refined oil due to its higher water content.

¨ Other oils used for frying: gingili oil (sesame oil) is the most common of these. Except for its characteristic flavour (not acceptable to most people as the flavour of the food is lost by the flavour of the oil) this oil is capable of reaching a very high temperature. Corn oil and mustard oil are other verities used.

¨ Sufficient oil must always be used to completely cover the food and to a depth above the food of approximately 1".

¨ Oil should be heated to the correct temperature according to the type of food to be fried.

¨ Only a few pieces at a time should be added to the pan. The pan must never be over-crowded as it lowers the temperature of the oil.

¨ The oil must be allowed to reach the correct temperature before the next batch of food for frying is added. lf continuous frying is done with crumbled foods the oil should be strained from time to time to prevent burning of crumbs that settle down at the bottom of the pan.

¨ Oil must always be strained, clarified, and stored after use. Deep fried oil can be used over and over again if this precaution is taken.

¨ Deep frozen food, if added direct from the freezer, the temperature should be raised to a higher degree and only a few pieces should be added at a time to prevent a sudden lowering of the temperature.

¨ When very moist foods are fried, the tendency is for the oil to bubble over the brim of the pan. When frying such foods a frying basket should be used, and a tray kept handy so that the frying basket may be taken off the oil and placed on the tray for a few seconds until the bubbles have subsided. The basket should then be gradually lowered into the oil.

Protective coverings for Fried Foods

Batters -

Eggs

Egg & Flour

Flour & Water

Flour & Milk

Flour

Milk & Egg

Gram flour & Water

(Seasoning to be added to batters.)

Pastry -

Miscellaneous coatings -

Chopped cadjunuts

Semolina

Bread crumbs

BRAISING

This is the most complicated method of moist cooking. Very good results are obtained in the prepared food if the process is carried out correctly. Generally in the preparation of rice and curry this method is not used but it is adopted for different types of meat, poultry and game to obtain very delicate flavours.

Braising is cooking of meat that has been allowed to marinade in a mixture of olive oil or other suitable oil and seasoning. This meat is then browned in a small quantity of oil to seal in the meat juices. The browned meat is placed on a bed of vegetables that has also been browned in a small quantity of oil to bring out their aroma. Vegetables such as onions and carrots are generally used.

It is essential to note that the liquid must cover the vegetables only and should not cover any part of the meat or else the flavour will be similar to boiled meat. This braised meat once done is served with the gravy, strained and thickened with pureed vegetables from the braised meat or flour to make a rich thick sauce.

COOKING BY DRY HEAT

ROASTING AND GRILLING

These two methods do not strictly follow the method of Western countries in which a more sophisticated method of oven cooking is performed. In Ceylon cookery, baking or grilling is usually done in hot ash or over live coals. The food prepared in this manner develops very delicate flavours and also retains most of its own moisture. This is due to the heat preparations being very gradual and indirect. The banana leaf in which the food is wrapped also imparts a special but subtle flavour to the baked food without marring the flavour of the food.

In Western Countries baking or grilling over coals is becoming quite popular with the use of tinfoil as a protective covering. The tinfoil has no flavour of its own nor any moisture content. Once heated it retains greater heat than the banana leaf and cooking is more rapid and generally considered more hygienic.

The food to be baked is always wrapped in a number of layers of banana leaf. This wrapped food package is embedded in hot ash over which are placed live coals. The heat from the hot ash and live coals bake the food.If the foods baked do not have sufficient fat the banana leaf is very lightly smeared with a coating of oil. It is interesting to note how a small variety of fish 6" - 8" in length 'Kumbalawa' when stuffed with well seasoned raw flesh of its own and baked with a light smearing of seasoned oil on the outside, retains the freshness of the raw fish in appearance on the skin. This manner of baking gives the minimum loss in evaporation and the heat penetration is very even. Even though oil has been used for baking the baked product gives no appearance of grease.This method also releases very subtle flavours into the baked foods which cannot be produced in any other manner. (This is partly due to the use of the banana leaf as a wrapper for the baked food.)

Coconut, ash plantain skins, and brinjal, baked in hot ash and coals, then ground and made into sambals make excellent accompaniments to a simple rice and curry meal.

In Ceylon baking in the oven is becoming quite common, in rural areas kerosene oil, electric or gas ovens are not freely available . However, ovens made of clay (a type of clay oven used consists of a large mouthed clay pot filled with half to one third coarse sea or river sand. The mouth of the clay pot is covered with a flat day vessel filled with live coals. Heat is only applied to the pot to heat the sand. This makes quite a satisfactory oven.

A tin with a well fitting lid filled with 1" coarse river sand. This is another improvised oven for baking purposes. The tin is heated with live coal as in the pot.

Pot-Roasting

This is quite a common method of roasting followed in the absence of an oven. It used to be done only in a clay pot but now aluminium pans are used. (Better results are obtained in using the clay pots as the heat is better controlled). Types of food, generally to be pot-roasted are big cuts of meats, and poultry uncut. The meat to be potroasted is well seasoned, and browned evenly on all sides in a small quantity of oil to seal in the meat juices. Care must be taken to keep turning the meat to ensure even browning. After browning, a small quantity of hot liquid is added to the pan to prevent burning. The pot is closed and the flame reduced to low heat until the meat is done. (Test meat as for braising). The roast should be turned from time to time and basting done with the liquid in the pan.

Basting

Basting is the pouring of liquid every 15-20 minutes over meat that is roasted or baked. The liquid may be pure oil, or one-third water or stock with two thirds oil. Generally meat and poultry are basted during roasting and baking to prevent drying. In order to avoid basting and also to keep a baked product moist the food can be wrapped in tin foil or double thickness of grease proof paper and opened during the last 15-20 minutes of baking for browning of baked product (if done in an oven).

Grilling

Grilling is a method of cooking that is commonly used amongst certain fishing folk and in the Veddah community (Veddah: aborigines of Ceylon). They cook fish and game directly over the flame. Foods are grilled over live coals in the primitive method, even today, where the open hearth is used, as the flavours developed in this manner cannot be obtained in any other way. The charcoal burnt appearance of the food is desired by some. This method has become very popular with a few adaptations in the West where barbecuing is the fashion in outdoor cooking. A charcoal broiled steak can also be produced in a modern oven.

In ancient times, amongst the Veddah community the fire kept off the wild animals and also helped them to cook their food. These fires serve a dual purpose amongst the fishing community it gives them a certain amount of warmth and also acts as a beacon for the other fisher folk at sea. They can also cook a quick meal using fish washed with seawater, held over the flames of the fire with a stick or rod; or very often, the fish is placed directly over the live coals for a few minutes and turned from side to side. The ash, if any, is brushed off and the fish eaten hot. However this practice is no longer popular.

Amongst the Veddahs, the aborigines of Ceylon, monkey flesh is also grilled in this manner after the skin is removed. Salt is the only seasoning that is added to the flesh. This preparation is considered a delicacy and the fire to grill the flesh is always made on a stone or rock so that the heat from the stone is also made use of. The wood is lit and only after the fire has died down and the ash has been blown off, is the monkey flesh grilled directly on the live coals until done.

Certain foods such as the kernel of the coconut, Bombay duck, smoked herrings, dry fish are placed directly over dying embers and turned from time to time with a pair of improvised tongs until the food is done. The ash is brushed off and the food used as required.

These grilled foods are generally ground into sambals or broken up into bits and added into onion chillie sambal e.g. burnt coconut sambol, Bombay duck or herring onion sambol. These methods are generally not followed nowadays since the open hearth is going out of use and the labour and time involved in preparation is considerable.

Points To Be Remembered In Grilling

¨ In certain ovens the grilling element or unit is placed in the upper part of the oven and heats only when the temperature is switched on beyond 550 F. In other ovens the grilling element is placed above or directly under the surface of cooking units. Ir-respective of the placement of the grilling element the food to be grilled is always cooked by the radiation of heat directly on the food.

¨ The grilling element must always be preheated before the food is placed under the grill.

¨ If the element is in an oven, the oven door must always be kept open to allow the fumes from the oil to escape. The spluttering of oil sometimes can ignite and damage the oven and the fumes spoil the flavour of food. The free circulation of air is desirable.

¨ The distance from the heat must be adjusted according to the food to be grilled.

¨ Only suitable cuts of meat and tender poultry should be used for grilling.

¨ The food should be allowed to marinade or sufficient oil should be applied prior to grilling to retain the moisture of the grilled food.

¨ The thickness of the food to be grilled should not be more than 12" - 2".

¨ The grilling times for each type of food should be observed as far as possible according to the type of grilled food required.

-'Rare' 5 mins.

-'Medium' 6-7 mins.

-'Well Done' . 9-10 mins.

Points To Remember In Baking

¨ The oven must always be preheated.

¨ The oven door should as a rule be gently dosed but never banged.

¨ When baking is done the oven door should not be opened until a specified period of time has passed. The time will depend on the type of food.

¨ The oven should never be over-crowded as this would prevent free circulation of heated air.

¨ The pans of the baked products should not touch one another or the sides of the oven. If possible placing one pan directly over another should be avoided. 1" - 2" clear space should be allowed away from the walls of the oven

RICE COOKERY

WASHING

Rice should be cleaned of sand, stone or other foreign matter prior to cooking. Cleaning can be done by hand, winnowed or washed in a special vessel used for washing rice, namely the "nambiliya". The nambiliya is a concave grooved vessel that holds the sand or grit in its grooves.

For certain types of rice, the washing operation should be quick and as little water as possible should be used. This applies especially to country raw rice, as this is rich in vitamin B which is water soluble. With each wash more vitamin B is washed away. In washing raw country rice, only the first water should be thrown away as it may contain dust. The rice can be cooked in the water used for the subsequent washings, as it wi11 contain some of the vitamin B washed out of the rice.

On the other hand, in the case of white imported rice known as "American rice" or white raw ration rice, where the starch content is very high repeated washing helps to wash away some of the starch. In cooking this type of rice, if a grainy boiled rice is desired the rice must either be steamed prior to cooking or boiled for sometime and the water drained to remove excess starch, and fresh cold water can be added with a few drops of oil or a pat of butter to prevent lumps. The rice is then cooked on low heat till all excess moisture has been absorbed.

In the case of all parboiled rice whether it be polished or unpolished, a certain amount of vitamin B is absorbed in the starch when the paddy is boiled with the husk. Therefore the percentage of vitamin B lost by washing in water is negligible.

PROPORTION OF WATER TO RICE

Normally to every cup of rice two cups of water are added. This leaves the rice grainy when boiled and not lumpy. However, this is not a hard and fast rule for all types of rice. In the case of parboiled country rice the older the paddy, the more is the amount of water required. Here the quantity of water required can vary up to as much as four or five cups of water to one cup of rice. The Sududuru Samba types of rice require the least amount of water: 1 1/2 or 1 3/4 cups of water to one cup of rice.Thus every type of rice must be treated differently although one cup of rice to two cups of water is a good general rule with more cold or hot water on hand to add if necessary.

BOILING OF RICE

The proportion of ingredients at this stage is (per cup of rice-8 oz. of Rice):

1 level teaspoon of salt

2 cups of water.

.

When rice is put on the fire with the required amount of water, the lid should be left off the pan. The fire should generally be hot so that the rice can boil fast until the water level and the rice level are the same. From that stage onwards the lid should be put on the pan and the fire reduced to very low heat so that the absorption of water takes place slowly making the rice fluffier, keeping the grains separate and permitting the rice to come to its volume. This operation may be carried out in an oven, if baking is being done, at a temperature between 300-350 ºF. Should rice become mushy or lumpy sprinkle a little oil on top and place it in an uncovered pan in the oven on a low temperature between 250-275ºF; this will help to separate the grains; or an alternative method is to place the pan on hot ash and deposit live coals on the lid of the pan. (This is one of the advantages of a flat lid).

