Monday, December 1, 2008

Christmas Cake







100 g - Chow Chow
50 g - Ginger Preserve
40 g - Strawberry Jam
03 Nos. Eggs
75 g - Cashew nuts
100 g - Sultanas
50 g - Raisins
50 g - Sugar
50 g - Semolina (Rulang)
50 g - Butter
100 g - Pumpkin Preserve
50 g - Cherries
50 g - Candied Peel
1/2 tsp. - Mixed Spices
50 ml. - Brandy or Cherry Brandy
01 tsp. each - Rose, Almond & Vanilla

Chop all ingredients into small pieces. Mix with half of the Essences and Spices. Place in an airtight bottle and keep for approx. 7 to 10 days.

Sieve Semolina (Rulang) and heat slightly. Mix with Butter.

Beat 02 Whites of Eggs stiff and place aside. Beat Yolks of Eggs, Sugar and Butter / Semolina until bubbles appear.

Add bottled dry ingredients and add to this mixture. Add whites of Eggs.
Bake for 2-3 hours in a moderate oven.

Friday, September 26, 2008

CURRIED POTATO SALAD


04 SERVINGS


600 gm boiled potatoes cut into dice
70 ml plain yogurt
01 tbsp roasted curry powder
25 gm chopped onion
01 tsp lemon juice
100 gm riped tomato deseeded and cut in to dice
01 tbsp mustard cream
few mint leaves shreded
salt and pepper to taste


1. Combine all the ingredients in a salad mixing bowl.
2. Toss all the ingredients and mix well.
3. Check the seasoning. Leave in a refrigerator until chilled.
4. Place on a bed of lettuce and serve.

SERVE AS AN STARTER OR ACCOMPANIMENT TO A MAIN DISH

Bringal and Chillie Pickle


1. 4 medium sized bringals
2. 25 large green chillies
3. 1/2 oz dry chillies
4. 3/4 oz country mustard
5. 1/2 oz corriander seed
6. 1/2 stem sera
7. small spring karapincha
8. 3/4 bot. vinegar
9. 2 ozs maldiv fish powdered
10. 1/4 oz suduru
11. 1/8 oz maduru
12. 1/4 oz garlic
13. 1/8 oz green ginger
14. 2" rampe
15. 2" piece cinnamon
16. salt
17. coconut oil

Method
Cut bringal slices lengthwise-Rub in saffron and salt and fry in oil.Also fry the green chillies- grind coriander, white and sweet cummin together. The garlic and ginger together.All ingredients must be ground with vinegar. Mix ingredients with remainder of vinegar except chillies and bringals and set on fire for a few minutes till the ingredients are boiled. Then add fried briangals and chillies.

Monday, September 1, 2008

CHICKEN AND PINEAPPLE CURRY



SERVES 04
INGREDIENTS...
25 gm ghee or butter
500 gm chicken cut as for curry
70 gm sliced onion
01 tsp lime juice
01 tsp chopped ginger
01 tsp chopped garlic
02 tbsp unroasted curry powder
01 tsp chillie powder
150 ml coconut water
100 ml natural or plain yogurt
75 ml thick coconut milk
150 gm semi riped pineapple cubed
01 tbsp fresh coriander leaves chopped
salt to taste

METHOD...

1. Marinate the chicken with curry powder/chillie powder/lime juice/yougurt and set a side for about 30 minutes.
2. Heat the fat in a saucepan to medium heat, add the onion fry until onions are light brown.Mix in ginger and garlic cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Add the marinated chicken and cook for about 5 minutes until chicken is lightly coloured.
4. Pour the coconut water and bring to the boil.Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
5. Stir in coconut milk and pineapple,cook for further 5 minutes.Finish off by adding coriander leaves and salt to taste. Serve hot

ITALIAN SEAFOOD



Ingredients....
500g Prawns
8 Oysters In Shell
125g Scallops
60g Butter
2 Cloves Garlic
1/2 Cup Dry White Wine
300ml Carton Cream
1/4 Cup Water
1 Tablespoon Cornflower
1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
Salt Papper
1 Table Spoon Chooped Parsley
3 Shallots

Method....
Shell and devein prawns, chop into large pieces. Clean scallops and separate .cut scallops in half .melt butter in pan,add crused garlic and cook 1 minute. Add wine and cream and bring to boil. boil rapidly 3- 4 minutes. Combine water and arrowroot. pour into cream mixtures. Stir until mixture boils. Add lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Add seafood to sauce and cook 2 minutes, stir in parsley and chopped shallots. Garnish with the oysters in their shells...

