Eggplant Curry (Vambotu Morjuwa)

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A healthy and low-fat dish.

Eggplant Curry (Vambotu Morjuwa)

 

INGREDIENTS

300g eggplant 

4 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil

100g red onion

125g capsicums (red pepper)

10g garlic

10g ginger

20g green chili

5 sprigs of curry leaves

2 inch piece of lemongrass

1 inch cinnamon stick

50g dry sprats (or anchovies)

50g Maldive fish powder

1 cup white vinegar

1 teaspoon mustard power

½ teaspoon red chili powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon roasted curry powder

1 teaspoon raw curry powder

2 tablespoons mango chutney

1 tablespoon brown or white sugar

Salt

 

METHOD

  • Heat the oven to 180 degrees
  • Wash the eggplant and cut into 2 inch strips
  • Arrange on a baking tray, spinkle with salt and vegetable oil (or olive oil)
  • Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes
  •  Dice the onion, wash and clean dry sprats, slice the capsicum into wedges, chop the green chili, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and curry leaves.
  • Heat oil in a frying pan, add the sprats and fry until crispy
  • Add garlic, onion, ginger, capsicums, green chili, curry leaves, lemongrass, cinnamon, Maldive fish powder then temper the mixture.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients and the vinegar
  • Remove from the heat, mix in the grilled eggplants and stir gently
  • Check the seasoning
  • Serve with rice

When I was alone, I lived on eggplant, the stove top cook’s strongest ally…. 

Laurie Colwin (‘Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant’)

 

 

Sweet Pumpkin Curry (Wattakka Vanjanaya)

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Sweet Pumpkin Curry (Wattakka Vanjanaya)

INGREDIENTS

250g sweet pumpkin, or marrow pumpkin

½ onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 green chilli, chopped

Sprig of curry leaves

1 inch cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon mustard powder

1 teaspoon raw curry power

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

¼ teaspoon black pepper powder

1 cup water

1 cup coconut milk (or 1 tablespoon coconut milk powder mixed with hot water until lump-free)

salt to taste

 

METHOD

  • Remove seeds from pumpkin, cut into 1 ½  inch square pieces and wash
  • Put pumpkin and water into a pan together with all other ingredients (except for the coconut milk and salt), and cook until soft
  • Add coconut milk, check seasoning and simmer for a further 5 minutes
  • Serve with boiled rice

 

I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion – Henry David Thoreau

Mixed Vegetable Curry (Kalawam Elawalu Vanjanaya)

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An easy to make, simple, very healthy and above all TASTY Sri Lankan curry! Great with rice, or bread.

Sri Lankan Mixed Vegetable Curry (Kalawam Elawalu Vanjanaya)

INGREDIENTS 

250g mix of carrots, beans, green peas, and sweet corn (or use frozen veg mix)

50g red onions (sliced)

I small stick of cinnamon

1 teaspoon mustard (English or French)

2 sprigs curry leaves

2 green chillies (chopped)

½ cup coconut milk

Salt to taste

 

METHOD 

  • Clean and chop vegetables (or defrost mixed veg)
  • Mix well with all the ingredients (except coconut milk)
  • Cook on medium heat
  • When the vegetables are ready add the coconut milk and simmer for 7 minutes
  • When the sauce is thickened, check seasoning and remove from heat
  • Serve with rice or bread

 Without civilization, we would not turn into animals, but vegetables. (Mason Cooley)

Devilled Potato (Ala Baduma)

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…made with all the right ingredients and TLC, this is festive food. One of my mother’s specialties!

 

Devilled Potatoes (Ala Baduma)

INGREDIENTS

250g new potatoes (boiled)

150g red onions (sliced)

2 sprigs curry leaves

3 green chillies (chopped)

1 teaspoon dry chillies (crushed)

Juice of ½ lime

½ teaspoon salt

3 cardamom pods

1 small stick of cinnamon

2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil (for frying)

(optional: add some Maldive fish)

METHOD

  • Boil, skin and cut the potatoes in two
  • Heat the oil and add the chopped cardamon, cinnamon, curry leaves and red onions
  • When half fried, add the green chillies, crushed chillies and salt
  • When the onion is cooked, add the boiled potatoes and mix well
  • Fry on a low heat for three minutes
  • Remove from the heat, mix well and add the lime juice
  • Serve with rice or pitta bread

If beef’s the king of meat, potato’s the queen of the garden world (Irish Saying)

The Spice Cupboard

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Welcome to my new blog! Before I get started with the recipes, here are some of the essential spices (and other ingredients) you will need to cook Sri Lankan dishes:

 

SPICES

Dried red chilli powder Tamarind paste

Coriander seeds White vinegar

Cumin seeds Coconut milk (powder or tinned)

Cinnamon sticks Curry leaves (dried or fresh)

Cardamom pods Cashew nuts

Whole cloves Dhall (red lentils)

Black mustard seed Oil (olive oil or vegetable oil)

Whole nutmeg

Gamboge (Goraka)

Ground turmeric

Black pepper

Salt

FRESH INGREDIENTS

Onion

Garlic

Ginger root

Green chilli

Curry leaves

Lemongrass

Mint leaves

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In Sri Lankan cooking, we have two curry types of curry powder – raw and roasted. To get the real flavour, it is best to make it yourself using exactly the right ingredients!

SRI LANKAN RAW CURRY POWDER (mostly used in vegetable dishes)

INGREDIENTS

250g coriander seeds

125g cumin seeds

30g black peppercorns

METHOD

Wash and dry the ingredients, mix together, pound well in a pestle and mortar, store in a sealed container

 

SRI LANKAN ROASTED CURRY POWDER (mostly used in meat and fish dishes)

INGREDIENTS

50g coriander seeds

25g cumin seeds

25g rice (raw)

10g dry red chilli powder

25g coconut (freshly grated, or dessicated)

2 inch piece of cinnamon stick

2 inch piece of lemongrass

10g cardamom pods

10g black peppercorns

10g black mustard seeds

10g cloves

Handful of curry leaves

METHOD  

Heat the frying pan and roast the dry rice until golden brown. Add cinnamon, cloves, coriander, curry leaves, peppercorns and cardamom. Last of all, add the coconut, cumin, mustard seed. When all are roasted and have turned a nice colour, pound into a powder with the pestle and mortar. Store in a sealed container.

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UTENSILS

It is great if you have a clay pot. A wok is also invaluable. Other than that, use whatever you have in your kitchen!