TYPES OF RICE

Parboiled Rice

Parboiled rice consists of paddy which has been boiled for 40-45 minutes or until the husk begins to crack. The boiled paddy is allowed to dry well in the sun and then hand - pounded or milled to remove the husk.Different methods of husking or milling can either retain the brown colour or make the rice white. Although it is polished this rice contains a high percentage of vitamin B, due to its absorption into the starch from the bran, the outer covering of the grain adhering to the inside of the husk in the boiling process. The darker the colour of the parboiled rice the greater the vitamin B content. This type of rice is consumed mainly by people in the rural areas who thus get the necessary daily vitamin B requirement from rice.

The volume of cooked rice will also vary according to the type of rice and the procedure adopted; but if the correct procedure disclosed in this section is followed it will give the maximum yield in volume for any type of parboiled rice, as against other varieties of raw rice.

White Raw Rice (imported variety)

White rice is usually raw, highly-milled rice and may be cooked in the same way as country parboiled rice; but it has a very high starch content which makes it sticky. It is suggested that this rice be steamed prior to cooking, or cooked in plenty of water until the water reaches boiling point. Then all water should be drained off to remove excess starch. This will not cause any loss in the nutritive value as there is no vitamin B in this type of rice; only the starch is washed away. This rice is ideal for breakfast preparations such as string-hoppers, hoppers etc.

Raw Rice (Country or local variety)

Local raw rice is obtained by milling or pounding the paddy to remove only the husk. This rice may be the polished raw rice in which the bran has been removed or it may be the dark variety where most of the bran is retained. As has been mentioned earlier it is this type of rice from which the vitamin B content is removed by repeated washing. In cooking, the tendency is for this rice to become lumpy due to the presence of uncooked starch, contrary to the tendencies of parboiled rice. The lumpiness or stickiness can be avoided by quickly boiling the rice and letting it simmer after the water level has reached the rice level.Occasionally, while cooking is in progress stir with the handle of a wooden spoon or with a fork to avoid lumps and at the same time sprinkle addition al water. Water may be either hot or cold. The water that is sprinkled will be in excess of what would generally be used for boiling the rice and the amount cannot be specified accurately. The water should never be drained away in this variety of rice as the vitamin B would also be thrown away.

Milchard, Samba, Sududuru Samba

Milchard, Samba and Sududuru samba all fall into the same category where cooking is concerned. All are varieties of parboiled rice and may be cooked in the same manner subject to the following variations:

¨ Milchard requires 2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice. Generally a fairly strong odour is given out in the cooking of this type of rice, and this may remain even after cooking. To prevent this odour, add two to three pieces of “rampe" or lemon grass or a combination of both, or bay leaves which give a fragrant smell as this will help to remove this offensive odour.

¨ Suduru Samba requires 12 to 134 cups of water depending on the age of the rice. If more water is necessary, hot or cold water may be added later. The method of cooking is the same as that given for parboiled rice. Careful watching is necessary as this rice cooks fairly fast.

¨ Samba is the same as suduru samba, but the grains are bigger. The proportion of water is usually 134 or 2 cups to 1 cup of rice; in certain cases even a higher rate of water to rice may be required.

VOLUME IN RICE AFTER BOILING

It has been found that country parboiled rice from very old paddy gives the best volume in rice thus giving more portions per equal weight than any other type of rice. The Milchard variety gives the poorest volume.The rest of the varieties gives more or less volume as has been said earlier. The volume of rice can be affected by the methods used in cooking; fast boiling at the start with very slow cooking after water level and rice level are equal and until the water has dried up, gives the best results in respect of volume.

If the rice is cooked on high heat right through the operation irrespective of the type of rice used, the volume obtained is less as a rice grain takes some time to absorb moisture to its maximum capacity even though the rice itself is cooked through.

INGREDIENTS USED IN CURRIES

CHILLIES. Sinh: Miris

Chillies play an important part in the preparation of curries. There are many different varieties, mainly in shape and size. The chillie when unripe is generally green but some unripe chillies are known to have a cream, green, yellow, orange, purple or blackish colour. The ripe chillie is generally red but some types of chillie may be yellow or orange. Chillies that are comparatively thin with a smooth pericarp have the highest piquancy or pungency (hotness on the tongue) and are used as condiments for curry.

The pungency of the chillie may be judged from the thickness of its pericarp for the thicker the pericarp the less the pungency. The high or low pungency of the chillie is determined by the percentage of capsin present on the inner side of the pericarp. Dry medium-size red chillies with a thin pericarp and few seeds are supposed to have the highest pungency and also fetch the highest market value. There are some 60 known varieties of chillies but in Ceylon only a few varieties are commonly used.

-Kochchi. Sinh: Kochchi.

This is the smallest variety of chillie, It is generally used in a fresh or dried form for pickles and jardi (salted fish) preparations. It is very rarely used in the making of curries except in rural areas, due to its high pungency and lack of colour. When finely ground with coconut it serves as a very pungent coconut symbal or as Lunu Miris (a type of symbal without coconut); it is usually eaten with boiled jak and breadfruit. In the chutneys and pickles for which Kochchi is normally used no red chillie or peppercorns are used as the kochchi supplies the necessary pungency. Lime pickle is generally cured with Kochchi or dry kochchi is added to cured lime pickle before storage. It is the experience of the writer that in place of pepper, one or two dried kochchi chillies finely powdered and rubbed into beef before roasting gives a very fine flavour for those who desire a pungent spicy flavour in roast beef.

-Dried Red Chillies. Sinh: Valieche Miris.

This is commonly used in the making of curries. It is a variety of green chillies that is allowed to ripen on the tree. It is later dried and used either ground or powdered with the seeds. The brighter the chillie the more attractive the appearance when used in curries. It is commonly accepted in Ceylon that all curries should have some form of chillie, but the excessive use of chillie is not advisable. This type of chillie can also be broken up into small pieces and fried to "temper" dhal and other curries where the accent on the fried ingredients is desired. Special sambals are also made with whole dried chillies fried and mixed with fried onions and other appetisers, such as salted prawns, dried fish and sprats. The proportion of chillie to be used is often dependent on personal taste.Ripened red chillie ground fresh and used as a base makes an excellent hot sauce for savoury rice preparations.

-Green Curry Chillies. Sinh: Amu Miris

This is really the green chillie before it has ripened. A wide variety of this is to be found and the thinner the darker and the greener the chillie, the greater the pungency. These are used for all "white" curries without red dried chillies. Green chillies are also used in combination with chillie powder in certain curries. In all fresh sambals and mallums that require a pungent flavour this type of chillie is used. Dipped in an acid and brine solution and sundried it can be stored in bottles. These chillies make good appetisers if deep fried, served plain or with other appetisers such as prawns and sprats. They can be ground fine with coconut for fresh sambals and eaten with various breakfast preparations, such as Thosai and Iddlie.

-Capsicum Chillies Sinh: Malu Miris

This type is generally not used as a condiment in curry-making for two reasons: first, it is costly and secondly it is not sufficiently pungent for the average Ceylonese palate. These chillies may be used in salads that do not require a pungent flavour and for all white curries prepared for invalids and children. This chillie is very popular as a curry, either plain or stuffed with meat, fish or vegetable filling. It can also be stuffed with a savoury filling as a short eat, deep fried with a protective covering, or, blanched or scalded before stuffing and served unfried.

-Peppers. Sinh. Takkali Miris.

This type of chillie has a very thick pericarp and is rarely used as an ingredient in the making of curries, but the pericarp itself is used as a vegetable due to its lack of pungency. It. is also in popular demand for salads to add variety in colour and texture and is used in certain other forms such as cayenne pepper (paprika) for which the pericarp is dried and powdered, and pimento puree, in the preparation of non-Ceylonese dishes.

CORIANDER SEEDS. Sinh: Kottamalli

All parts of the coriander plant can be used in the preparation of curries; for instance, in certain Eastern countries the young plant is used for sauces and chutneys while the seeds are used to flavour curries and soups. Normally in Ceylon only the seeds are used. They are extensively used as a condiment for curry powders and as a preservative spice, for instance, in sausages. In certain Western countries coriander is used for flavouring liqueurs, particularly gin. The seeds are supposed to have a carminative, diuretic, stomachic, and antibilious effect on the digestive system.

The aromatic odour and taste of the coriander seed is due to an essential oil and coriander seeds from the tropics have a better aroma than those from colder countries. There are two well-known varieties of coriander seeds in the market: one small, the other large. As in the case of chillies, the smaller the coriander seed the stronger is its flavour. Both varieties are used extensively for cooking purposes.

Coriander is always used finely powdered or finely ground and never in the seed form for the making of curries. Generally coriander is used in the preparation of almost all meat, fish and vegetable curries. In the preparation of fish curries the use of coriander depends on the type of curry to be cooked. The average amount set for a pound of meat fish or vegetables would vary ac- cording to the flavour required in the curry from about two to four teaspoons to the pound.

Coriander leaves maybe deep fried or used fresh for garnishing dishes.

CUMIN. Sinh: Sududuru.

This seed is referred to by different names in different parts of the world by culinary experts e.g. small cumin, black cumin or cumin. Like coriander there is the very fine and the less fine variety. The cumin has an aromatic odour and a spicy somewhat bitter taste; therefore its use in a curry must be moderate, so as not to override the flavour of the food to which it is added.

In Ceylon it is generally added either powdered or ground and not generally used as a whole seed, but in certain other countries the whole seeds are fried with a little butter or oil and rarely used in powdered form.

A simple but effective rule in the use of cumin is to limit it to exactly half of whatever portion of coriander is used. However, it may be used alone without the combination of coriander.

It is very similar to the caraway seed, and, indeed, in Europe it has been replaced by caraway seeds in the preparation of pickles and cheese and seasoning for breads and cakes.

Cumin seeds are said to have a stimulant and carminative effect. They are stomachic and useful in diarrhoea. The volatile oil in the cumin seed is also used in the preparation of perfume, liqueur and cordials.

SWEET CUMIN. Sinh.; Maduru.

This is usually referred to as sweet cumin, big cumin or white cumin. It is used in combination with coriander and black cumin for the making of curries, pickles, chutneys and sauces but very often in Ceylon sweet cumin is used more in the preparation of sweetmeats; whereas in certain parts of India it is popularly used in the preparation of curries due to its sweetish pleasant aroma. In Ceylon it is generally combined with black cumin in equal proportions (but never more of the former). Equal portions of coriander and sweet cumin are not used in Ceylon as it gives a very sweetish flavour which is not as favoured as it is in certain parts of India. A sambal could be made out of the fresh cumin leaves or they may be ground and added as a thickening agent to fish curries or used as a garnish, fresh or deep fried.

TURMERIC Sinh: Kaha

This is erroneously referred to as saffron. It is a rhizome that is cured, sun-dried, powdered and used in curries. It is indispensable in all white curries to give colour to a curry but in the case of meat and dark curries it may be omitted. It is generally accepted that if the strong odour of fish is to be removed, turmeric, lime or goraka should be used or they may be used together.

Turmeric as such does not give very much of a flavour but it is used in every curry, as it is considered to have stomachic and carminative effects. Its general effect on a curry is neutral except that it adds colour to food. No special flavour as such is derived, but it is added for its medicinal value. It is interesting to note that turmeric is considered a purifying substance. Hindu places of worship and business places are sprinkled with turmeric water every morning as soon as the premises are swept. In the case of infectious diseases like chicken-pox and measles turmeric water is sprinkled in the house because it is traditionally believed to be a disinfectant.

FENUGREEK Sinh: Ulu hal

This is a small brown, square-shaped seed generally used with all meat and fish curries and some vegetable curries. It is also added to white gravy that requires body or thickening.

The seed becomes coated with mucilage when soaked in water, and this gives the necessary body. It is fairly strong in odour when roasted and has a slightly bitter flavour. It is best used unroasted to avoid too strong a flavour. The fenugreek must be boiled sufficiently so that a slimy texture is noticed in the gravy, before the first extract of coconut milk is added.

