Fish cutlets

Today’s guest blogger is Krishanti Weerakoon, a staff of UN and wife of the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Canada.

FISH CUTLETS

This is a fool-proof Sri Lankan recipe and on all of our postings overseas, this was an absolute favourite. A versatile and excellent snack for coffee mornings, afternoon teas, lunches , cocktail parties,with pre dinner drinks or even with dinner!! Make sure you have enough to go around as these small morsels have an explosion on your taste buds with the spices and aromatics and they are very popular. Reduce the intensity of the chillies depending on your guests’ tolerance for spice!!

Ingredients:
1 tin tuna ( 450 gram)
2 small green chillies cut finely
1 small onion diced
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp chillie powder

I large potato peeled and boiled and mashed
I clove garlic crushed
1 tsp chopped ginger
I tsp each ground coriander and cummin

I tsp lime juice
I lb bread crumbs ( 450 gms)
2 eggs

3 tbsp flour
salt

1 pint oil for deep frying.

Method:
Mix all the ingredients except one egg and flour , breadcrumbs and oil in a bowl. Make small balls about the size of a walnut.

Break the other egg into a bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Then put the flour and breadcrumbs into two seperate bowls. Follow this order; first roll the cutlet in flour, then egg and lastly breadcrumbs. Treat it like an assembly line!! Use up all the fish mixture this way!

Heat oil to smoking point in a wok or fryer. Fry the cutlets until golden brown . Do not add too many at a time as it will lower the temperature of the oil and will not fry evenly. Ensure that oil stays hot when frying to ensure crispy cutlets. Serve with a nice dip either sweet chilli sauce or tomato/barbecue sauce.

Recipe source: Krishanti Weerakoon.

Wattalapam Jelly Pudding

As part of the Eid special series,

(e) Wattalapam jelly pudding

Originally from the Sri Lankan Malay cuisine, wattalapam has become a dessert that is made by all communities in Sri Lanka. This recipe of my mother is an adaptation of the traditional wattalapam into a jelly pudding.

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Thick coconut milk – 1 cup (this can be obtained by blending ¼ cup freshly scraped coconut with 1 cup of water)
Egg – 1 (can use 2 tbsp corn flour as a substitute)
Jaggery – ½ to 1 cup, depending on taste
Cardamom – 3 or 4, crushed
Vanilla extract – 2 tsp
Agar agar – 2 tbsp
Hot water – 6 tbsp

Method:

Mix the coconut milk and jaggery.
Lightly whisk the egg before adding the jaggery-milk mixture. Blend the mixture well.
Add the crushed cardamom and vanilla extract to the mixture.
Cook the pudding mixture on low heat, stirring continuously, for about 10 mins.
Remove the thickened mixture from the heat and keep aside to cool.
Take 2 tsp agar agar powder and mix with 6 tbsp hot water.
Beat the agar agar mix into the slightly cooled pudding mixture.
Cool and refrigerate.

Recipe Source: Raji Thillainathan.

Salad

As part of the Eid Special series,

(d) Salad

Preparation time: 5 – 10mins

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Orange – ½, peel removed
Apple – ½
Tomato -1 small
Onion – 1 small
Chillies – 2 or capsicum – 1
Salad leaves – 1
Salt and pepper, to taste
Sugar – 1 tsp, can be adjusted to taste
Lime juice – 1tbsp (Optional: can use yoghurt instead of lime juice)

Method:

Chop up the vegetables and fruits.
Make the salad dressing by mixing salt, pepper, sugar and lime juice.
Toss the salad with the dressing.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Potato curry

(c) Potato curry

Cooking time – 20 mins

Serves 4 – 5 persons

Ingredients:

Potatoes – 2 large
Onion -1 medium sized
Fenugreek seeds – 1 tsp
Rampe leaf/ pandan
Curry leaves – 2 sprigs
Water – 2 cups
Non-fat milk – ½ cup + ¼ cup (optional) – Can substitute with coconut milk, if vegan
Curry powder – 2 tsp
Salt, to taste
Low fat oil (Canola or sunflower) – 1 tbsp

Method:

Cut the potatoes into small chunks.
Heat a little oil in a pan. Saute the fenugreek, onion, rampe and curry leaves for a few seconds.
Add the potatoes to the pan, mix well and fry for about two minutes till there is a nice aroma of fried potatoes.
Add 2 cup of water and ½ cup of milk. Add the curry powder and salt to taste.
Cook the curry for around 10 to 15 mins. When the liquid dries up, it can be removed from heat.
If you like the curry in gravy, add the optional ¼ cup milk and cook a few minutes more before removing from heat.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Stuffed Chilli Fry

As part of the Eid Special series,

(b) Stuffed chilli fry

Cooking time:

