Ala Kiri Hodhi Sri Lankan cuisine has a reputation for being spicy and chilie-hot. The reality is that there are spicy/hot dishes and there are also many dishes that are not spicy and with little or no chilie-heat. When eating Lankan food we mix bits of spicy and non-spicy with the carbohydrate (usually rice, string hoppers, etc.) and pop it in our mouth. By serving individual dishes with their own unique flavors, for example potatoes in one dish, lentils in…
Rice, Oryza sativa, is the second most widely grown and eaten grain worldwide. Over 3.5 billion people consider rice a staple. Basmati, Jasmine, Arborio, Carnaroli, are just some of the rice varieties but are there lots more varieties that most people don’t know of. Worldwide there are over 40,000 varieties – each with its distinctive flavor and properties. Some rice varieties are associated with specific techniques. Examples include Carnaroli rice used for Italian risotto and the Sushi rice used for…
While Chicken and Fish are widely eaten, Beef & Pork are less widely eaten in Sri Lanka largely due to religious sensibilities. Many Buddhists are vegetarian or eat fish but abstaining from beef is not universal. This fragrant and tasty curry made with beef and served “dry” (no sauce) has long been a favorite at my table. It also tastes good with pork. I was attempting to make a traditional Sri Lankan beef curry with lots of gravy but forgot…
The spice blend used for this recipe is called “Badapu thuna paha” in Sinhalese, which translates to “roasted three five”. Presumably the original spice blends had either three or five spices but my blend has eight ingredients. Thuna-paha is a generic name for spice blends and each cook may have a different blend for each type of meat . Feel free to modify the blend to your taste! In the ingredients I specify Ceylon Cinnamon. Ceylon was the colonial name…