A little of fenugreek is all that is required in meat or fish curries but a large proportion must be used in a gravy and kiri hodhi (white gravy with coconut milk) to give the necessary binding or thickening effect.Besides its culinary value, it is used extensively in hair oils prepared for little children by Muslim and Tamil families and as a beauty treatment for the skin. It is soaked overnight and boiled with sliced lime for the washing of the hair and skin. This preparation is rather slimy but it is supposed to rid the hair of any dandruff and gives the hair added lustre.

CINNAMON Sinh: Kurundu.

Cinnamon is the outer bark of the cinnamon tree. The peelings off the bark are rolled to form quills. It is said that the quality of Ceylon cinnamon ranks the highest in the world. The finer the bark, the more superior is the quality of the cinnamon. It has a pleasing fragrant odour and a sweet aromatic taste. Since it is available freely and has a pleasant flavour it is used in larger proportions than are necessary in fish, meat and vegetable curry.

Generally it is not used in leafy mallums (cooked shredded leaves) and fresh sambals. An inch-long slice would be all that is required for any curry where the ingredients weigh approximately one pound. A little excess of cinnamon is not unpalatable in any dish unlike other condiments such as cloves, fenugreek, etc. Cinnamon is used extensively in sweets due to its pleasant flavour. It is sometimes used in medicinal drinks made with coriander and sometimes also in tea.

CLOVES Sinh: Karabu Nati

The cloves are the unopened flower buds, picked when they turn red at the base. The flower stalks are the clove stems of commerce that are used for culinary purposes. The dried cloves are used for their very strong aromatic odour and hot pungent aromatic taste. It should, however, be used in moderation for the flavour is sharp and not as palatable as cinnamon and cardamom and it must be used with caution so that it does not dominate over other flavours. Cloves should be bruised to give the desired effect and one to two cloves per half pound of rice or per one pound of meat or fish may be used. For medicinal purposes the clove oil is used.

CARDAMOMS Sinh: Enasahal

Cardamoms are the pods of an aromatic reed grown extensively inCeylon. It is harvested when it is green and sun-dried. The pod contains several seeds with a pleasant aroma and an aromatic taste that is very characteristic of the spice which is slightly pungent. Cardamoms are used widely in the preparation of all meat, fish sambals and some vegetable curries. Cardamom powder is used widely in the making of sweetmeats. Among the rural folk they are also served to guests as a mark of cordiality and greeting. It is further used as an ingredient of a chew of betel.

MUSTARD Sinh: Aba.

Mustard seeds are of two varieties, the white or yellow mustard and the black mustard. The white or yellow variety is not freely available in Ceylon and has a mild pungent taste. The black mustard seed has a very sharp piercing, irritating and pungent taste. It is used extensively in the preparation of pickles, chutneys, certain meat, fish and vegetable curries.Usually for the preparation of pickles, etc. it is used in finely ground or powdered form using vinegar for grinding. The seeds, however are sometimes used in curries when onions and curry leaves are “tempered".Mustard seeds if allowed to over-fry or over-roast give a very pronounced bitter irritating flavour to the curry.

AROMATIC GINGER Sinh: Ingurupiyali.

This type of spice is used in special preparations only. It is a rhizome that is cured, sliced and dried like ginger. It is used in meat preparations and certain rice preparations for its fine aromatic flavour. It has a very mild pungent taste. Aromatic ginger lightly roasted and powdered makes a very good addition to a pork curry. It is sometimes used along with cinnamon, cardamom and cloves in spiced tea. It is used as an ingredient in a chew of betel.

GARLIC Sinh: Sudu lunu.

Garlic is a bulb belonging to the family of onions, but is far more pungent with a very piercing flavour. Three to four cloves of garlic are generally used for about a pound of fish or meat in a curry and in sambals.

The use of garlic in vegetable curries is restricted according to the type of vegetable. It must be pointed out that when garlic is ground or crushed and rubbed into meat or fish, small quantities should be used. If, however, it is used chopped and fried it gives a more pronounced flavour. It is generally used in all meat and fish curries and seeni sambals. A little extra use of garlic in a curry will not mar the flavour unlike certain other condiments.

Garlic has a diuretic effect and is a preventive against flatulence. It is also administered to relieve rheumatic pain. It makes excellent eating mixed with jaggery after being roasted over hot ash wrapped in a banana leaf. Garlic cooked as a curry is excellent and makes a very popular curry.

GINGER Sinh:Inguru.

Ginger is a rhizome and there are two varieties found in Ceylon. One is a very pungent, thin finger-like variety which is very fibrous and is used in two forms:- as fresh, finely chopped or sliced or ground ginger in curries; and as a powder, after it has been cured and sundried. The latter form is usually used more for sweets than for curries and occasionally also for drinks.

The second variety of ginger which is known as Chinese or Cantonginger is fibreless when it is tender, and the diameter of the rhizome can vary between 1" to 2". The pungency is very mild and it is generally used in the preparation of preserves such as Ginger in Syrup or Can- died Ginger.

The pungent Ginger is a "must" for curries, chutneys, pickles and certain types of sambals due to its pungency. Care should be taken to use only small quantities. In certain parts of India, however, it is sliced and used very generously in curries, pickles and other appetisers.

CURRY LEAVES Sinh: Karapincha

There are many varieties of curry leaves and some that are typical of Ceylon and these are found in plenty in the forest. They are generally used fresh in meat, fish or vegetable curry and in sambals. They may,however, be sun-dried and used in this form but this is very rarely donein Ceylon due to its ready availability and low cost.

Curry leaves give a very distinctive flavour and the aroma it produces during frying has the effect of whetting the appetite. Curry leaves are generally fried in oil until crisp and then added to the curry which makes the aroma more pronounced. It is after frying curry leaves that the other ingredients are added to the oil.

Curry leaves can also be finely shredded before being added to curries. This helps to make the flavour more pronounced and four to five leaves would be the usual amount to add per pound of meat, fish or per cup of rice. More can be used without any harmful effects.

RAMPE Sinh: Rampe.

Rampe is a thin long leaf with a certain percentage of volatile oils that gives out strong aromatic flavour when fried in oil or even when heated in a pan. Generally rampe is not used in vegetable preparations but it is a must when boiling any type of rice e.g. Milchard, which has a strong unpleasant odour, since it helps to eliminate or reduce the odour due to the strong fragrance of its leaves. Like curry leaves they may be cut up, sun-dried and stored for use.

LEMON GRASS Sinh: Sera.

It is a type of grass with a strong flavour. The fleshy, lower part of the plant in a dry or fresh form is used in small pieces which are added to all meat curries and some fish curries. It is generally avoided in vegetable curries because of its dominating flavour, but it is an essential ingredient in seeni sambals.

Lemon grass is sometimes dried and put into rice when stored as the strong flavour of the lemon grass keeps weevils and other pests fromgrowing or living in the rice. Like rampe and curry leaves, it may also be dried and stored for use. In certain parts of India and other Asiancountries this is boiled and taken in place of tea

ONIONS Sinh: Loonu.

In Ceylon there is a wide range of onions for different uses. As in the case of chillies the smaller the onion the more pronounced in its flavour and very little is required for curry. Nevertheless it is an essential ingredient in every curry whether it be meat, fish, vegetable, sambal or mallum. In the absence of onions the white part of the leek, shredded may be substituted to give a similar flavour.

-Red Onions Sinh: Ratu lunu.

This small reddish onion is generally used for all types of pickles, mojus, and for types of seeni sambals that are intended to be kept for a period of time, as its water contents is easily dried up, unlike the fleshy Bombay onion. Red onions, sliced and put into meat or fish curries in smaller proportions give a more pronounced and richer flavour than the Bombay onion, though many prefer to use Bombay onion as it is easier to clean chop and is cheaper.

-Madras Onion Sinh: Madarasi Loonu.

These onions are the size of small limes, very strong in flavour and of a deep magenta colour. They may be used in pickles and in fresh salads and in all types of curies for flavour in lesser quantities than the Bombay onion.

-Bombay Onion Sinh: Bombay Loonu.

There are, in fact, two varieties known as the Bombay onion; theyellowish one called the Spanish onion and the pink one known as the Bombay onion. The Spanish onion is mild in flavour and suitable only for fresh onion salads or ground and used as a thickening agent.

The pink Bombay onion is a variety that has a shaper flavour than the Spanish onion. As onions are a necessary ingredient in curries these varieties may be used with advantage.

NUTMEG Sinh: Sadikka.

Nutmeg is the seed from the fruit of the nutmeg tree. The seed isendorsed in a brittle shell, which is grated and is used in Ceylon more to give flavour to sweetmeats than in the making of curries. It can be used with great advantage for tbe preparation of other meat dishes, moreover, though not commonly used in Ceylon a little grated nutmeg in a meat or fish curry improves its flavour. Once the shell is removed the seed should be stored in an air-tight tin to prevent mildew. They may be kept indefinitely if they are well sun-dried andstored with the shell intact. The outer fleshy part, or pericarp, resembles the apricot and makes an excellent jam which is very rich in pectin.

MACE Sinh: Wasa-vasi.

Mace is the red-coloured lacy structure that adheres to the outer side of the brittle shell of the nutmeg. In Ceylon it is used more for medicinal than for culinary purposes. However, a small amount of crushed dried mace in certain meat or fish curries, or sweetmeats, definitely improves the flavour. It may be powdered and used for puddings.

MINT Sinh: Minchi

.

Mint is used more in the preparation of sambals and meat dishes than in vegetable and fish curries. It is very rarely used in any vegetablepreparation but is sometimes used in meat and fish preparations. A mint sambal is a necessary accompaniment to biriyani rice.

PARSLEY Sinh: Parsley.

Parsley is not extensively used in the making of curries. It maysometimes be finely chopped and added to a meat or fish curry in placeof coriander or fennel leaves. It may be used deep fried, or fresh as agarnish for a savoury rice preparation.

CELERY Sinh:Seldiry.

It is not used extensively in the making of curries but is put to the same uses as parsley.

FENNEL Sinh: Endur, Dividuru, Mahaduru, Bata-enduru.

A hair like leaf, similar to the Dill leaf. The seeds are used extensively for flavouring liqueurs and in confectionery. In curries, it is used for fish curries or for ground sambals. It has a very mild.

PEPPER Sinh: Gammiris.

Black and White pepper are the berries of a climbing vine that iscultivated in certain parts of Ceylon and other countries. The berries grow in clusters, green in colour when immature, and turning yellow and red when ripe. Black pepper is produced from pepper-corns which are usually sundried after harvesting, and in this process they become black. The white pepper-corns are the berries that are allowed to soak in stagnant water for about 2-3 days to allow the outer pericarp to rot. The berries are then taken out, washed to remove the outer pericarp, again washed well to make them white, and sundried.

Black pepper has a characteristic, penetrating aromatic odour but the white pepper is not so pungent. It is sometimes used in place of chillies or as a combination with the chillie to give the necessary pungency to a curry.

White pepper is very rarely used for cooking due to its high cost and its not available freely in the Ceylon market. However it may be substituted for chillies in certain recipes if desired. Pepper tastes best when freshly ground or crushed immediately prior to use.

It is interesting to note that in some dishes practically all the ingredients listed above are used in such a manner that one flavour does not supersede another. The blending should be such that one flavour enriches the other, thus improving the food to which it is added. In a well -blended curry all the ingredients should be added in such proportion that the flavour of the meat, fish or vegetable is not killed by the use of the condiments and spices. They should be added only to enrich or bring out the flavour of the main ingredient.

Because of the variation in blending ingredients, curries and ricepreparations may vary from country to country and even from person to person and therefore may not have the same taste though they may be known by the same name, e.g. Khorma, biriyani, Meat or Fish curries.

A knowledge of the different uses of ingredients used in curries is helpful to one who desires to try out various combinations to produce flavours. The following ingredients - chillie, turmeric, coriander, cloves, cumin, cardamoms, sweet cumin, cinnamon, lemon grass, onions, garlic, ginger, curry leaves, rampe, nutmeg, together with the necessary thickening agents and acids.are essential for all meat curries, but the flavour of each meat curry would vary according to the manner in which the ingredients are introduced.

With these ingredients hundreds of different flavoured curries may be made and it will be a fascinating experience for those who venture into this field of cookery, if they try out their own proportions for different curries.