TANDOOR CHIKEN NIBBLES



Ingredients:

7 chiken thigh fillets(770g)
1/2 cup (125ml) yogurt
1/2 cup (135g)tandoori paste
2 green onion

yogurt sauce
1/2 cup (125g)yogurt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Method:

Cut each fillet into 6 pieces. Combine chicken with yogurt and paste in medium bowl. Cover. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Remove green section from onions. Cut into 2cm lengths. Make fine cuts close together. Halfway down each 2cm length. Tiny chop with section of onions reserve for sauce. Cook un drained chicken. In batches on heated oiled grill plate (or giller barbecue) until browned all over and cooked through. Serve chicken pieces on toothpicks with onion curls. Serve with yogurt sauce. Yogurt sauce combine reserved chopped green onion with yogurt and cumin in small bowl

Fish Curry with Tamarind (Siyambala Malu Kari)




Ingredients:

500 g (1 lb) firm fish steaks or fillets
1 rounded tablespoon tamarind pulp
1/2 cup hot water
1 1/2 tablespoon Ceylon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon chille powder
3 tablespoon oil
6 curry leaves
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Method:
Wash and dry fish and cut into serving pieces. Soak tamarind pulp in hot water, allow to cool, squeeze to dissolve pulp. Strain through fine nylon sieve and discard seeds and fibers. Combine tamarind liquid with curry powder, salt turmeric, chille powder and marinate fish for 20 minutes.
Heat oil and fry the curry leaves and fenugreek seeds for 2 minutes, then add onion and garlic and continue to fry on medium heat until onion is golden, stirring occasionally. Add fish and marinade, cover and cook over heat for 10 minutes. Uncover and cook for a further 10 minutes. serve with white rice and vegetable curries

Friday, August 29, 2008

Quick and Easy Meat or Fish Buns -(Malu Pan)

Meat or Fish Buns
________________________________________





I roll Pillsbury Pizza dough( Available in the old post)
1 egg beaten
Any form of a DRY CURRY like for patties or rolls
{I have also used a mixed vegitable curry with potatoes}
Roll out dough according to the package. Cut into 16 squares. Fill each square with your curry. Seal the ends and place sealed side down on a teflon baking sheet. Brush top with beaten egg.
Bake at 350* F for about 15 minutes till top is brown. Baking time will vary according to your oven. (great way to use up your leftovers)

Pizza dough






Pizza dough
________________________________________
35g fresh yeast(15g dry yeast)
400g plain flour

1 cup of lukewarm(blood temperature) water 1tsp salt

Mixed the ingredients throughly by hand or using a food processor with dough hook. Make sure that the dough does not stick onto your hands. Make a big ball and cover it with damp cloth. Leave it at rest for 25 minutes. Then make four even size balls and leave it for further 45 mintues.
After it has doubled in volume roll it down to thinkness of 5mm. This will fit into a 20cm pizza tray. Leave the edge raised all the way around the border. Place these into a greased pizza tray.
Add the topping and bake in a pre heated hot oven until crust is golden brown. Seven minutes in pizza oven at 312C or approximately 20 mintues in household oven.

Topping
you can put anything you like, even a sri lankan style meat curry. Make sure the topping is dry.

Traditional Margherita
tomato pulp - Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and 1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil. Bake in the oven and put some fresh picked basil leaves before serve.

Pizza

Sweet Pizza
________________________________________






Brioche Dough
20g Fresh Yeast
175ml Milk warmed
450g Flour
4 Large Eggs and Two large Egg yoiks
2Tablespoons golden brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
250g butter(soft)
1 Large egg yolk to glaze

TOPPING
200g cream cheese
2 Large egg yolks
3 drops vanilla
1 Tablespoone sugar
250g fresh fruits
STREUSEL TOPPING
175g light Brown sugar
25g plane flour
500g unsalted butter

METHOD
1. Pre-heat oven to 200c to make the brioche dough. Cream the yeast in the milk, mix in 125g (half the flour) to make a sticky dough. Cover with the rest of the flour do not mix. Leave covered for 45 minutes in a warm place so that the dough bubbles up through the flour.

2. Mix the flour in to the dough add the eggs, yolks, sugar and salt and continue mixing until the dough is very elastic. add the soft butter bit by bit, waiting for it to absorbed before the next addition. Knead for 5 minutes untill the dough is smooth and elastic.

3. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place, it should double in size. Devide the dough cover and leave while prepairing topping.

4. To make the topping mix cream cheese with the yolks vanilla and sugar. Combine all the topping ingrediants. Cover the rounds of dough with cream cheese mix and top with fresh fruit. Then sprinkle over streusel toping.

5. Glaze any visible brioche dough with the egg yolk or milk bake for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is puff and golden and the topping is crunchy.

Sri lankan Pol Roti

Pol Roti

Mmm.... my favorit





Ingredients:
1/4 lb. of fresh grated coconut
1 1/2 cups of all purpose white/brown flour
5 small red onions or 1/2 big onion
1 tsp crushed red chillies (optional)
2 green chillies
1 egg (optional)
2 tsp of maldive fish pieces (optional)
A pat of butter or margarin or 1 tsp veg.oil
A few curry leaves
Salt to taste

Method:
Chop red onions, green chillies and curry leaves. In a bowl mix all the ingredients well. Lastly add the sifted flour with a little cold water and prepare the dough. Divide the dough into small balls about the size of a lime. Stretch and flatten each ball on a greased or damp oil paper or a plate.
The size of the rotti could vary. It should be round and not too thick. Transfer it on to a heated griddle or a flat crepe pan and cook them on both sides till they get brown and golden colour.
Serve hot with lunumiris or seeni sambol or meat/fish curry or with jam as desired.

Pittu

Sri lankan Pittu





2 cups rice flour (red or white)
2 cups flour
2 cups shredded coconut (or 1 1/2 cups desiccated coconut soaked in 3/4 cup of water)
Salt to taste

Steam the wheat flour (I now do this in the microwave. Just put the flour in a microwave safe bowl and heat for a minute. Check to see if the flour has clumped together, if not put in for another minute, continue till it has clumped (Take care not to burn it).
Next mix all ingredients in a large bowl and roll with the thumb to make small granules. Add water little by little.

Or

Put the ingredients into a food processor and pulse adding water little by little to achieve the same consistency.
Take care not to make it too wet. If so add a little bit of rice flour.
Fill the pipe of the Pittu maker and steam till the steam comes out of the lid for 3-5 minutes. Un-mold and serve hot with Lunu miris and salted and heated coconut milk.

Salad

Macaroni Salad



Ingredients:
One Packet Macaroni (500g) (any shape)
1 can Tuna in mayonaise
1 medium Bombe onion
2-3 Carrots
2-3 green chillies
2 boiled eggs
pepper, salt, mayanaise

Method:
Boil water with salt in a deep pot. When water gets boiled add little vegetable oil and then put Macaroni. While stiring allow to cook. When macaroni is cooked drain and runover cold water. Then keep a side.
Cut boiled eggs, carrots, onion, chillies into small pieces (you can grate the carrot) and put into a bowl. Then add little pepper, salt , 1 can Tuna and an extra Mayonaise and mix well. Then put Macaroni into a pot then add vegetable mixer on top (step by step) and mix well.
Serve with tomatoe sauce.

Salad

Tomato, Cucumber Pineapple Salad
________________________________________





1 Seedless Cucumber
1 Riped Tomato
1/2 Pineapple
10 Dates (seedles)
Salt, Crushed pepper, Chillie powder and Lime

a) Cut the cucmber, tomato and the pineapple in to equal size small cubes and place in a glass bawl.
b) Place in a refrigerator until it is time for serving.
c) Add the seasoning(salt, pepper, and lime) just before serving

MIXED FRUIT CHUTNEY




1 lb. Mixed Fruits - Mango, Tomato, Amberella, dates
1 1/4 lb. Sugar
3/4 to 1 oz. Chillie powder
2 ozs. sultanas
1 ozs. mustard ) ground in 1/2
1 ozs. garlic ) bottle venigar
1 ozs. ginger )

Method
Peel and cut the fruits. Cut up the scalded tomato into pieces. Into the sliced mango and Amberlla sprinkle a little salt and dry in the sun for couple of hours (or keep on top of the oven) Place in pan the sugar, vinegar, salt and the ground ingredients to boil. Boil until the syrup is thick. Then add the prepared fruits and cook for about 15 mts., longer and cool and bottle.

