Today’s guest blogger is Maheesa Dayananda, UNDP project staff from Polonnaruwa district. He will be sharing his mother’s recipes for a couple of his favourite dishes.

These are two of my favorite curries and around once in two weeks we cook one of these at home. These two curries should be served with rice and are very popular (especially Polos Embulla) among Sinhalese not only in Polonnaruwa but also in other areas too. Also, these curries come from few generations back. I can remember my grand mother also cooked these curries.

(a) Polos Embulla

Time taken    – 75 minutes

Serves             – 05

INGREDIENTS

• Baby jack                         15 pieces (250 gm)
• Goraka/Garcinia Cambogia 04 pieces
• Garlic                                 04 cloves
• Pepper                              01 teaspoon
• Cardamom/ enasal        ½ teaspoon
• Curry Powder                  02 teaspoon, roasted
• Chilli Powder                   02 teaspoon
• Turmeric Powder           ½ teaspoon
• Coconut                           01 nut
• Curry leaves/ Rampe      as per required
• Salt                                     to taste
• Cinnamon                         a bit
• Water                                 as per required

METHOD

1. Removing the outer peel of the baby jack, cut it into fairly big pieces, wash well and put them in an earthen vessel.
2. Mix the pieces of baby jack with chilli powder, curry powder, turmeric powder and salt.
3. Add some goraka.
4. Mix crushed pepper, cinnamon and cardamom with the pieces of baby jack.
5. Pour coconut milk in to the earthen vessel until the baby jack pieces are just covered and cook them till most of the liquid dries up. As the curry should have a little gravy, remove from heat before the gravy completely dries up.
6. Note: Avoid dipping spoons which have been used for other curries, in polos embulla curry, to keep the stuff fresh for many days.

(b) Kos Melluma

Time taken    45 minutes

Serves             05

INGREDIENTS

• Pieces of jack                        250 gm
• Coriander                              02 teaspoon
• Cumin Seeds                        01 teaspoon
• Sweet Cumin/ star anise  01 teaspoon
• Green chillies                        03 – 04
• Coconut                                ½ nut, scraped
• Coconut oil                          04 teaspoon
• Mustard                               01 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder              as per required
• Curry leaves                        as per required

METHOD

1. Remove the core/ seeds from the jack-fruit pieces nut and cut them in to small pieces.
2. Crush about 10 seeds and remove the peel covering the seed.
3. Place the chopped jack-fruit and crushed seeds in a pan and add turmeric & water as required.
4. Cover the pan and cook the jack-fruit.
5. After the jack-fruit is cooked, add curry powder, curry leaves, scraped coconut and kochchi or green chilies and let it simmer together.
6. Heat some coconut oil in another pan and fry some mustard seeds.
7. Transfer the cooked jack-fruit with all its seasonings to the pan with the mustard seeds and temper it for a few minutes.
8. Serve hot with rice.

Recipe source: Maheesa Dayananda.