MAKING CURRY POWDERS

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n the making of curry powders, numerous combinations are possible.With the basic curry powder mixtures one may use one’s own formula in devising a mixture. It is strongly recommended that condiments be kept separate as greater flavours can be developed by using them in different proportions. DIFFERENT CURRY POWDER MIXTURES (where only onions, liquids and acids have to be added)

INGREDIENTS	01	02	03	04	05	06
Chillie	04 oz	01 oz	-	-	02 oz	-
Coriander	03 oz	03 oz	03 oz	04 oz	02 oz	02 oz
S. Cumin	¼ oz	¼ oz	¼ oz	02 oz	01 oz	01 oz
Cumin	01 oz	01 oz	01 oz	02 oz	01 oz	1½oz
Cadju	01 oz	01 oz	01 oz	-	½ oz	-
Fenugreek	01 oz	01 oz	01 oz	-	½ oz	01 oz
Cloves	06 oz	06 oz	06 oz	06 oz	06 oz	-
Cardamom	06 oz	06 oz	06 oz	04 oz	04 oz	-
Cinnamon	¼”	¼”	¼”	01”	01’	-
Rampe	03”	03”	03”	01”	03”	-
Sera	02”	02”	02”	-	02”	-
Curry leaves	06 sprigs	06 sprigs	06 sprigs	02 sprigs	04 sprigs	03 sprigs
Coconut	1½ oz	1½ oz	1½ oz	-	01 oz	1 oz
Rice	1½ oz	1½ oz	1½ oz	-	01 oz	½ oz
Aromatic Ginger	02 pcs	02 pcs	02 pcs	-	02 pcs	-
Pepper	½ oz	-	½ oz	-	½ oz	-
Mustard	02 tsp	02 tsp	02 tsp	-	-	-
Turmeric	½ tsp.	½ tsp.	½ tsp.	-	-	¼ tsp.
01, 02, 03 and 04 to be roasted until golden brown for meats
05 to be sundried and powdered for meat
06 to be sundried and powdered for vegetables

FRAGRANT POWDER (suwanda kudu)

INGREDIENTS	VEGETABLE 01	VEGETABLE 02	POLKIRI BADUM (Red Curry)
Cumin	4 ozs.	1 oz.	2 ozs.
Sweet Cumin		1 oz.	2 ozs.
Cinnamon	1”
Cardamoms	5	6
Cloves	6	1
Coriander		4	4 ozs.
Fenugreek		1

Well roasted until coffee colour and ground to sprinkle on vegetables and other white curries prior to serving. METHODS OF INTRODUCING INGREDIENTS INTO CURRIES

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t must be remembered that more or less the same basic ingredients are used for all curries. Different flavours are obtained by combining them in different proportions and also by introducing them to the main ingredients in different ways;

¨ All the ingredients are pan roasted together and powdered.

¨ Commercial powdered ingredients are lightly pan roasted prior to use or.powdered ingredients are tempered in oil,

¨ Ingredients are added plain to a curry or mixed with the meat, fish or vegetable to be cooked and tempered, with the result that different flavours are obtained.

In the past when whole ingredients were prepared daily for use by the housewife (unlike the present when powdered curry stuffs are used) these ingredients were roasted or sun-dried prior to grinding or powdering. They were roasted in a pan to the desired colour, light, dark, or very dark so that flavours were mild or pronounced. This operation was usually done by heating an earthenware pan and stirring each ingredient in the pan until the different flavours were brought out and the desired colour was obtained. Usually each ingredient was roasted separately so that the finer ingredients such as fenugreek, cumin etc., were not burnt whilst the coriander, chillie cardamoms and cinnamon reached the desired colour.

This method, of course, is very time consuming and very rarely tried out or practiced to-day in the urban household. It is still followed in some of the rural areas when the older folk cook. When the roasting of the whole ingredients is completed, they are either powdered together and sieved, or ground on the grinding stone with the addition of salt water to facilitate grinding. The salt also acts as a preservative. These ground or powdered ingredients are usually kept for a few days, or roasted daily according to the practice followed in different households.

This method requires less curry stuffs as flavour of fresh condiments is more potent than powders that have been exposed. Thus it gives a more pronounced and fresh flavour to curries.

Powdered curry stuffs available in polythene bags have their ad-vantage in the sense that it is labour saving but due to prolonged shelflife and also due to use of packing material that permits the escape of the flavour of the curry ingredients, it is necessary sometimes to use more curry powders to obtain the desired flavours.

It is advisable always when purchasing packets of powdered ingredients to put them into air tight bottles or tins immediately after purchase and to buy in small quantities.

The following are some of the methods of adding these ingredients to a curry to obtain different flavours:

COLD METHOD

In this process the condiments used are all mixed with the raw vegetable, meat or fish. The thin milk, or second and third extract of the coconut, is added first or sometimes thick and thin milk are added at once, and the curry brought to the boil and allowed to simmer until done.

This is one of the commonest methods used in every household but it involves the use of a fairly large quantity of milk. Curries cooked in this manner are sometimes "tempered". This gives it an oily appearance. Fried onions impart a flavour which is more pronounced when added just before serving or after cooking than when added uncooked initially.

MIX WITH CURRY INGREDIENTS

The second method of introducing curry ingredients or condiments begins as in above, by mixing all the condiments, spices and seasoning to the meat, fish or vegetables to be cooked.

This mixture is then tempered in a very small quantity of oil to bring out a more pronounced flavour of the condiments. In the case of vegetable curries this method of introducing the vegetables into the hot pan with a little oil preserves the colour and makes them brighter

Cooking is continued in this small quantity of oil for a few minutes (5-7 mins) till a slight aroma is given out from the condiment. Then the necessary amount of coconut milk is added and allowed to simmer untildone. In the case of green vegetables they should be cooked with the lid off to retain the colour.

CURRY POWDERS ROASTED IN 0IL

In this method the condiments and spices are added to a very smallquantity of oil and allowed to fry until a very pronounced flavour is obtained. Thereafter the meat, fish or vegetable is added and allowed tofry for a few minutes. The coconut milk, water or stock is then added and cooking continued until the food is done.

ROASTED CURRY POWDER

In the fourth method the condiment powder is roasted in a heated pan for a few minutes prior to being added to the meat, fish or vegetable. Thereafter the cooking is continued following either the first or second method as mentioned above.

ROASTED WHOLE INGREDIENTS

In the fifth method whole condiments and spices are roasted andpowdered or ground prior to immediate use. This gives the food themost pronounced flavour in the use of condiments. ACIDS USED IN CURRIES

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t is surprising how one may use a wide combination of acids without the ravour of any one acid being predominant and obtain verydesirable and fascinating flavours in their combination. One acid maybe substituted for another in the case of curries with the exception ofGoraka in Ambul Thial, a special fish preparation.

VINEGAR Sinh: Vinakiri.

Two types of Vinegar are used in Ceylon. They are made from the sap of flowers; from the coconut palm-coconut vinegar and from the kitul palm-kitul vinegar. The coconut vinegar is a variety that is freely available. The sap is stored in wooden barrels to mature with the addition of certain acids; it is later strained, distilled and sold as vinegar. The chief acid in vinegar is acitic acid which helps as a tenderiser in meat preparations. Vinegar is used with meat and some fish preparations and in all pickles, sauces, chutneys and mojus. The average strength of vinegar should be of a concentration of 4 per cent acitic acid. It is not used very freely in vegetable preparations except salads in the absence of lime juice.

LIME Sinh: Dehi.

Lime is the most commonly used type of acid in all types of meat, fish, vegetable curries and sambals. It is therefore, used by itself or incombination with other acids. Lime is essential and only lime must beused in a coconut sambal, where the lime flavour must be predominant.In onion sambal, the lime juice is usually added first to the sliced onionwith salt and set aside before the addition of chillie and other ingredients.This gives the onion sambal a sharp flavour and a pinkish tint which makes it attractive.

When lime juice is added to a curry where thick coconut milk is used. it is usually added just before the curry is taken off the fire. The curry must be stirred from time to time to prevent the curdling of the coconut milk as citric acid is found in lime juice.

Lemon has become very popular as an acid in recent times. It is used in curries rather than in sambals due to its mild flavour. Lemmonine is slightly stronger in flavour than the lemon and may even replace lime in time to come due to its easy cultivation, quick bearing period and profusion of fruits.

TAMARIND Sinh: Siyambala.

Mallic acid is the acid found in tamarind. Tamarind is a pod of thetamarind tree-a tree well known for its beautiful grained wood which is very expensive and used for furniture.

When the pod is mature the seed with its fleshy covering can easily be separated from the pod. The mature pod becomes brittle and brown and the softer fleshy covering of the seed becomes a chestnut brown in colour.The seed itself is hard and dark brown and is not used for any culinary purpose. It is the fleshy acidic covering of the seed which is used for cooking.

This acid is fairly strong and can eat into aluminium if kept in aluminium vessels. Tamarind is usually used by dissolving the fleshypart with salt water or thin coconut milk, depending on the purpose forwhich the acid is used. The remaining extract is the acid. This extract if fairly thick can act also as a thickening agent. Tamarind is rather widely used in the making of curries by the Tamils in Ceylon and in Southern India. It is almost indispensable for seeni sambals and certain fish and meat preparations.

The tamarind is preserved by adding kitchen salt to the ripe tamarind after removing the seeds and storing it in earthenware pots or jars. The tamarind flowers which are quite small and of yellow range hue also make an excellent curry with a sharp acid flavour.

TOMATOES Sinh: Takkali.

Tomatoes are added to certain curries for a three purposes.

-For its flavour

-Acid content

-as a thickening agent.

Tomatoes are used in white fish curries, in meat preparations and certainvegetable curries, to give a mild acid flavour. The raw tomato is used as a curry with onions, or to give an acid flavour to vegetable curries in the absence of lime juice.

GORAKA Sinh: Goraka.

Goraka as found in the market is black in colour and kidney shaped but in its natural state it is a beautiful orange (segmented) fruit. The kidney shaped piece is one segment of the whole fruit. When the fruit is ripe, it is sun-dried and stored. Sun-drying turns the orange colour to black.

The older the goraka, the stronger the acid, which is used extensively in fish preparations. With a little soaking the old goraka can be crushed into pulp. In the preparation of Ambul Thial only goraka is used for the acid.

It is interesting to note that in rural homes the goraka is stored away above the open hearth with the result that it becomes quite soft and the acid improves with keeping. In the maritime provinces of Ceylon goraka is seldom ground but is soaked in salt water, crushed and added to curries. In modern homes where the open hearth is not available the tendency is to use the ground goraka as freshly dried goraka cannot be crushed.

Goraka is also a thickening agent and as an acid can be used in thepreparation of some meat curries. It is also used in the washing of fish to remove the strong fish odour.

For its storage salt is added and it is kept in earthenware pots or jars.Never use aluminium for the storage of goraka.

BILING Sinh: Biling.

This is a very acid fruit with a high concentration of water and is used in combination with other acids or in their place. It has a tenderising effects on meats and is often used in a combination with other acids for meat curries where acidity is required. The fruit. may be dried and stored for use during the off season when the fresh fruit is not available.

The fresh fruit makes an excellent curry or a sambal and the acidity is removed completely or slightly by the addition of certain quantities of calcium chloride. The dried biling fruit makes excellent pickles and mojus and the ripe fruit may be made into a preserve or jam. The two common methods of drying biling are as follows:

¨ Remove sepals and stems from fruit, immerse in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, drain, slice, and sprinkle with crushed kitchen salt. Arrange in an earthenware pot finishing with a layer of salt on top. Let it remain in the pot for 2-5 days. There after take the fruits out of the pot and sun-dry daily putting them back into the pot each day and repeating this process till the fruits are well dried and encrusted with salt. The pot with the brine is also kept in the sun until the biling fruits are well dried and encrusted with salt. Store, in polythene bags or bottles. It may be kept indefinitely with a little sunning occasionally.