Malay Pickle


Malay Pickle
________________________________________
Ingredients:
1/2 kg dates
1/2 kg small onions
1/2 kg big chillies (malu miris)
10 big garlic
3 table spoonfuls of red chilli powder
salt to taste
3table spoonfuls of powered mustard
2 cup of vinegar

Method:
Clean onions chillies(malu miris)and dates. Boil vinegar and cook onions, chillies(malu miris) for 5 minutes. Drain from vinegar and add dates to it. Mix chilli powder, mustard powder, crushed garlic, salt to the rest of the boiled vinegar. Mix the dates, malu miris
and onions well into it. Keep in an airtight bottle for a couple of days before using.

Sri Lanka Hoppers



Sri Lanka Hoppers (Appa/appam)

● 1 cup long grain rice or Sri Lankan white rice (if available)
● 1 1/2 cups wheat flour
● 2 tbsp sugar
● 2 cups milk (dairy or coconut milk)
● salt to taste
● a non stick hopper pan or a small wok with a rounded bottom
● 1/2 tsp of sodium bi carbonate (appa soda)

Soak the rice for about 6 hours or overnight and grind in a blender with about 1 1/2 cups of water until ground to a paste.( Very slight coarseness in texture is fine) Now mix the sugar and wheat flour with the ground rice flour until you have a lump free mixture. Add more water until you have a very thick batter. (be careful not to add too much water) Leave to ferment for 8 hours in warm place. (The batter does not rise but you will notice tiny bubbles when fermented) Do not leave more than 12 hours. Now add the sodium bicarbonate and salt to the batter and the milk in small quantities until you have batter the consistency of a pan cake batter. Add more milk if necessary and mix well but not too vigorously. Grease the hopper pan lightly and heat the pan on a medium flame. Do not allow the pan to get overheated but you should feel the heat when you hold your palm above the pan. Pour in a ladle of batter and swirl in one quick turn until the pan is coated and the balance batter runs into the middle. Cover the pan. Leave for 5 - 7 minutes or until you have a golden edge. (Do not open the lid until the hopper is ready or the edges tend to collapse ) Carefully loosen the edge and the hopper will easily slide out. For an egg hopper, break in an egg in to the hopper as soon as you have swirled the batter. Leave for five minutes longer on a lower heat until egg is done and remove as earlier. Serve with seeni sambol or curry or even eat it plain with butter. This is the best hopper recipe I have ever tried because the hoppers turn out crisp and perfect. You will enjoy it. Bon appetite.

Sri Lankan Style Cashew Curry





● 250 g (8 oz) raw Cashews
● 3 Cups thin Coconut milk (or water)
● 1 medium Onion, sliced
● 2 fresh green Chilies, sliced
● 2 cloves Garlic, crushed
● 5 cm Cinnamon stick
● 4 pieces Rampe
● 8 Curry leaves
● 3 tbs Vegetable oil
● 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
● 1 tbs Raw Curry powder (see recipe for raw curry powder )
● 2 pieces Goraka (optional)
● 1 Cup thick Coconut milk or fresh milk

Method:
● Place the cashews in a bowl, add boiling water, close with lid and soak for about 4 hours or overnight.
● Drain the water from cashews and add salt, turmeric, raw curry powder, goraka and mix well until cashews are well coated.
● Heat the oil in a medium saucepan then add onions, green chilies, crushed garlic, cinnamon and fry until onions are soft and golden brown.
● Add the cashews and keep stirring until well coated with oil and onions.
● Add thin coconut milk (or water), close with lid and cook on slow heat until cashews are soft and cooked.
● Add the thick coconut milk (or fresh milk) and bring to a boil on slow heat.
● Turn off heat. Adjust salt to taste.

Koththu Roti



Ingredients:
● 4 Godhamba Roti cut into stripes of approx. 2" x 1/2" (inches)
● 2 cups of Curried meat (beef, lamb or chicken) : Follow recipe for
beef curry but make it dry without too much gravy. If using
chicken, use chicken breast cubes without bones.
● 2 eggs lightly beaten
● 1 onion sliced
● 1-2 green peppers sliced
● 1 cup cubed tomatoes
● 4-5 curry leaves
● 1 inch piece Rampe (optional)
● 3-4 tbs. Vegetable oil
● Salt & pepper to taste

Method:
● Heat the oil in a frying pan.
● Add curry leaves, Rampe, onion and fry until the onion is lightly brown.
● Add green peppers & tomatoes and stir for few minutes.
● Add egg and stir well to coat all the onion & tomatoes.
● Add the curried meat. Stir well.
● Cook for few minutes.
● Add the stripes of Godhamba Roti, stir and allow to cook for few minutes longer on reduced heat.
● Adjust salt & pepper to taste.
● Serve hot or cold with chili Sauce.

