Monthly Archives: November 2013

Soya bean Vadai

Today’s recipe is a snack made from soya beans – a crunchy soya bean vadai.

Soya bean Vadai

Time taken: 15 – 20 mins (using pre-cooked soya beans)

Makes 6 or 7

Soya bean VadaiIngredients:

  • Soya beans – ½ cup, boiled
  • All-purpose flour – ½ cup
  • Onion – ½, chopped
  • Crushed chillies – 2 tsp
  • Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
  • Curry leaves – 1 sprig, chopped
  • Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
  • Salt, to taste
  • Low fat oil, for deep-frying

Method:

  1. Mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl to prepare the ‘vadai’ dough. Divide the dough into small balls, around 6 or 7. Flatten each slightly.
  2. Heat the oil in a pan. When the oil is ready for frying, drop the ‘vadai’ in batches into the heated oil and deep fry them until they are golden brown on both sides.
  3. Serve warm with some Sri Lankan tea.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Soya bean curry

Today’s soya bean recipe is a nice soya bean curry that I like.

Soya bean curry

Time taken: 20 mins (with pre-cooked soya beans)

Serves 3

Soya bean curryIngredients:

  • Soya beans – ½ cup, boiled
  • Tomato – 1
  • Onion – ½
  • Fennel seeds – ½ tsp
  • Fenugreek seeds – ½ tsp
  • Curry leaves – 1 sprig
  • Curry powder – 1 tsp
  • Rampe/ Pandan leaf – piece
  • Salt, to taste
  • Low fat oil – 1 tsp

Method:

  1. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and sauté the fennel and fenugreek seeds, chopped onion and curry leaves for a couple of mins.
  2. Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan. Stir and add ½ cup of water.
  3. Add the curry powder, rampe leaf and salt, to taste and cook for about 5 mins.
  4. Mix in the cooked soya beans and cook for another 10 mins.
  5. Serve with rice or pittu or bread.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Soya bean Crumble

While soya bean is not so commonly cooked at home, we had some leftover soya beans from one of my cooking experiments. My mother therefore decided to cook up a few soya bean dishes over the week.

So, the key ingredient of the recipes on this blog for the next few days will be soya beans.

Soya bean Crumble

Time taken: 45 mins + soaking time (overnight)

Serves 4

Soya bean crumbleIngredients:

  • Soyabeans – ½ cup
  • Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
  • Chilli powder – ½ tsp
  • Salt, to taste
  • Red chilli – 1
  • Green chilli – 1
  • Onion – ½
  • Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
  • Curry leaves – 1 sprig
  • Scraped coconut – 1 tbsp
  • Low fat oil – 2 tbsp

Method:

  1. Soak the soya beans overnight and then rinse and cook the beans with water for 30 mins.
  2. Drain and grind the cooked soya beans in a blender for about 2 mins.
  3. Transfer the ground soya beans to a mixing bowl and add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt, to taste. Mix well and keep aside.
  4. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and lightly fry the chopped onion, chillies, curry leaves and fennel seeds for a minute.
  5. Add the seasoned, ground soya bean mixture to the pan and stir fry for about 5 – 10 mins.
  6. Add the scraped coconut. Mix well and cook for about 2 mins.
  7. Serve the soya bean crumble with rice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Cabbage fry

Cabbage fry

Time taken: 20 mins

Serves 3 or 4

Cabbage fryIngredients:

  • Cabbage – 1 cup
  • Scraped coconut – 2 tbsp
  • Onion – ½
  • Red chilli – 1
  • Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
  • Curry leaves – 1 sprig
  • Turmeric – ½ tsp
  • Crushed chilli – ½ tsp
  • Salt, to taste
  • Sesame oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

  1. Finely chop the cabbage.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in a pan and lightly sauté the fennel seeds, chopped onion, red chilli and curry leaves for 1 to 2 mins.
  3. Add some salt to the pan.
  4. Mix in the chopped cabbage. Add another tsp oil if required and cook for about 10 to 15 mins.
  5. Towards the end, add the freshly scraped coconut, the turmeric and crushed chilli. Mix well before removing from stove.
  6. Serve warm with rice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Thank you for the nomination!

images (1)A few days back, I was surprised by a touching email from a fellow blogger. Surprising because I found that my blog had been nominated for an award and it has been in existence for only four months. Thank you, Diana @ Little Bits of Nice for nominating my blog for the Liebster Blog Award! 