¨ Remove sepals and stems. Prick with a fork. Arrange in anearthenware pot in alternate layers of biling and crushed kitchen salt ending with a layer of salt. Sun-dry after 4 - 5 days in the same manner as the method (a) above.

MANGO Sinh:Amba.

Dried or fresh mango is a good acid used widely for fish, meat andvegetable curries, in place of more generally used acids such as limejuice, goraka, tamarind etc. A little thickening effect can also be obtained by using mango as an acid in curries due to the presence of starch in mango. Further, it has a tenderising effect. Immature mangoes that are often allowed to go waste may be treated in the following manner, stored and used for chutneys etc.

¨ Half mature mangoes that fall from the tree may be preserved and stored for use as these are usually not eaten. Wash and wipe mangoes, cut them into four, right through the seed. Bruise slightly, stack in an earthenware pot with kitchen salt in between with a final layer of salt on top and leave for seven days. At the end of the seventh day, sun-dry daily dipping the mango pieces in the brine solution contained in the pot, till the brine solution is used up and mango pieces are encrusted with salt.

¨ Blanch pieces of mango after slicing them fine, drain well, arrange pieces of mango in earthenware pot with alternate layers of salt. Store for three days, sun-dry daily and put back into liquid brine in pot at the end of each day until pieces are dry and encrusted with salt. Store, use when required. The dried mango makes excellent chutney. Soak in vinegar 24 hours before use.

OTHER ACID FRUITS

All fruits with a high content of acid, like amberella, kambaranga, lovi, num num etc., may be used finely sliced in vegetables, fish and meat curries. They must be added initially to the curry and cooked untilpulpy. This will act as an acid and a thickening agent.

LOVI Sinh: Lovi.

These fruits may be dried and stored using any of the methodsemployed for mango and biling. This is a fruit generally not used thoughfound in plenty, and makes an excellent acid when added to meat, fishand vegetable curries. Once again the fruit must be cut into small piecesand added. It not only acts as an acid but also has a slight thickening effect. Another method for preparation and use of lovi is given below:

SOLUTION FOR BRINING FRUITS

(Salt to be added to one gallon of water)

DAY	QUANTITY OF SALT TO A GALLON OF WATER
01	02 ozs.
02	02 ozs.
05	03 ozs.
07	03 ozs.
09	04 ozs.
11	10 ozs.
12	08 ozs.
13	10 ozs.

3-5 gms. or a pinch of Potassium Metabisulphite may be added to the water to prevent any kind of mould growth

Place well-ripened lovi fruits in the brine solution. Increase the strength of brine solution by adding salt every alternate day. At the end of the period, sun-dry fruits until encrusted with salt. Brine solution may have to be sprinkled on the fruits occasionally during sun drying. Store and use when required. Excellent for pickles, mojus and chutneysMÍ[1]NÍ[1]úÍ[1]üÍ[1]ýÍ[1] Î[1]Î[1] Î[1] Î[1]
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' very wide variety of thickening agents used in the thickening of the gravy of a curry.

In Ceylon, coconut milk has been the traditional thickening agent in a curry which is boiled down until the gravy is thick. This is beinggradually replaced by the use of condiments and spices and other thickening agents on account of the cost of the coconut the ill-effect of itsexcessive use on health and the labour involved.

A combination of thickening agents, apart from the spices and condiments used, gives a much better and richer flavour to a curry than athickening agent used individually. It has been the writer's experiencethat rice, cadjunuts or peanuts, coconut roasted or plain onion and green chillie used as a combination give a very fine flavour and richness to meat and vegetable curries. Fresh grated coconut, rice and onions act as good thickening agents for curries that are cooked without the addition of the condiments and spices which add a brownish colour to the curry.White curries are only coloured with the addition of a pinch of turmeric for eye appeal, and as a rule are not so pungent in flavour as darker curries. For vegetable curries other than white curries the addition of a few grains of rice, roasted coconut, onion and a little bit of dhal gives the necessary body and flavour. The combination of thickening agents may be done according to individual tastes.

COCONUT Sinh; Pol.

In Ceylon the cooking of rice and curry is very closely associated with the use of the coconut in some form or another. Generally coconuts are sold in the market and one has no choice selection except in respect of the size and price. Care must be taken to choose coconuts that are quite mature but not dry.

To an inexperienced person the only guide for choosing a coconut is its weight more than its size; if a coconut is heavy and the water in it produces the minimum sound when the coconut is shaken it can be taken as a well matured coconut which is still not dry. If, on the other hand, a coconut is light in weight and little sound is produced then the nut is not so mature tender. On the other hand if a coconut is light in weight and a fairly noticeable sound is produced when shaken, then it is a mature nut.

Fresh but not fully mature coconuts (kalati) are best suited for use in the preparation of roti, pittu and sambal. Fresh, mature coconuts give the best extract of coconut milk and are generally suitable for the preparation of curry. Dry mature coconuts are best suited for the preparation of coconut oil and sweetmeats such as kaludodol and muscat where a certain amount of oil is required in cooking the sweetmeat, but not the addition of oil.

When coconut milk is used as thickening agent the quantity of milkadded should be 1 ½ to 1¾ times the amount actually required in the finished product and this liquid must be simmered to the required quantity to give the necessary body to the curry. This involves a greatdeal of waste in fuel as well as in the use of the coconut milk itself. Thepresent day tendency is to use the minimum of coconut milk in the cooking of curries. The excessive use of coconut milk involves more labour and time as a greater quantity of coconut has to be scraped andsqueezed.

How to extract coconut milk

In some western countries the water in the coconut is referred to as coconut milk. The coconut milk is really the extract taken from the grated, or scraped kernel of the coconut. If three quarters the weight of the scraped coconut is added to water a fairly rich milk is obtained (8 ozs. coconut scrapings to 6 ozs. water). This, of course, would depend on the maturity of the coconut; fresh mature coconuts and not dry mature nuts, give the best quantity and quality of milk. Tender coconuts do not yield much milk.

After the first extract of milk is taken, the second and third extracts are obtained by adding half the weight of the coconut scraping to water with each extract (e.g. 4 ozs of coconut scraping to 2 ozs of water). Usually the second and third extracts are put together though extracted separately. If a fourth extract is desired from the coconut refuse, it should either be ground or pounded before the extract is taken. In a modern household where a food blender is available the required quantity of water is added to coconut scrapings and into the blender and worked for two to three minutes. This gives a fairly rich milk, even in the fourth extract.

How to roast coconut

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Add the grated or scraped coconut to a heavy bottomed pan or a clay pan and when well heated stir all the while until the desired colour is obtained.

The scraped coconut may be placed on a baking sheet and put in the oven at 250 -300°F until the desired colour is obtained. The coconut has to be stirred from the edges of the baking sheet from time to time to prevent uneven browning.

The scraped coconut may be spread evenly on a baking sheet and placed under a grill or salamander to brown to desired colour. The coconut will have to be stirred occasionally to en- sure even browning.

The kernel out into pieces, wrapped in plantain leaf and placed in hot ash or on hot coals until dark brown or black or it may be roasted over a heated clay pot or pan. This method is used for special types of sambals only.

Slightly roasted coconut

Coconut is roasted to a light brown colour, finely ground and utilized in the preparation of meat, fish and some vegetable curries. The roasting of coconut gives it a special aroma and this improves the flavour when added to curries. Roasted coconut ground with garlic, pepper etc., makes an excellent sambal.

Coconut roasted till it is almost black

This is usually used only in the preparation of certain dark curries such as ash pumpkin curry and sambal. Though roasted till almost black in colour, no burnt flavour is noticeable when used in curries.

Grated coconut

Fresh grated coconut is sometimes finely ground and is used for the thickening of white curries, especially the vegetables belonging to the gourd and pumpkin families, (e.g. snake gourd, pumpkin andcucumber). These vegetables contain a very high content of water and a thickening agent is essential. The grated and ground coconut is added after the vegetable is partially cooked. Fresh grated coconut which is ground is used for sambals (thosai sambal) or served plain as an accompaniment to rice and curry.

Volume of scraped coconuts obtained from different sizes

SIZE	WEIGHT	VOLUME
Lareg	1 1/2 kgs.	500 - 600 gms.
Medium	800 - 1 kg.	400 gms.
Small	500 - 600 gms	350 gms.
Very Small	250 - 300 gms.	250 gms.

Coconut Sliced

The kernel is finely sliced and added to vegetable curries but thethickening effect is only very mild as the pieces are kept whole even after prolonged cooking. It is used in a type of curry with tender jack and coconut.

Tender coconut (Kurumba)

This is immature coconut with soft and opaque kernel. The kernel cannot be scraped because this type of coconut has a soft and non-brittle shell and soft kernel. The water inside is usually used as a refreshing drink and the soft tender kernel may be scooped and used as a curry prepared in the same manner, with the same ingredients, as a meat curry.

NUTS

Cadjunuts, peanuts, country almonds (Kottan) are all used finely ground in the proportion of roughly one to two dessert spoons full per pound of meat or fish in the preparation of meat and fish curries. A combination of these nuts may be used or each used separately. The oil content in a curry is thus increased but not noticeably.

RAW RICE OR PARBOILED RICE

This is usually ground or roasted until light brown and used as athickening agent. This gives body as it is a form of starch. Certain varieties of samba and par-boiled rice are used, where a lesser thickening effect is desired. The raw varieties give a greater thickening effect. Rice is ground unroasted for all white curries.

GINGILI SEEDS Sinh; Tala

Gingili seeds washed, soaked and ground also give the necessarythickening effect and increase the oil content in a curry. It must be noted that the grinding of gingili seeds is not very easy. Prior soaking of the seeds makes grinding or pounding easier.

TOMATOES Sinh: Takkali.

Tomatoes are a thickening agent apart from their use as an acid incurries. To serve as a thickening agent they must be scalded, then cut into small pieces and added to curry from the very start. It must be remembered, however, that if tomatoes are used without scalding they must not be cut and kept for sometime as enzyme action sets in separating the liquid from the solids which will not produce the desired thickening effect. Tomato puree is essential in the preparation of Eastern dishes for international meals, as this gives the necessary bright red colour with the minimum use of chillie powder and also gives body to a curry.

ONIONS Sinh: Lunu.

Onion ground to a paste also gives the necessary thickening effect in meat, fish and vegetable curries. In a sambal this is the base for binding the other ingredients e.g. Maldives fish, chillies etc.

CHILLIES OR CAPSICUM CHILLIES Sinh:Malu Miris

Green chillies or capsicum chillies ground give a medium thickening effect in the preparation of curries. The use of ground chillie and onion is not so common in Ceylon as in India and other Eastern countries.

GROUND LEAVES

Coriander leaves, fenugreek leaves, mustard leaves, mint leaves, fennel leaves, parsley leaves or a combination of these leaves or any one of them may be ground and used as a thickening agent. They impart flavour as well as body to a curry. They may be used in meat, fish and some vegetable curries.

DHALS AND OTHER PULSES

Various types of dhals, and pulses, Mysore gram or Bengal gram, and Moong gram, may be ground and added with advantage to meat, fish or vegetable curries. Once again this is a very common thickening agent in India and other Eastern countries, but not so common in Ceylon. Gram flour may be added sometimes to curries but a combination of different types of dhal and pulses give better results.

MALDIVE FISH Sinh; Umbalakada.

Maldive fish is usually a variety of tuna fish processed in a special manner and the entire moisture content removed through smoking and drying. Maldive fish finely ground or powdered not only acts as a thickening agent but improves the flavour of a curry. Care should be taken, however, not to allow the maldive fish flavour to predominate over other flavours. As a rule maldive fish is not generally added to a meat or fish curry, though it may be used. All curry condiments have some thickening effect to a greater or lesser degree depending on the starch and mucilage content in each condiment.

FRUITS

Most types of fruits have some pectin present in them. The pectin in mature or semi-ripe fruits may be used in a curry with advantage to give the desired binding or thickening effect. The flavour of the fruit would also add flavour to the curry. This is not generally done, but may be tried out by enterprising amateurs willing to experiment with new flavours and textures. Fruits most suitable are papaw, guava with seedsremoved, lovi, amberella and kabaranga. The proportion would be 2-3 dessertspoons chopped fruit which should be well matured or about to ripen or ripe but not over-ripe, added to the curry with the main ingredient.