Pineapple Curry




● 1 can (19 oz) Pineapple tit-bits (drained: keep the drained juice separately) or 1 small pineapple cut into bite size pieces.
● 1 small onion sliced
● 1-2 hot green peppers sliced
● 1 tsp. Maldive fish pieces
● 1-2 tsp. raw curry powder
● 1/4 turmeric
● 1/2 tsp. ground black mustard
● 1-2 inch piece cinnamon few curry leaves and rampe
● 2 large cloves of garlic and 1/2 ginger root crushed
● 1/4 cup coconut milk (or fresh milk)
● 2-3 tbs. vegetable oil
● 1-2 tbs. sugar (adjust according to taste and the pineapple used)
● Salt to taste

Method:
● Heat oil in saucepan.
● Add crushed ginger & garlic, curry leaves, rampe, cinnamon, sliced onions and green peppers.
● Keep mixing the ingredients until the onions are soft.
● Add salt, turmeric, raw curry powder, ground mustard and Maldive fish.
● Mix all the ingredients well and add pineapple pieces.
● Keep mixing the pineapple pieces until well coated with the spices.
● Reduce heat and allow to simmer for few minutes.
● If using canned pineapple add 1/2 of the drained juice.
● Allow to simmer for few more minutes longer.
● Add the sugar, mix well and adjust salt.
● Taste and if necessary add a little lime juice (depends on the pineapple used).
● Add 1/4 cup coconut milk (or fresh milk).
● Let simmer for a little while and take off heat.
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Thursday, August 28, 2008

Vegetable Roti


Ingredients for dough:
1 Cup flour
About 1/2 Cup water
salt
1 1/2 Cup Vegetable oil
Ingriedents for filling:
1/2 lb potatoes boiled and skins removed
1/2 lb leeks
2 onions chopped
salt
pepper

Make dough:
Combine flour, salt. Add enough water to make the dough. The dough should not wet. Make into golf ball size balls and dip in vegetable oil. The balls must be completely covered in oil.
Make filling:
Mash the potatoes. Finely chop the leeks. Stir fry the onions in a pan for about 4-5mins under low heat. Add the leeks and stir fry for a few more minutes.
Add the potatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

The dough ball must be soaked in the oil for at least 4 hours, before the next step. Stretch the dough ball in a plate as shown in the picture.
Put the filling into the middle of the roti, according to the shape you desire. Fold the edges to cover the fillng. Heat a pan over moderate heat. Cook the roties on all sides, till each side turn a golen brown color.
Serve hot.

PEYAWA DRINK



3/4 lbs. corriander seeds / 1/4 lb. cummin seeds
2 ozs. dried ginger / 1 oz. cloves
1 oz. roots of belli plant (belimul)
1/2 oz. thippili (available in Sri Lankan herbal stores)
1/8 oz. of stems of curry leaves (karapincha)

Method:
Roast each kind separately till it gets slightly dark. Put all roasted ingredients in a coffee grinder and grinds them very fine.
Add 1 cup of boiling water to 1 teaspoonful of peyawa powder. Cover it and allow it to get brewd for about 5 - 8 minutes. Strain and add sugar to taste.
This is a herbal, medicinal drink, ideal for coughs and colds. In cold countries you can enjoy this drink on very cold days in Winter.

Ginger Drink




Muuuuummm My favorite Drink

3 ozs. Root ginger
4 ozs. lime juice
1 1/2 - 2 lbs. sugar
6 bottles of water
Method:
Boil water, add pureed (crushed) ginger and sugar. When sugar gets dissolved, take it off the fire. Allow it to cool and add lime juice. Strain and bottle. Tastes better when it is iced.

Fruit smoothie



To make a smoothie on a very hot day You need:

Can Of Fruit with the fruit juice (you may have your own favuorite) I use rasberry
One small banana
Two tbsp lemon juice
Suger or sweetners if prefer
Two scoops of vanila ice-cream to garnish with

Lets make smoothie:
Open can of rasberry and add the contents into a juicy maker together with peeled banana, lemon juice and sweetners. Process it all for two mins untill smoothe and then pour it to a tall glass chill for about half an hour topped with vanila ice-cream and serve.