Serves 4

Ingredients

Capsicum/ Kari Milagai/ Malu Miris – 4
Ash plantains – 2
Chillies – 1 or 2
Onion – ¼
Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
Salt and pepper, to taste
For batter:
Wheat flour – ¾ cup
Salt – ¼ tsp
Water – 1 cup
Bread crumbs – 100g or 1 cup
Low fat oil (canola or sunflower) – deep fry + 1 tbsp (for sauté)

Method:

Steam the capsicums.
Make a small hole at the top of each capsicum and remove the insides of the capsicum, which you can discard. Keep the hollow capsicum.
Boil the ash plantains. Remove skin and keep the skin aside for a peel salad.
Chop up or mash the boiled ash plantain (sans skin) and mix with the chopped onion and chillies and fennel seeds. Lightly sauté the ash plantain mixture, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Fill the insides of the capsicum with the lightly sautéed ash plantain mix and keep aside.
Make a batter by mixing the wheat flour, salt and water. The consistency of the batter should be similar to that of a pancake batter.
Dip the stuffed capsicum in the batter and roll it in bread crumbs.
Repeat the dipping in the batter and rolling in the bread crumbs for a double coating of the stuffed capsicum.
Deep fry the stuffed capsicum.
For those who prefer non-veg, substitute ash plantains with tinned fish (pilchard or salmon).

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Fried rice

To celebrate Eid al-Fitr, my mother prepared a special lunch today: fried rice with potato curry, stuffed chilli fry, salad and wattalapam jelly pudding. So today, I will share my mother’s recipes for all five dishes, which comes under experimental and fusion cooking, in a series of posts.

(a) Fried rice

Cooking time: 30 mins

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Basmathi rice – 2 cups
Carrot – ¼ cup, chopped
Green peas – ¼ cup
Leeks – ¼ cup, chopped
Onion – ¼ cup, chopped
Mixed 3C spice powder – Clove, cinnamon, cardamom powder – 2 tsp
Kesari powder – ½ tsp (Can use biryani powder or saffron or turmeric powder)
Low fat margarine – 50g or 3 tbsp
Cinnamon – 1 ~ 2’’ stick
Rampe leaf/ pandan
Salt, to taste

Method:

Put the rice in a rice cooker and add water to about an inch above the rice surface. Add a cinnamon stick, rampe leaf and a little salt and cook the rice.
Sprinkle a little salt on the chopped veggies and keep aside.
Heat the margarine in a pan on low heat.
Add the mixed 3C spice powder and sauté for 2 seconds before adding the chopped vegetables.
When the veggies become tender, add the kesari powder.
Add the cooked rice and mix well.
Serve hot.

Recipe Source: Raji Thillainathan.

Spicy bean curd curry

My mother is quite fond of tofu ever since she first came across it while living in Jakarta in the 80s. A regular dish at our home for many years, my mother enjoys cooking it in different styles. This bean curd curry is my mother’s creation and what I call fusion cooking.

Cooking time: 20 – 25 mins

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Bean curd – 150g, cut into 1 inch pieces
Tomatoes – 2, chopped
Fenugreek seeds – 1 tsp
Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
Cumin powder – ½ tsp
Coriander powder – ½ tsp
Cinnamon, cardamom, clove powder mix – ½ tsp
Onion, chopped
Curry leaves – 2 sprig
Rampe leaf/ pandan
Crushed chillies – 1 tsp
Salt, to taste
Oil – 1 tbsp + deep fry
Water – 1 ½ cups

Method:

Deep fry the bean curd pieces.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add the fenugreek and fennel seeds and fry for a few seconds. Add the spice powder mix (cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, clove).
Then, add the chopped onion, curry leaves and rampe leaf and fry lightly.
Add the chopped tomato pieces, crushed chillies and salt and mix well.
Adding 1 ½ cups of water to the pan, cook the curry for around 10 to 15 minutes.
Add the bean curd pieces and simmer for another 5 minutes, before removing from heat.
Garnish with fresh curry leaves and serve hot with rice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Drumstick curry

This is my mother’s recipe and this is the way she makes drumstick curry often at home. It is delicious.

Cooking time: 25 – 30 mins

Serves 4 – 5 persons

Ingredients

Drumsticks – 2
Fenugreek seeds – 1 tbsp
Onion – ½
Curry leaves – 2 sprig
Curry powder – 1 tbsp
Salt – ½ tsp
Oil – 1 tbsp
Tamarind extract – ½ cup
Non-fat milk or coconut milk (for vegans) – 1 cup
Water – ½ cup

Method

Cut the drumsticks into 2 inch pieces and clean by scraping lightly the skin.
Deep fry drumstick pieces, till they are lightly browned.
In a pan, heat a little oil and sauté the fenugreek seeds, onions and curry leaves.
Add the fried drumstick pieces and mix well.
Add the tamarind extract, non-fat milk or coconut milk and water, along with the curry powder and salt, to the pan.
Cover and cook on medium heat for around 15 mins.
Taste for salt and then increase heat and cook further for about 5 mins.
Remove from heat and serve with hot rice or stringhoppers.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Paithangai Curry

Today is Aadi amaavasai or the New moon day during the month of Aadi, which generally falls between mid-July and mid-August of the global calendar. For Tamils, it is a remembrance day of fathers who have passed away. As both my grandfathers passed away at quite a young age, my parents have always observed this day for as long as I can remember. Lunch on this day is always kind of special – food that I associate with fasts and temples. One curry that is sure to be there on this day is Paithangai or yardlong beans.