JAK SEEDS

Dried and powdered jak seeds may be added to any curry 1- 1 1/2 dessertspoons per pound of ingredient with very good results.

POPPY SEEDS Sinh; Kus-kus.

These seeds are generally added to special meat curries such as Khorma, but in Ceylon these seeds are very rarely used due to their high cost.However they give a meat curry a very rich flavour.

CURD Sinh; Mudavapu Kiri. - see Tenderising Agents.

PRAWN SHELLS AND HEADS

The heads and shells of fresh prawns may be used powdered. The heads and shells are washed free of sand and dirt, oven dried and powdered. This powder is added to a curry 1-2 dessertspoons per 1 lb. of fish, meat, or vegetable. This also enriches the flavour of a curry.

TENDERISING AGENTS

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n the cooking of meats some form of tenderiser is very necessary due to the type of meat available in Ceylon. In general, only meat or freshly slaughtered animals is available with the result that even therigormortis stage is not complete by the time the meat reaches the consumer. Secondly, the cooking time is also short due to the habit of thehousewife of purchasing her requirements of such meat daily. Animals in Eastern countries are not especially bred with a view to making theirmeat tender for food. The animals are generally used for labour as aresult of which their muscles are toughened and then later sold in themarket for flesh. Some form meat tenderiser, therefore, is absolutelynecessary to soften the meat and this also shortens the average cooking time. Commercial tenderisers which are used in Western countries are not freely available but local tenderisers are easily obtainable at very little cost. They not only soften the meat but add special flavour to a curry.

BARK OF PAPAW TREE

2 to 3 pieces of the papaw tree bark are crushed and added to a meat curry and removed on serving. The papain in the bark acts as atenderiser without imparting any flavour.

RAW PAPAW SLICE

Slices of the raw papaw fruit are added to the raw meat prior to cooking and allowed to stay for sometime and then removed before cooking or else finely chopped slices of raw papaw are added to the meat and cooked. The milk or papain in the fruit acts as the tenderiser and in addition if the fruit is chopped and cooked with the curry, it helps as a thickening agent.

PAPAW LEAVES

The leaf of the papaw tree is washed, dried and crushed between the palms to bring out the papain from the leaf. This leaf is used for tenderising meat to be grilled in the following manner. The meat to be grilled is seasoned and coated with some liquid fat. It is then wrapped in the crushed papaw leaf and set aside for a few hours prior to grilling. If the meat is kept too long in the leaf, it breaks up into small pieces when cooked and irritation of the palate can take place due to the excess papain.

PAPAIN

A pinch of dried papain is crushed and rubbed into the meat along with the seasoning. In certain Western countries papain is injected intoannuals prior to slaughtering as this has a general tenderising effect onthe meat fibre.

ASAFETIDA PERUNKAYAN

This is added in a very small quantity to most meat or dhal curries. In certain cases when people dislike the flavour a small piece -the size of a small-sized marble -is stuck to the inner side of the lid so that the steam melts a very small portion into the curry. This piece of Asopfection can be used over and over again. This is a very well known tenderiser and is used in India extensively. It is also said to aid digestion.

CURD - YOGHURT - LACTIC-ACID

Curd or yoghurt or soured milk is used as a tenderiser. The curd is applied to meat and allowed to remain for some time. The lactic acid in milk helps to soften the meat fibres. The use of curd helps to increase the nutritive value of the food and also gives a thickening effect.

ACID - VINEGAR - ACETIC ACID

The acetic acid in vinegar helps to soften meat. Vinegar is mixed with the meat and allowed to remain for ½ - ¾ hour prior to cooking.

	}

LIME JUICE - CITRIC ACID

Refer acids

TAMARIND - MALLIC ACID

GORAKA

MANGO CLEANING OF VEGETABLES

ROOT VEGETABLE

First wash the mud and dirt away, using either a brush or coconut husk.Most root vegetables are prepared for curry making by scraping off the skin. This may be done by using a knife or potato peeler. In the case of the smaller yams like innala and kiriala it is easier to clean by adopting any of the following methods

¨ Put the yams into a small jute bag, rub the bag on the floor to cause friction.

¨ Knock the yams in an up and down movement on the floor in a jute bag.

¨ Rub the yams in the koraha or nambiliya (grooved vessel used for washing rice).

¨ They may also be boiled and peeled off (innala).

Care must be taken to cut off or throw away completely any part of the yam that may be discoloured (bluish green). Yams thus affected may cause violent digestive reaction due to the presence of various poisonous acid e.g. prussic acid in the manioc.

LEAFY VEGETABLES

All mature parts of stems and withered leaves should be discarded and the leaves washed several times under running water to remove all traces of sand that may adhere to the leaves and the hairy stems in some plants. As a general rule the cutting or chopping of the leafy vegetable should be done, only after the washing has been completed and water allowed to drain. This is done in order to retain the maximum amount of water-soluble vitamins and minerals in the food to be cooked. Do not allow leafy vegetables to soak in water for long. The only exception is in preparing anguna leaves that are very bitter . These leaves are washed, shredded very fine, almost hair-like, and allowed to soak in salt water to reduce the bitterness. It is always preferable to break leafy vegetables than to cut them with a knife.

OTHER VEGETABLES (Thalanabatu, elabatu, and thumba karawila )

These are usually crushed to remove the seeds. A quick method of cleaning is to place the fruits between two chopping boards and crush them. This is quicker than cutting the fruits or placing the fruits in a jute bag and knocking it with a coconut or any heavy object to crush the fruits. Thereafter the seeds are separated and the fruits washed before cooking. In the case of thibbatu the fruits are first washed, crushed lightly and cooked with the seeds.

Vables according to use, however, may be deep fried without a protective covering. e.g. brinjals, onions, plantains etc.

The following temperature chart is a guide to the heat required for frying oil in this process.

Temperature Chart

Pappadam .370°FPanRolls .360°FOnions for seeni sambals .360°FFritters (Plantain fritters) .365°FFried Fish(with a covering g).350°FCutlets or croquettes .350°FBrinjals for Curry .360°F

Points To Be Remembered In Deep Frying:

Oil-the importance he pericarps of the fruit, the knife used for cutting the fruit and the hands must be smeared with oil to prevent the kohila or gum sticking to the knife or hands.

KOHILA

Kohila strings are also removed with a little oil or by rubbing a little grated coconut on the cut pieces of Kohila.

REMOVAL OF BITTERNESS IN VEGETABLES

Usually the fruits such as bitter gourd are boiled whole if used forstuffed vegetable, or sliced and few pieces of goraka or some acid added to remove the bitterness when boiling.

SLIMY VEGETABLES

Ladies Fingers etc. All slimy vegetables must be first washed and then cut for curry just before it is required.

SKINS OF VEGETABLES

Very valuable nutrients are thrown away with the disposal of vegetable skins which are very often edible and could form an extra curry, providing variety with no extra cost eg. plantain skins, watakolu, diyalabu skins MENU PLANNING IN SRI LANKAN HOME

I

t must be remembered that when a menu is planned in rice and curry, the normal principal of general menu planning must be applied. It is advisable, however, to have variety in the texture of the vegetablesand variety in colour and in flavour. Normally for a plain and simple rice and curry meal for daily consumption there should always be some form of meat or fish, or, in their absence, a variety of dhal or lentil.

In addition a fresh salad and two different vegetables, one of whichshould be a non-leafy vegetable, such as carrot, beetroot, beans, jakseeds, breadfruit etc., should be provided. It is wise to have them cooked differently to have variety. One may be pungent and dark in colour, another white, another with a sharp acid flavour and still another tempered in oil. Chutneys, pickles, fried papadam, prawns and sprats may be served as accompaniments to the main meal, if so desired.

The number of curries will depend on the time and money available. As a labour-saving device a number of vegetables and meat or fish may be cooked as one curry. The resulting combination gives better flavour and also brings down the cost and saves labour and money. However, it must be remembered that in planning combinations, it must be on the basis of at least 2-3 ozs. of meat, 8-10 ozs. of vegetable, and 3-4 ozs. of rice per person per meal. This proportion will normally provide a balanced meal and the necessary calories.

The following points may be observed in menu planning:

¨ Plan a full day's meal with particular attention to a balanced diet.

¨ Consider foods in season as these foods would be cheaper.

¨ Wherever possible it is easier to plan a week's menu 3 or 4 days ahead and purchase stocks at once. This is not only economical but also monotony in food could be avoided.

¨ Certain foods may be cooked in bulk and stored in portions to save time e.g. Meat curry. The monotony of the meat curry can be changed if on reheating a slight variation is made to the curry.

¨ Include fresh fruits that are available in plenty at low cost at least once a day, as a desert. These should as far as possible be served in their fresh form e.g. plantains, pineapples, mangoes, etc.

¨ Take the correct portions to avoid wastage.

¨ BREAKFAST PREPARATIONS

HOPPERS WITH RICE FLOUR AND YEAST

Ingredients

1 lb. of raw rice made into flour

1 large coconut (4 cups milk) 32 ozs

1 teaspoon yeast dissolved in 2 ozs. water

salt to taste, a pinch of sugar

Method

Sieve the flour into a bowl, add salt and a portion of the coconut milk. Gradually mix till the mixture is quite

smooth.

Add yeast mixture and the rest of the milk to make the batter. Cover and set aside to rise for about 2 hours.

Grease a hopper pan, heat it over a moderate flame. Pour a spoonful of batter and tilt pan to form a flare round Cover with a sauce - pan lid, or place a pan with live coals on top of the hopper pan.

Bake till golden brown and ease out with a hopper spoon.

(20-25 hoppers)

*If any batter remains keep in refrigerator and use the following day.

JAGGERY HOPPERS

Ingredients

1 ½ Ibs. flour (rice or wheat)

milk of one coconut 16 - 20 ozs.

2 tea spoon of bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon powdered cardamoms

1- 3 bundles of Kitul (jaggery)

water from 2 coconuts or

1 teaspoon of yeast dissolved in jaggery (scraped)

(1-1½ Ibs) 2 ozs. water - salt to taste.

4 eggs

¼ cup boiling water.

*When using wheat flour for hoppers, pittu or roti lightly toss in a heated pan to slightly change colour from white to off white.

Method

Put the flour into a pot and add coconut water or yeast dissolved in water and add boiling water and knead it into a dough. Cover it and let it stand overnight.

Next morning, add the coconut milk, the scraped jaggery, the eggs previously beaten up, the cardamom powder, salt and the bicarbonate of soda. The mixture should be rather thick. Keep the batter for sometime to rise.

Apply oil to a pan and cook as for ordinary hoppers.

(30-40 hoppers)

EGG HOPPERS

Ingredients

Same as any hopper recipe.

1 egg per person

Method

When hopper batter is ready, pour a spoonful on the heated pan and tilt the pan as in previous hopper recipes.

Immediately break an egg direct into the center of the tilted hopper. Cook covered till egg is done.

GOTU KOLA KANDA

Ingredients

½ lb. rice

1 cup of 1st extract of coconut milk

2 cups of 2nd and 3rd extracts of coconut milk mixed with the gotu kola juice from 4 ozs. or 1 bundle gotu kola leaves crushed in a mortar or blender.

2 cups of water.

Method

Wash rice. Add salt and boil with water.

When rice is cooked and ''mushy" add 2nd and 3rd extract of coconut milk, mixed with the gotu kola juice, and the 1st extract of coconut milk. Bring to boil.

Serve plain or with jaggery.

(2-4 cups)

POL PALA KANDA

Ingredients

½ lb. rice. 1 cup 1st extract of coconut milk,

2 cups of 2nd and 3rd extracts of coconut milk mixed with the pol pala juice from 4-6 ozs. or 1 bundle pol pala, crushed in a mortar.

2 cups water.

Method

Wash rice. Add salt and bring to boil water.

