Pittu with Katharikkai

Today, I felt like sharing another of my family’s comfort food. During the weeks that my mouth was wired shut after my road traffic accident nearly a decade ago, the food that I felt like eating the most was pittu and katharikkai vathakkal. It was then that I found out that everyone in my family seemed to like it very much as well.

As pittu is made as either kulal pittu or regular pittu and my mother generally makes the katharikkai (brinjal) as a curry or vathakkal (stir-fry) to go with the pittu, I decided to share the recipes for all of them.

(a) Kulal pittu (pittu steamed in bamboo)

Time taken: 25 mins

Serves 3

Kulal Pittu

Ingredients

Roasted rice flour – 1 cup
Steamed wheat flour – ¼ cup
Salt – ½ tsp
Scraped coconut – ¼ cup
Hot water, as required

Method:

Mix the roasted rice flour and the steamed wheat flour. Add some salt.
Pour the hot water (boiled and slightly cooled) slowly into the flour mixture and stir by hand till you have coarse, little balls.
Divide into three sections of flour mixture.Divide the freshly scraped coconut into four parts.
Take the bamboo steamer and layer the bottom with one part of the freshly scraped coconut. Then, take one of the divided sections of flour mixture and fill in the bamboo steamer. Layer again, with the second part of scraped coconut. Repeat for remaining two sections of flour mixture until the bamboo steamer is filled but not overflowing. Top with the final part of the scraped coconut.
Steam for 10 to 15 minutes.
Serve the kulal pittu with katharikkai kulambu.

(b) Katharikkai Curry/ Brinjal curry

Time taken: 30 mins

Serves 4 to 5

Katharikkai curry

Ingredients

Brinjal – 2 cups (1 or 1 ½ inch thin slices)
Onion – ½, chopped
Fenugreek seeds – 2 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Tamarind extract – ½ cup
Coconut milk or non-fat milk (for non-vegans) – 1 cup
Curry powder – 1 ½ tsp
Sugar – 1 tsp
Salt, to taste
Low fat oil (sunflower or canola) – 2 tsp + for deep frying

Method:

Cut the brinjals into 1 or 1 ½ inch thin slices till you have about 2 cups.
Deep fry the brinjal slices they brown and keep aside.
Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan and sauté the onion and curry leaves with the fenugreek seeds for a couple of minutes.
Add the brinjal slices to the pan. Mix and fry for a few more minutes.
Add the ½ cup of tamarind extract and simmer for a few minutes before adding the coconut milk or non-fat milk and the curry powder and salt, to taste.
Let the curry simmer for 10 minutes.
Finally, add the sugar, mix and quickly remove from heat. For curries that use tamarind, it is good to add some sugar at the end, just before removing from the stove, as it enhances the flavours.
Serve with pittu or rice.

(c) Pittu with Katharikkai Vathakkal

Ingredients:

Time taken : 35 – 40 mins

Serves 3 to 4

Pittu with Katharikkai Vathakkal

Ingredients:

For pittu, ingredients are the same as for kulal pittu – see (a) above
Brinjals – 2
Onion – ½
Chilli – 1
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Curry powder – 1 tsp
Salt, to taste
Sesame oil – 2 tbsp

Method:

For the regular pittu, follow steps 1 and 2 as for the kulal pittu. Then, mix in the freshly scraped coconut into the bowl of tiny flour balls. Steam the pittu mix in a normal steamer for about 10 – 15 minutes.
Wash and clean the brinjals. Cut the brinjals lengthwise and then finely chop them into small pieces. Sprinkle some salt over the chopped pieces. Mix and keep aside.
Finely chop up the onion and chilli.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. Add the chopped brinjal pieces to the pan and fry them for 5 mins.
Add the chopped onions and continue frying for another 5 mins. If needed, add a little more oil.
At the end, add the curry powder, mix and fry for a couple of minutes before removing from heat.
Serve the pittu with the katharikkai vathakkal.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Soyameat Curry and Fried Soyameat

In the late 70s and early 80s, a lot of research was done in Sri Lanka on processed soyabeans as a means to alleviate protein deficiency amongst children and pregnant and lactating mothers. Soyameat was soon introduced in the market and promoted by the health ministry and the new and affordable food product became a hit in Sri Lankan households.

Today, I will share two ways my mother makes soyameat at home.