I thought of posting the recipe for this dish today. My mother went one step ahead and not only did she give me the recipe for paithangai curry across three generations of my family, she actually prepared it in the three different styles so that I could take photos of them. Each of the recipe below takes about 20 – 25 mins to cook and serves 3 – 4 people.

So, here goes…

(1) Paithangai curry (early to mid 20th century recipe)

This is my great grandmother’s recipe, as remembered and replicated by my mother. As this is a dry curry recipe, it can be refrigerated and used over a few days without spoiling as opposed to curries that are cooked in coconut milk.

Ingredients

Yardlong beans – 200g
Curry powder – 1 tsp
Onion – ½ medium sized, chopped
Curry leaves
Salt to taste
Oil – 2 tbsp
Water – 2 cups

Method

Wash and cut the beans into 1 inch pieces.
Add the beans and chopped onions to a pot together with the curry leaves and curry powder. Add 2 cups of water. Cover and cook on medium heat.
When the water has almost dried up and the beans are cooked, add 2 tbsp of oil and mix well. Reduce heat and let the curry simmer for about 2 mins before removing from the heat.
Serve hot with rice.

(2) Paithangai curry (mid to late 20th century recipe)

This is my grandmother’s recipe, as remembered and replicated by my mother.

Ingredients

Yardlong beans – 200g
Carrot – 1
Curry powder – 2 tsp
Onion – ½ medium sized, chopped
Curry leaves – a sprig
Coconut milk – 2 cups of second milk and 2 tbsp of first milk
Salt to taste

Note: The first milk is the coconut milk obtained when blending freshly grated coconut with a little water. The second milk is the coconut milk obtained when blending the used grated coconut, after the first milk has been obtained, with about 2 cups of water. The second milk will be thinner in consistency to the first milk. My mother uses non-fat milk as a substitute for coconut milk for health reasons.

Method

Wash and cut the beans and carrots into 1 inch pieces.
Add the beans, carrots and chopped onions to a pot together with the curry leaves and curry powder. Add 2 cups of the second coconut milk. Cover and cook on medium heat.
When the milk has almost dried up and the beans are cooked, add 2 tbsp of the first coconut milk and mix well. Reduce heat and let the curry simmer for around 5 – 10 mins before removing from the heat.
Serve hot with rice.

(3) Paithangai curry – my mother’s recipe

Ingredients

Yardlong beans – 1 cup, finely chopped
Carrot – ½ cup, finely chopped
Cabbage and leeks – ½ cup, finely chopped
Onion – 1 medium-sized, finely chopped
Garlic – 2 cloves, finely chopped
Green chilli – 2 or capsicum – 1, finely chopped
Turmeric – ½ tsp
Pepper powder – ¼ tsp
Salt, to taste
Low fat Oil (Canola or Sunflower oil) – 2 tbsp
Water – ¼ cup

Method

Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the chopped garlic, onions and chillies.
Then, add the beans. Mix and fry for about 5 minutes.
Add the rest of the chopped vegetables and cook for another 5 – 10 mins.
Add ¼ cup of water, turmeric, pepper and salt to taste. Mix well. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the water dries up.
Remove from the heat and serve hot with rice.

Do post your feedback below, if you do try one of these recipes.

Mashed pumpkin salad

This is a simple and quick to prepare recipe of my mother’s, which is a huge hit with visitors. My mother generally likes experimenting. She can also replicate something she has once tasted. As this dish is something that falls under the two, I have labelled it under ‘Colombo’ (the city where different Sri Lankan cuisines meet) – which is also the city my mother has lived nearly three decades so far and where she feels most at home.

Mashed Pumpkin Salad

Time taken – 20 minutes

Serves – 4

Ingredients

Pumpkin – 250g
Coconut milk – 2 or 3 tbsp
Green chillies – 2
Onion – 1 medium sized, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Lime juice

Method

Chop the pumpkin into chunks, does not need to be small, and leaving the skin on. Remove seeds and clean the chunks.
Boil the pumpkin until it is tender and cooked, for around 15 minutes. Remove skin and mash the pumpkin.
Add the coconut milk, green chillies, onion to the mashed pumpkin and mix well.
Season with salt and pepper, according to your taste, as well as some lime juice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.