When rice is cooked and mushy add 2nd and 3rd extracts of coconut milk, mixed with the pol pala juice and the 1st extract of coconut milk. Bring to boil.

Serve plain or with jaggery.

(2-4 cups)

KIRI BATH (Milk Rice)

Ingredients

1 lb. raw rice.

3 teaspoons salt,

3-4 cardamoms crushed

milk of 1 large coconut or

1 small coconut 32-40 ozs.

Method

Wash and drain rice. Add the 2nd and 3rd extracts of coconut milk with salt, crushed cardamoms and allow to cook.

When coconut milk level is the same as that of the rice add the 1st extract of coconut milk. Stir well and cook until all the grains are well boiled and the mixture is one thick mass.

There should be no gravy left. Spread milk rice on a dish, smoothen the top with a piece of grease proof paper or plantain leaf. Cut into diamond shaped pieces while still hot.

(6-8 portions.)

ROTI PLAIN

Ingredients

8 ozs. wheat flour or roasted rice flour,

10-12 ozs. grated coconut

salt to taste.

Method

Mix the flour and coconut together in a bowl. Add the salt, and enough water to make a stiff dough.

Knead it well, spread mixture and cut rounds or make balls and flatten out on slightly greased plantain leaf or grease proof paper.

Bake or cook on roti pan or griddle.

(4 portions.)

PITTU WITH RAW RICE FLOUR

Ingredients

1 lb. rice flour

1 lb. scraped coconut 16-20 ozs

water to mix and salt

2 ozs. 1st extract of coconut milk.

*If you wish to reduce the intake of coconut in pittu. extract milk from the coconut first then mix with flour and.use extracted milk to pour over prepared pittu

Method

Put the flour, coconut and salt into a pan and mix so that the flour forms into little grains. If necessary add water while the grains are being formed.

Place in pittu bamboo or other pittu mould loosely.

Steam till done

pour 1st extract of coconut milk while still hot.

Unmould, cut into pieces.

(8 potions.)

PIITU WITH ROASTED WHITE WHEAT FLOUR

Ingredients

4 ozs. well roasted flour

2 ozs. 1st extract of coconut

4 ozs. grated coconut milk

salt. water to mix.

Method

Put the flour, coconut and salt into a pan and mix so that the flour forms into little grains. If necessary add water while the grains are being formed.

Fill mixture into a pittu bamboo and steam till done.

Push the pittu through using a stick.

Pour 1st extract of coconut milk while still hot.

(4 portions.)

QUICK METHOD OF MAKING THOSAI

Ingredients

8 ozs. urdu flour

1 ½ teaspoons yeast

8 ozs. white wheat flour

1 teaspoon sugar

water from 1 ½ coconuts

1-1½ cups 1st extract of coconut milk.

Method

Soak yeast in coconut water with sugar and allow to ferment 5 minutes.

Mix urdu flour and white wheat flour with yeast mixture. When double in size add sufficient 1st extract of coconut milk to be of a pouring consistency.

Add the following mixture fried well.

1 sprig curry leaves,

3-4 dry chillies, broken up or green chillie finely chopped

½ teaspoon fenugreek and ½ teaspoon mustard (optional).

10-15 red onions or 1 medium Bombay onion chopped.

Fry until golden brown in 2-3 tablespoons oil and add to batter.

Heat thosai pan, smear with a little oil as for pancakes. Pour 1/3 cup of batter. Spread out to form a thin pancake. When little holes appear on thosai, turn over the other side and cook for a minute or two.

(8 portions.)

THOSAI

Ingredients

6 ozs. urdu

15 ozs. parboiled rice

20 ozs. water

Method

Soak urdu, and parboiled rice separately. Grind both on the thosai grinding stone finely, grinding urdu first.

Add the salt and mix in the water. Gradually make a thick batter. Leave to rise overnight.

Follow as for previous

(8 portions.)

RICE PREPARATIONS

BIRIYING - CHICKEN OR MUTTON

Ingredients

1 ½ lbs. rice, 1 lb. mutton or chicken,

1½ teaspoons salt, 4 ozs. red or Bombay onions

3 ozs. curd, 4-6 cloves garlic,

16-24 ozs. water, 1" piece green ginger,

3 teaspoons cumin seeds-8 cardamoms,

8 cloves, 3-4 ozs. oil,

2" piece cinnamon, 1 teaspoon kum kum dissolved in 1 oz. water.

Method

Wash and soak rice for about 15 minutes. Cut meat into 1-1 ½ cubes and soak in curd for about 20 minutes.

Slice onions and grind all the ingredients except the cloves, cardamoms and cinnamon.

Heat oil and add the sliced onions and fry until golden brown. Add the meat and the rest of the spices and fry until the meat is brown. Add the rice well drained. Fry for just a short time add the water and cook until almost done.

When the rice is three fourths cooked add the kum kum into the center of the rice and continue cooking till done on a very low fire.

(8 portions)

DHAL RICE

Ingredients

1 lb. rice

2 ozs. onions chopped

2 sprig of curry leaves

6 dry chillies

2 cardamoms.

4 ozs. mysore dhal

4 ozs. gram dhal

3 ozs. mochcha cochcha (large yellow seeds)

2 ozs. moong,

2 cloves

rampe

1 oz. ghee or oil

3 dessertspoons salt

Method

Soak the dhal for about 20 minutes, after washing. Clean and wash rice.

Heat oil and fry all ingredients except the rice and dhal. When onions are slightly brown add the rice and fry for just a few minutes.

Add water and bring rice to boil. When water level of the rice is just below that of the rice add the dhal and stir and cook until done.

Garnish and serve hot. If mixed dhal is used they may be tempered with the rice at the start.

(8 portions )

FRIED RICE SPECIAL

Ingredients

1 ½ Ibs. rice

3 ozs. coarsely shredded carrots

3 ozs. onions sliced

2 ozs. finely shredded leeks

3 teaspoons salt,

4 ozs. boiled flaked chicken

2 ozs. finely shredded cabbage

4 ozs. boiled chopped Prawns

2 ozs. oil

3 ¾ - 4 pints stock or water

2 ozs. Sultanas

2 ozs. Cadjunuts, deep fried

2 ozs. coarsely powdered chillie with seeds.

Method

Wash rice. Heat half oil, add half onions and fry until light brown.

Add rice, salt and cook for a few minutes.

Add stock or water and cook until rice is fluffy and grainy.

Heat balance oil, add prawns, chicken, sultanas and chillies and toss for a few minutes. Add vegetables toss for a few minutes. Add rice. Mix well. Mix in fried cadjunuts.

(8 portions.)

GHEE RICE

Ingredients

1 ½ Ibs. rice,

3 - 3 ¾ pints stock

2 sprigs curry leaves

½ lb. sultanas

¼ lb. broken cadjunuts,

4 ozs. ghee,

4 ozs. onions, chopped

8 cloves

8 cardamoms

10 pepper corns

2" cinnamon bruised well and tied in a bundle.

Method

Heat 2 ozs. fat, fry onions until light golden brown with curry leaves.

Add rice, toss for a few minutes.

Add stock, spice, bring to boil. Reduce heat, cook until rice is light and fluffy.

Heat balance 2 ozs. of fat. Add cadjunuts and sultanas. Fry until nuts are crisp and sultanas are puffed.

Add rice and stir well.

(8 portions.)

SULTANA RICE

Ingredients

1 ½ Ibs. rice

3 teaspoons salt

1 lb. sultanas

4 hard boiled eggs

6 cardamoms powdered

4 cloves

2" cinnamon

2" rampe

2 sprigs curry leaves

2 ozs. onions chopped

2 ozs. oil

1 oz. oil

1" sera

2 ozs. onions sliced

3¼ - 4 pints stock

Method

Heat 1 oz. oil. Add chopped onions, curry leaves, rampe, sera and fry until onions are golden brown.

Add rice and ½ sultanas. Fry for a few minutes.

Add stock, salt and powdered cardamoms. Cook until rice is fluffy and grainy.

Heat 2 ozs. oil, add sliced onions and fry until light golden brown. .Add balance sultanas and fry until slightly puffed

Add rice, stir well. Mix in chopped hard boiled eggs.

Garnish with parsley, potato chips or pappadam, fried in thin strips.

(8 portions.)

YELLOW RICE

Ingredients

1 ½ Ibs. rice

3 ¾ pints stock

2 ozs. coconut ground into a fine paste.

2 sprigs curry leaves

2 ozs. chopped onions.

2 ozs. ghee.

Spice Bundle -

6 cardamoms

3 cloves

1" cinnamon

10-15 pepper corns bruised

Method

Wash rice. Set aside. Heat oil and curry leaves and fry until light golden brown.

Add rice fry for a few seconds. Add turmeric to give a very light colour.

Add stock, mixed with finely ground coconut. Add salt and cook until rice is fluffy and grainy. Increase turmeric if necessary to get the desired yellow colour

(8 portions.). FISH PREPARATIONS

AMBUL THIAL

Ingredients

1 lb. tuna fish

6 pieces goraka ground fine

½ dessertspoon pepper powder

2 sprigs curry leaves

2 dessertspoons chillie powder

½ teaspoon cumin powder

½ teaspoon sweet cumin powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

2 teaspoons fenugreek

8 cloves garlic chopped fine

9 - 10 red onions chopped

1 slice ginger ground

1 clove

1 cardamom

1" cinnamon

3 teaspoons salt 8-10 ozs. water.

Method

Cut and wash fish.

Mix all ingredients with fish. Add water.

Bring to boil and simmer until gravy is dry.

(8 portions)

FISH BOLLE CURRY

Ingredients

1 lb. minced raw fish ( 1 ¼ Ibs. with bones and skins etc.)

a sprig of curry leaves

½ 0z. green chillies

½ oz. garlic

¼ oz. ginger

1 teaspoon salt

2 ozs. finely chopped onions.

Method

Cut the fish into small pieces, wash and dry well and pass through mincer together with the green chillies. and curry leaves. Chop garlic ginger and onions very fine.

Make 16 balls with the minced fish. Put into the center of each ball a pinch of chopped garlic ginger and press well together till smooth and free of cracks.

Add to boiling gravy.

Gravy

Boil skin, bones to obtain stock (12 ozs.) strain,

To stock add 3 teaspoons coriander powder, 2 teaspoons fenugreek, 4 cloves garlic chopped, 1 onion ground, 2-3 red chillies chopped, 2 cloves, 2 cardamoms, 2 ozs. 1st extract of coconut milk. 2 sprigs curry leaves. and cook until onions and garlic are done.

Add fish balls and simmer for 10 minutes.

(8 portions.)

CUTTLE FISH

Ingredients

1 lb. cuttle fish,

2 teaspoons salt,

2 dessertspoons chillie powder,

6-8 cloves garlic ground,

2 slices ginger ground

1 teaspoon pepper powder

2 teaspoons fenugreek

½ teaspoon cumin powder

½ teaspoon sweet cumin powder

1 ½ teaspoons coriander powder

a sprig of curry leaves

3-4 green chillies chopped

2-3 teaspoons lime juice

1 oz. red onions chopped

2 dessertspoons oil

12 ozs. 2nd extract of coconut

4 ozs. 1st extract of coconut milk

Method

Clean cuttle fish. Cut into 1!' pieces.

Mix with all the powdered ingredients and salt.

Heat oil, add curry leaves onions and fry for a few minutes.

Add cuttle fish and left over ingredients except coconut milk and lime juice. Cook for 5-7 minutes.

Add 2nd extract of coconut milk. Bring to boil add lime juice and take off fire.

(8 portions.)

FISH CUTLETS

Ingredients

¾ lb. boiled fish free from skin and bone

½ oz. green chillies

4 - 6 ozs. potatoes

2 ozs. onions

½ teaspoon pepper powder

1 sprig enduru or curry leaves

teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cumin powder

batter and bread crumbs

Oil for deep frying.

Method

Chop the onions and chillies and curry leaves. Pass the fish and potatoes through a fine mincer. Heat 1 dessertspoon oil in a pan, add onions, curry leaves and fry till light brown, add fish and potatoes.