After the nomination email brought a smile to my morning, my penchant for history had me looking for the roots of this award. Tracking back through the links till it broke off at some point within this year and after ‘googling’ around, I made some interpretations of the various information that I came across: (1)  the award is a lovely chain award passing on the spirit of sharing, (2) the nomination is not necessarily meant for new bloggers as much as it is meant for favourite or special blogs, (3) the nominated blog’s theme can be any subject as it rather depends on what the favourite topics of the nominator are, (4) there has been a range set to the limit of readers to a nominated blog over the years and it seems to vary between 100 in 2013 and 3000 back in 2010.

Further, there are variances to accepting a nomination, in that it is quite flexible. As such, I prefer to accept Diana’s kind nomination of my blog in the following way: sharing a few facts about my blog, 10 questions answered, 10 new nominations and 6 new questions for the nominees.

So, starting off with some facts about ‘A Taste of Sri Lankan Cuisine’:

  • This blog is the sixth of my seven blogs and is the only one focused on cuisine.
  • While I have initiated this blog and am keen to put together a site that will eventually have a representative sample of Sri Lanka’s multi-ethnic cuisine, I have personally not contributed any recipe yet.
  • My role has been to reach out to friends and invite them to send in recipes and as regular readers may already know, I also record and transcribe my mother’s recipes and photograph the food she makes.
  • Before this year, while I did engage in occasional cooking, I used to keep out of the kitchen most of the time and sticking to basics when I had to cook. It was during the last six months of trying to cook something different, colourful and nutritious enough to tempt my mother to eat when her health declined, that my interest in cooking came about and I have found that I enjoy baking.
  • This blog has become something more than just a documentation of Sri Lankan recipes to me. I have found that it has re-sparked my mother’s creative interests and she enjoys sharing her recipes and stories a lot. Despite her current frail health, she seems to enjoy concocting creative, new food.

Answering the ten questions of Little Bits of Nice:

1) What herb could you not do without? Turmeric. I am fond of a number of herbs but I think turmeric is an absolute essential in my kitchen. Not just for cooking, but also as an antiseptic.

2) What is your favourite season? Autumn. I love the fall colours. Even more so because I have had few occasions to experience it.

3) City or Countryside? City. I like to live in a city that is close to the sea but I love to travel out to the countryside on holiday as it always rejuvenates me.

4) What is your happiest memory? My years in Sweden. I guess it is because I felt a good sense of independence, freedom of thought, expression and movement in addition to the beautiful environment and wonderful friends.

5) What is the thing you most love to do? Explore through travelling or creative writing or usually both.

6) Are you an early riser or a night owl? I usually wake up before dawn as that is my most productive thinking time.

7) What is your favourite item of clothing? Shawl. I love shawls and usually buy locally designed shawls when I visit a new country.

8) Sweet or Savoury? I have a sweet tooth!

9) Which countries have you travelled to? Around 25 countries so far (too many to list out here)

10) Following on question 9, which of them is your favourite and why? Hawai’i. There is a wonderful healing vibe around Hawai’i, particularly Big Island, and I lived there at a time when I needed some time to reflect on my next steps. So, besides the beautiful blue skies and seas and the amazing double rainbows of Hawai’i, it is special because of the particular moment that I visited the breathtaking islands.

Now, for my nominations… Based on my interpretations of the award, I have chosen ten blogs from those that I now enjoy following and my selection has also included travel blogs, journals/ memoirs in addition to culinary blogs.

Your blogs are truly special, in that you share what you care about a lot with the world, and it comes through your writing, recipes and photographs. Keep on continuing your wonderful work! And, I hope you accept my nomination.

