Sri Lankan Pickle (Sinhala Achcharu)

Sri Lankan Pickle (Achcharu) is one of easy condiment and famous preparation in sri lankan cooking. ideal for rice and curry. any people love to have such in there meal all the time.

Ingredients

• 200 g Red Onion
• 50 g Green chilis
• some carrots
• some raw papaya
• 1 tbs Mustered past
• 100 ml coconut vinegar
• 1/2 chili pieces
• some chopped garlic
• salt

Method

Heat the pan,add the vinegar in to that.allow to cook onion,carrot,papaya for 1 minute.take another pan,add the mustered past in to it,fallow with chilli,garlic and all the other ingredients. mixed with the mustered and vinegar past and allow to cool. put in the bottles and close for 7 days.and cook my the aside

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Mango chutney (Amba chutney)

• Ingredients

1. 500g mangoes
2. 400g sugar
3. 1 tsp chilli powder
4. 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
5. 50g raisins
6. 2 tsp chopped ginger
7. 2 tsp chopped garlic
8. 2/3 cup water
9. 1 cup vinegar
10. 4 tsp salt                                                                                                                                                                              
    
            
     
     
     
     
         Peel mangoes and  cut into thin and long slices and remove the seeds. next put into a pan and add water, ginger and garlic. next cook it under low fire about 35 minutes. then mix well and add sugar, chilli powder, cardamom powder, water, vinegar, salt and stir until for golden color within 5 minutes. then remove from fire  and add raisins and mix. let cool and serve.                                                                                                                            

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Polos ambula

Ingredients 

1 no of Polos (Baby Jackfruit)

Spices

2-3 tbspn chili powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
3 tbspn  Sri Lankan Raw Curry Powder
1 tspn black pepper
1/4 tspn mustard seeds

Other ingredients
1/4 cup fresh grated coconut
1 medium sized onion sliced

2-3 dried red chili

2 pieces of goraka (gamboge) or (replace with 1 tomato or tamarind paste 1 tspn)
3 cloves of garlic chopped
1'' piece cinnamon

2 cardamoms

2 cloves

1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

3 cups thick Coconut milk/coconut cream
salt to taste

2 tbspns cooking oil

Curry leaves

Piece of lemon grass (Sera)

Method

Dry roast the ingredients under spices until golden brown.Keep aside.
Dry roast grated coconut too. Grind roasted coconut together with spices and make a paste.Keep it aside.

Remove the skin of Polos. Cut in to pieces.Cutting of Polos is not an easy process.Check this polos recipe for tips.

Mix roasted spices/coconut mix with polos pieces & keep aside.

Heat 2-3 tblspn of oil in a heavy bottomed pan.When oil is hot, add onion, dried chili, garlic, Curry leaves,Piece of lemon grass (Sera) into the mix. Also add cinnamon, cardamom & cloves.

When onions are tender, add the Polos into the pan & mix well.

Add thick coconut milk into the mix together with another 1 cup of water.

Add goraka or tamarind juice. Add about 1 tspn salt.Mix well.

After this step,

Cook Polos curry in very low flame for about 1-2 hour or until polos is cooked & gravy becomes thicker. Once Polos curry is ready, you can see oil is separated in the gravy.

Adjust salt.

Polos curry is ready to serve. However, this is more delicious if it allowed to rest for few hours before serving.

Notes: 
Usually Sri Lankans like the reddish/pinkish appearance of Polos pieces once cooked.To get this appearance,cook polos in very low flame for more hours.(at least 1-2 hours).
I use my slow cooker/crock pot and cook for about 4 hours.

This is more delicious if cooked in a clay chatti/earthen pot.

 

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Red Fish Curry (Miris Malu)

"Bursting with full of spicy flavours, this is a traditional Sri Lankan fish curry. It's a gastro treat with a hot punch underlining an irresistible addictive taste. Try this with steamed rice or warm garlic bread, if any complaints please feel free to contact me." 

Ingredients:

• 500 Grams Fish (cut in to slices)


• 1/2 Tablespoon Mustard seeds


• 8 Clove Garlic (chopped)


• 1 Medium Red onion (chopped)


• 2 Small Ginger slices (chopped)


• 6 Small Curry leaves


• 2 Small Cardamom pods


• 6 Small Pandan leaves (cut in to stripes)


• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground pepper


• 2 Tablespoon Chili powder (or more)


• 1 Teaspoon Turmeric powder


• 1 Stick Cinamon


• 1/2 Teaspoon Cumin seeds


• 1/4 Cup Tamarind juice


• 1 Cup Water (or more)


• 1 Teaspoon Salt (or more)


• 3 Tablespoon Oil

Directions:

Step 1

In a large bowl season fish with salt, 1 table spoon of chilli powder, turmeric powder, ground pepper. Set it a side for about 15 minutes.

Step 2

Heat oil in a large sauce pan, when oil is hot add mustard seeds, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, curry leaves, cardamom pods and pandan leaves in to the sauce pan, fry it for about 1 minute. Then add remaining chilli powder, onion, garlic and ginger in to the sauce pan and saute it about 3 minutes.

Step 3

Now add fish in to the sauce pan, mix well all together. (do not over mix otherwise fish might break in to pieces) Cook for about 5 minutes.

Step 4

Add water in to the sauce pan, cover and cook about for 5 minutes on medium high then add tamarind juice with a gentle stir. Cook further for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve hot.

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Kiribath (Sri Lankan Milk Rice)

"Kiribath is a traditional dish which is fit for any auspicious moment. Kiribath also known as milk rice is normally served with "lunu miris", a mixture of red onions and spices as well as with bananas, jaggery & curries. It's a must have for Sri Lankan New Year celebrations & a popular breakfast dish too."

Ingredients:

• 3 Cup Long grain rice (short grain or white rice)


• 3 Cup Coconut milk (thick)


• 4 1/2 Cup Water


• 3/4 Teaspoon Salt (to tsate)

Directions:

Step 1

To cook the rice you can either use a rice cooker or a medium size boiling pot with a fitting lid. Make sure to wash & clean the rice before adding it to the boiling pot, add all water along with rice. Boil the pot with closed lid for 18 to 22 minutes until the rice cooked, during this time make sure you stir the pot on regular base to distribute the heat & to avoid burn/crusting. To make sure rice is cooked, you can pick few rice grains & check for fluffiness by squeezing with your fingers. If you using a rice cooker it'll take 12 to 15 minutes to cook the rice, the time is depend on your cooker.

Step 2

Then add coconut milk, salt & cook for further 10 minutes with closed lid until all the milk absorbed by the rice (during this time make sure you stir the pot on regular base to distribute the heat & to avoid burn/crusting). Once cooked rice get start to get sticky & this is the perfect time for you to transfer the rice on to a large platter or to a dish.

Step 3

Flatten & shape the sticky form of milk rice while its warm enough, then let it cool down for about 5 minutes. You can cut into square or diamond shapes before you serve. Serve with lunu miris or with a curry.

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