[CH] Sri Lankan curries: basics

Tara Deen (tara@es.usyd.edu.au)
Thu, 24 May 2001 15:01:49 +1000 

Dan,

Unless said Sri Lankan has to pronounce any word that has the letter 'v'
in it! I'm married to one. Went to a family dinner the other night, and
had a great curry feast. I also cook it all the time at home.
Traditional Sri Lankan food, that is.

Some starters:

Ceylon Curry Powder
This is a dark roasted curry powder, characteristic of Sri Lankan
cooking. I tend to make this in smaller quantities, starting with 2 tbsp

coriander, so it's fresher. That's just enough for one curry. Just scale

measurements down.

1 cup coriander seeds
1/2 cup cumin seeds
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 cinnamon stick, about 5 cm (2")
1 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp cardamom seeds
2 tbsp dried curry leaves
2 tsp chilli powder, optional (I never add this, I like to control the
chilli powder in each curry individually)
2 tbsp ground rice, optional (I also never add this, it's just a filler
and thickener)

In a dry pan over low heat roast separately the coriander, cumin, fennel

and fenugreek, stirring constantly until each one becomes a fairly dark
brown. Do not let them burn. Put into blender container together with
the cinnamon stick broken in pieces, the cloves, cardamom and curry
leaves. Blend on high speed until finely powdered. Combine with chilli
powder and ground rice if used. Store in an airtight Jar. This will
begin to use it's flavour and aroma in about 10 days, but can be used up

to 6 months.
Making coconut milk.

This can be done from fresh coconuts, but it's easier to make it from
desiccated. Put 2 cups desiccated coconut in a large bowl and pour
over 2 1/2 cups hot water. Allow to cool to luke-warm, then knead firmly

with the hand for a few minutes and strain out through a fine
strainer or a piece of muslin, squeezing out as much liquid as possible.

This should produce about 1 1/2 cups thick coconut milk.
    Repeat the process using the same coconut and 2 1/2 cups more water.

This extract will yield roughly 2 cups thin coconut milk.
    This is a lot easier using a blender. Put coconut and water in a
blender, blend for 30 secs, then strain.
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Tara Deen                         Phone: 61-2-9351 4271
School of Geosciences             Fax:   61-2-9351 0184
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University of Sydney NSW 2006     email: tara@es.usyd.edu.au
AUSTRALIA

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