Add pepper, salt and cumin and mix well. Divide into 16 portions. Flatten out and shape into cutlets.

Dip in batter, crumb. Allow to rest for a few minutes before deep frying in hot oil.

(8 portions.)

DRY-FISH-TEMPERED

Ingredients

6 ozs. dry-fish

4 ozs. onions chopped

4 cloves garlic chopped

1 teaspoon fenugreek

1 tomato chopped

1 piece goraka

2 sprigs curry leaves

4 ozs. water

1 dessertspoon chillie powder

1 clove

1 cardamom

1" cinnamon

2 ozs. oil.

Method

Cut and wash dry-fish.

Heat oil. Add all ingredients mixed well except water. Fry for about 10 minutes.

Add water and reduce heat and cook until dry- fish is done and gravy dries up.

Heat oil in a small pan and when very hot add the fish. Toss for 2-3 minutes, add the water. Bring to boil and cook till done.

(8 portions.)

MIRIS MALU

Ingredients

1 lb. fish

2 pieces goraka

1 teaspoon fenugreek

5 teaspoons chillie powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric

¼ pint water.

2 cloves

1 teaspoon cumin powder

2 cardamoms

2 cloves garlic

½" rampe

a sprig of curry leaves

1 teaspoon pepper powder

3 teaspoons salt.

Method

Cut fish into 8 portions and wash well using lime juice.

Grind the goraka.

Put all the ingredients together into a pan. Bring to boil and simmer till done.

(8 portions.)

FISH WHITE CURRY WITH MUSTARD

Ingredients

1 lb. fish

4 teaspoons mustard ground fine with ½ oz. of vinegar

2 ozs. red onions

1¼ teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon turmeric

½ oz. garlic

2 cloves

2 cardamoms

12-15 ozs. 2nd extract and 4 ozs. 1st extract of coconut milk

2" piece cinnamon

2 teaspoons lime juice

Method

Cut the fish into pieces and wash well using lime juice.

Chop the onions and garlic fine.

Mix all the ingredients together except the 1st extract of coconut milk, mustard and lime. Bring to boil and cook till onions are soft.

Add the 1st extract of coconut milk, mixed with the mustard and bring to boil. Simmer for a few minutes and add lime and take off the fire.

(8 portions.)

SPRATS FRESH DRY CURRY

Ingredients

1 lb. sprats with heads & intestines cleaned

3 teaspoons chillie powder

3 dessertspoons coconut oil

4 cloves garlic finely chopped

1½ teaspoons salt

the juice of ½ lime.

6 ozs. water

Method

Clean sprats very well to remove all traces of sand and wash several times.

Mix all ingredients and cook on a slow fire until the liquid has reduced to about 1/3.

Add the sprats in the final stages of cooking. The oil may be sprinkled over the fish. Place the fish in a casserole dish and close it and put it to bake at any temperature between 350 F - 400 F. One more teaspoon of chillie powder may be added if a hotter curry is desired.

(8 portions )

FISH WHITE CURRY

Ingredients

1 lb. fish

2-3 green chillies

2 teaspoons fenugreek

1 sprig curry leaves

2 ozs. 1st extract of coconut milk.

1 oz. onions

1 tomato

1 teaspoon salt

8 ozs. 2nd & 3rd extracts of coconut milk

Method

Cut the fish into 8 portions and wash well using lime.

Wash and chop onion and chillies. Soak the 2 teaspoons fenugreek in a little water for ½ an hour.

Put all the ingredients except fish with 2nd and 3rd extracts coconut milk in a pan, and bring to boil.

Put in the fish and simmer for a few minutes.

Add the 1st extract of coconut milk, bring to boil and take c fire.

(8 portions.)

BADUM - PRAWN

Ingredients

1 lb. prawns

¼ oz. garlic

¼ teaspoon turmeric

a few sprigs of curry leaves

1 ¾ teaspoons salt

1" piece cinnamon

2 cloves

¼ lb. Bombay onions

2 dessertspoons chillies pounded coarsely

2" piece of rampe

1 teaspoon lime juice

5 dessertspoons oil

2 cardamoms

Method

Wash, devein and wash prawns well.

Slice onions evenly, chop the garlic fine, cut rampe into ¼" piece.

Heat the oil and when very hot add the curry leaves and rampe. Then the onions. Toss until the onions are turning brown.

Add the rest of the ingredients and toss till the prawns are well cooked and hard.

This can be kept for a few days.

(8 portions.)

PRAWNS TEMPERED

Ingredients

1 lb. prawns

¼ oz. garlic

½ teaspoon coriander

1 sprig curry leaves

1" cinnamon

3 dessertspoons oil.

2 ozs. onions

3 teaspoons chillie powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric

1" rampe

1½ teaspoons salt

Method

Wash, shell, devein and wash prawns, leaving tails on.

Grind the heads and shells very fine and squeeze out the extract.

Chop the onions, and cut the rampe into small pieces.

Heat the oil in a pan and when very hot, add the curry leaves and rampe. Add the onions and cinnamon and toss till onions are lightly brown.

Add the prawns with the rest of the ingredients and keep tossing till firm.

Add the prawn extract. Toss for a few minutes, till almost dry.and take off fire.

(8 portions.)

*Murunga (drum stick) leaves are added to shell fish, crabs, prawns to prevent any allergic conditions. Murunga leaves washed pounded, extract removed and consumed at least half cup juice helps to relieve allergies on consuming shell fish.

MEAT PREPARATIONS

BEEF BREADFRUIT CURRY

Ingredients

1 ½ Ibs. beef, with bones.

1 small bread fruit

Beef Ingredients

3-4 green chillies sliced, 2-3 cloves garlic

2 teaspoons chillie powder

a sprig of curry leaves

2 dessertspoons oil

1 teaspoon fenugreek

tamarind the size of ½ a lime dissolved well in meat

1 ½ teaspoons curry powder

1 Bombay onion sliced

1 slice ginger sliced fine

1 clove

1 cardamom

16-24 ozs. 2nd and 3rd extracts

of coconut milk & sufficient

water to cover meat, depending on the size of the pan,

8 ozs. 1st extract of coconut milk.

Bread Fruit Ingredients

6-8 dry chillies

½ teaspoon sweet cumin

a sprig of curry leaves

rampe, sera.

2 teaspoons coriander

1 teaspoon cumin

1 clove, 1 cardamom

1" cinnamon

Method (beef)

Wash and cut beef into 2" chunks.

Heat oil. Add onions and curry leaves, rampe, sera and fry until onions are light golden in colour.

Mix meat with tamarind and all the other ingredients. Add to fried onions. Fry for 5-10 minutes. Add 2nd extract of coconut milk and water to cover and pressure cook for 30-40 minutes or cook until meat is well tender and comes off the bone. All ingredients to be added during second stage of cooking.

Method (breadfruit)

Roast coriander, cumin, dry chillies, sweet cumin, cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon until dark in colour.

Pound or grind well and set aside.

When meat is almost done, mix curry powders with 1st extract of coconut milk. Mix with the breadfruit, cut into 2 chunks, and add to meat mixture.

Cook until breadfruit is just done.

(8 portions.)

BOLLE CURRY

Ingredients

1 lb. minced beef

¼ oz. green chillies

1 oz. onions

1 teaspoon salt

Method

Chop the onions and green chillies. Add to the minced beef with the salt and make into small balls (24 balls).

Bring the gravy (see gravies) to boil. Add the meat balls simmer till gravy is thick.

(8 portions.)

MINCE BEEF CURRY

Ingredients

1 lb. minced beef

¼ lb. potatoes

1 sprig curry leaves

3 cloves garlic

2 cardamoms

a thin slice ginger

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon coriander powder

¼ lb. onions

1 oz. green chillies

1" rampe

2 cloves

1" cinnamon

1 teaspoon pepper

4 dessertspoons oil

3 teaspoons chillie powder

½ pt. 1st and 2nd extracts of coconut milk.

½ teaspoon cumin powder

Method

Chop the chillies, onions, garlic and ginger. Peel and cube the potatoes into a little less than ½" cubes.

Mix the beef with the curry powders,seasonings and ginger.

Drain the potatoes and fry it lightly. Add the curry leaves, onions, chillies, garlic, spices and fry till onions are light brown in colour.

Add the beef and fry for 10 minutes longer till meat is browned.

Add the coconut milk. Bring to boil and simmer till liquid has reduced to required amount.

(8 portions.)

PEPPER CURRY

Ingredients

1 lb. meat in one piece

4 teaspoons black pepper powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 dessertspoon ghee

6 red onions sliced or 1 Bombay onion

2 cloves

1" piece cinnamon

2 cardamoms

1 teaspoon lemon juice

4 ozs. 1st extract of coconut milk

a thin slice ginger ground

1" piece rampe

a sprig of curry leaves

½ oz. garlic ground

Method

Add 1 teaspoon pepper, turmeric, salt, cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon and sufficient water to cover meat and boil until tender.

Slice meat and rub well into pieces of meat the garlic, ginger, pepper crushed or ground together with half the onions.

Heat the ghee and add curry leaves, rampe, and half onion chopped. Fry until golden brown and add meat.

Add the 1st extract of coconut milk and any gravy left over after boiling meat. Cook on a steady fire until liquid is almost evaporated.

(8 portions.)

POL KIRI BADUM (MUTTON CURRY)

Ingredients

1 lb. mutton

2 teaspoons cumin powder

2 teaspoons sweet roasted cumin powder

½ teaspoon fenugreek

2 cloves garlic

2 slices ginger

1½ teaspoons salt

2 dessertspoons oil

1½ dessertspoons coriander

1 oz. onions

1 dessertspoon chillie powder

½" lemon grass

1 sprig curry leaves

2 cloves

1" cinnamon

4 dessertspoons vinegar

15 ozs. 2nd and 3rd extracts of coconut milk

5 ozs. 1st extract of coconut milk

Method

Wash and cut meat into 1" cubes and pound with meat hammer.

Chop onions, garlic, ginger. Roast the coriander, cumin and sweet cumin powder. Add all the ingredients with half the chopped onions and the 2nd and 3rd extracts of coconut milk. Bring to boil and simmer till gravy is thick and meat tender.

Heat oil in pan and when very hot add the onions and fry till brown. Add the meat and 1st extract of coconut milk. Bring to boil and simmer till dry and gravy is thick.

(8 portions.)

PORK CURRY WITH GORAKA

Ingredients

1 lb. pork

3 pieces goraka ground-fine

2 teaspoons salt

10 ozs. water

1 dessertspoon chillie powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon sweet cumin powder

2 teaspoons coriander powder

a sprig of curry leaves

2 cloves garlic chopped

6 cloves

2 teaspoons pepper powder

2" pieces of sera

Method

Wash and cut pork into small pieces. roasted to a dark colour

Mix all ingredients well with pork. Add water.

Bring to boil. Simmer until gravy is thick and meat tender.

Flavour of curry increases with keeping. Should be made and kept overnight or a few hours.

(8 portions.)

CHICKEN CURRY

Ingredients

1 chicken (2 ½ Ibs)

2 teaspoons sweet cumin powder

2 dessertspoons coriander

2 teaspoons cumin powder

½ dessertspoon chillie powder

2 ozs. red onion

2 thin slices ginger

}

3 cardamoms

1 teaspoons salt

roasted

1 oz. cadju

1 dessertspoon rice

2 dessertspoons coconut.

½ teaspoon fenugreek

1 - 2 green chillies

1 " cinnamon

1" rampe

2 -3 dessertspoons oil

2 small tomatoes chopped

8-12 ozs. 1st and 2nd extracts of coconut milk

Method

Cut the chicken into 8 portions. Chop onions and green chillies. Grind the cadju, garlic, rice and roasted coconut, cloves, cardamoms into a fine paste.

Add all the powdered and ground ingredients, and salt to the chicken and mix well and leave for 15-20 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan till very hot. Add the rampe and onions and fry till light brown. Add the chicken and toss for 5-7 minutes. Add the coconut milk. Bring to boil and simmer till done.

(8 portions.)