My six questions for you, if you choose to accept the nomination, are:

  1. Who is your favourite fictional character and why?
  2. Which place in this world makes you feel most at home and why?
  3. If you were to cook a meal for the most favourite person in your life, what would be the meal you cook?
  4. If given the choice, which wildlife would you contribute towards protecting and why?
  5. What do you consider as the biggest priority in environmental protection and conservation?
  6. Apart from the places you have already travelled to, where would be your next dream destination and why?

My warmest wishes to all of you, the readers of this blog… Have a lovely week!

Ahila.

Spicy Ash Plantain Curry

Ash plantain (Saambal Vaalai, as it is called in Tamil) is often used in Sri Lankan and South Indian cuisine. I am not very familiar with the varieties of plantains but as far as I am aware, ash plantain is the more common and popular variety in Sri Lanka and is a cooking plantain.

Today’s recipe is that of an ash plantain curry that my mother quite often makes at home.

ash plantainSpicy Ash plantain Curry

Time taken: 25 mins

Serves 3

Spicy Ash Plantain CurryIngredients:

  • Ash plantain – 2
  • Fenugreek seeds – 1 tsp
  • Onion – ½
  • Curry leaves – 1 sprig
  • Tamarind extract – ½ cup
  • Thin coconut milk – ½ cup
  • Curry powder – 1 ½ tsp
  • Salt, to taste
  • Sugar – 1 tsp
  • Low fat oil – 1 tbsp + more, for light frying

Method:

  1. Peel the ash plantains and slice them.
  2. Lightly fry the ash plantain slices in a little oil. Keep aside.
  3. In a pan, add 1 tbsp oil and sauté the fenugreek seeds, chopped onion and curry leaves for a minute.
  4. Add the lightly fried ash plantain slices to the pan. Mix well and continue stir-frying for another 2 – 3 mins.
  5. Then, add the tamarind extract to the pan, followed by the thin coconut milk and the curry powder.
  6. Season the curry with salt to taste. Mix well and cook the curry for about 10 mins till the gravy thickens.
  7. Just before removing the pan from stove, add a tsp of sugar and mix well.
  8. Serve the spicy ash plantain curry with rice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Vegan Eggs

As I have often mentioned on this blog before, my mother enjoys being creative and experimental in her cooking. When she gets into that mode, she starts whipping up several dishes in succession. This weekend, we have been treated to a number of new dishes at home.

Today’s dish is a special treat and ideal for a weekend breakfast treat.

Vegan eggs

Time taken: 30 mins

Makes 4

Vegan eggs

Ingredients:

  • Rice flour – ½ cup, roasted or Wheat flour – ¾ cup, steamed
  • Semolina – ¼ cup, roasted
  • Onion – ½, chopped
  • Green chilli – 1, chopped
  • Carrot – 1 tbsp, grated
  • Walnuts – 1 tbsp, chopped
  • Vegetable oil margarine – 2 tbsp
  • Kesari powder or saffron – pinch
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pepper  – pinch

Method:

  1. Mix the flour with salt and pepper and hot water to make a dough. Divide the dough into 4 balls. Keep aside.
  2. Heat 2 tbsp margarine in a pan and lightly fry the chopped walnuts, onion, chilli and grated carrot for about 2 mins.
  3. Add ½ cup of water to the pan as well as salt, pepper and a pinch of kesari powder.
  4. As the water starts bubbling, add the semolina to the pan and stir it till it thickens and the chopped onion and walnuts have mixed well with the semolina. Make 4 balls from the semolina mixture.
  5. Roll out the rice flour dough balls into an oval disk.
  6. Place the semolina mixture balls at the center and close the edges, shaping it like an egg with the semolina mixture at its center.
  7. Steam the vegan eggs for about 5 – 10 mins.
  8. After cooling, slice the eggs into halves and serve with sliced onion, tomato and sauce.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Ash plantain and Carrot with Beetroot Sauce

222576_165380886933749_1051752180_nToday is the Virtual Vegan Potluck! I had come across this post recently, and as one who generally enjoys potlucks, decided to join a virtual one after a quick chat with my mother who has contributed more than 90% of the recipes on this blog to-date. So today’s recipe is an ash plantain and carrot with beetroot sauce recipe that my mother concocted, given that I had mentioned beets was the featured ingredient. 

Ash Plantain and Beetroot SauceAsh Plantain and Carrot with Beetroot Sauce

Time taken: 35 – 40 mins

Serves 2

Beetroot sauce close upIngredients:

  • Ash plantain – 1
  • Beetroot – 1
  • Carrot – 1
  • Ginger – 1 tsp, chopped
  • Garlic – 1 or 2 cloves, chopped
  • Green chilli – 1, chopped
  • Onion – ¼, chopped
  • Sesame/ Gingelly oil – 1 tsp + 1 tbsp
  • Salt, to taste

Method:

  1. Wash the three vegetables, without peeling them.
  2. Boil the ash plantain and beetroot for about 15 mins.
  3. After boiling, peel the ash plantain and beetroot separately.
  4. If you prefer the carrot to be boiled or steamed, you will need to do so separately. Else, simply peel the cleaned, fresh carrot and slice thinly and arrange in a serving dish.
  5. Slice the boiled and peeled ash plantain and layer the slices around the carrot in the serving dish. Sprinkle with salt.
  6. Peel the beetroot and chop it up.
  7. Heat a tsp oil and fry the chopped ginger, garlic, chilli and onion lightly.
  8. Transfer the lightly fried ingredients to the blender together with the chopped beetroot and salt, to taste, and blend to a puree/ sauce.
  9. Stir in a tbsp of sesame oil after blending.
  10. Pour the sauce over the dish with the ash plantain and carrot slices.
  11. Garnish with thin slices of chilli and serve.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

For accessing the other blogs participating in the Virtual Vegan Potluck, press the ‘go back’ or ‘go forward’ buttons below.

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Peace.Love.Quinoa: Apple Parsnip Mash

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This is Thirty: Sautéed Beet Greens and Kale

Chickpea Cutlet

Chickpea cutlet

Time taken:  1 hour + soaking time for chickpeas (if not using canned)

Makes 4

Chickpea cutletIngredients:

  • Chickpeas – ½ cup, ground
  • Onion – ½, chopped
  • Green chilli – 1, chopped
  • Pepper – 1 tsp
  • Salt – ½ tsp
  • Coriander leaves – few, chopped
  • Wheat flour – ¼ cup
  • Bread crumbs
  • Low fat oil, for deep-frying

Method:

  1. Cook the chickpeas (if not using canned) for at least 30 mins and then grind it.
  2. Take ½ cup of the ground chickpeas in a mixing bowl and add the chopped onions and chilli.
  3. Season with salt and pepper and toss the coriander leaves into the mix.
  4. Toss the chickpeas mixture together and then divide into 4 balls.
  5. Prepare a batter by mixing the wheat flour with a little water.
  6. Coat the 4 cutlet balls in the batter and then roll them in the bread crumbs.
  7. Deep-fry the cutlets in low-fat oil over medium heat.
  8. Transfer the cutlets to a plate lined with grease absorbing paper, before serving.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Butternut squash and Green Peas Curry

Today’s recipe is one of my mother’s simple and delicious pumpkin recipes. The butternut squash is called the ‘Dubai pumpkin’ for some reason in the markets of Colombo.

Butternut squashButternut squash and green peas curry

Cooking time: 15 mins

Serves 3

Pumpkin and green peas curryIngredients:

  • Butternut squash or regular pumpkin – ½ cup
  • Green peas – ¼ cup
  • Onion – ½
  • Green chilli – 1
  • Ginger – 1”
  • Garlic – 3 or 4 cloves
  • Thin coconut milk – ½ cup
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pepper – 1 tsp
  • Low fat oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

  1. Peel the butternut squash and chop it up into smaller chunks.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in pan and fry the chopped ginger, garlic, green chilli and onion for a min or two.
  3. Add the chopped butternut squash and green peas to the pan and stir fry for a few mins.
  4. Add the coconut milk to the pan, as well as salt to taste, and cook for about 10 mins.
  5. Add the pepper, when the milk is about to dry up, and remove the pan from stove.
  6. Garnish with coriander leaves, chopped onion and tomato and serve warm with rice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.