(a) Soyameat curry

Time taken: 15 – 20 mins

Serves 4 or 5

Ingredients:

Soyameat – 1 packet
Onion – ½, chopped
Ginger – ½ “ piece, chopped
Garlic – 2 cloves, chopped
Fenugreek seeds – ½ tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Rampe leaf/ pandan – 1” piece
Coconut milk (for vegans) or non-fat milk – ½ cup
Curry powder – ½ tbsp
Salt, to taste
Low fat oil (sunflower or canola) – 1 tbsp

Method:

In a bowl, Add 1 cup of boiling water and add the soyameat chunks. Add some salt and let the soya chunks soak for around 5 minutes. Drain out the water and keep aside.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and fry the chopped onion, ginger, garlic and curry leaves and rampe with the fenugreek seeds for a minute or two.
Then, add the soaked and drained soyameat chunks and mix well.
Add the curry powder (you can alternatively use the curry powder mix that comes with the packet) and the coconut or non-fat milk.
Let the curry cook for about 10 mins. Adjust salt, if required.
Remove from heat.
Serve with roti or rice.

(b) Fried soyameat

Time taken: 20 mins

Serves 4 or 5

Ingredients:

Soyameat – packet
Onion – ¼ , chopped
Ginger – ½ “ piece, chopped
Garlic – 2 cloves, chopped
Curry powder – 1 ½ tsp
Salt, to taste
Oil – 1 tsp (for marinating) + for deep-frying.

Method:

In a bowl, Add 1 cup of boiling water and add the soyameat chunks. Add some salt and let the soya chunks soak for around 10 minutes. Drain some of the water (not needed to have it dry) and keep aside.
Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and fry the chopped onion, ginger, garlic and curry leaves for a minute.
Add the lightly drained soyameat chunks and mix well for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat and keep aside, allowing it to marinate.
When cooled, squeeze out the liquid (excess water or oil) from the marinated soyameat mixture and deep-fry in a pan.
Serve with rice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Veggie roti

Roti has always been a favourite of mine. What is even better is that it is amongst the few food that seems to have been and continue to be comfort food across different generations in my family.

Today, I will share the recipe for my mother’s veggie roti.

Veggie roti

Time taken: 35 mins

Makes 4

Ingredients

Wheat flour – 1 cup
Scraped coconut – ¼ cup
Chillies – 2
Onion – ½
Beans – 4
Carrot – ½
Water, as required
Low fat oil (sunflower or canola), as required

Method:

Finely chop the carrot, beans, onion and chillies.
In a bowl, add the wheat flour, freshly scraped coconut and mix in the finely chopped vegetables.
Add some salt, to taste.
Stir in some water slowly and make the mixture into a ball of dough that should not stick to your fingers.
Pour in a little oil and divide the dough into 4 balls and keep aside for 10 – 15 mins.
Roll out each of the four balls and cook them on a flat pan or griddle on low heat. Flip the roti to the other side after a few minutes so that both sides are cooked and slightly browned.
Serve with soyameat curry or sambal.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Murungai ilai varai

The second recipe I would like to share today is my mother’s murungai ilai recipe. Rich in iron and calcium, murungai (moringa oleifera) is very much part of Jaffna cuisine.

Murungai ilai Varai/stir fry

Time taken: 25 – 30 mins

Serves 2 – 3 persons

Ingredients:

Murungai ilai/ Moringa leaves – 1 ½ cups
Fennel seeds –1 tsp
Green chillies – 2, chopped
Onion – ½, chopped
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Coconut scraped – 1 tbsp
Curry powder – 1 tsp or pepper – ½ tsp
Salt, to taste
Sesame oil, as required

Method:

Wash and clean the bunch of murungai ilai. Extract the leaves from the stalk.
Drain off the water and chop the leaves finely. Sprinkle with salt and keep aside.
Heat 1 tbsp of sesame oil in a pan. Saute the chopped onion, green chillies and curry leaves with fennel seeds.
Add the salted leaves to the pan. Increase the heat and stir fry for about 10 mins.
Now, add the freshly scraped coconut and curry powder or pepper and mix well.
Continue to stir fry for another 5 mins before emoving from heat.
Serve hot with rice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Fried bean curd

This is the most common way my mother makes bean curd at home.

Fried bean curd

Cooking time: 15 – 20 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Bean curd – 150 g
Onion – 1
Ginger – 1 inch
Garlic – 2 or 3 cloves
Capsicum – 1 or green chillies – 3
Soya sauce – 1 tbsp
Tomato sauce – 2 tbsp
Low fat oil (sunflower or canola) – 2 tsp

Method:

Cut the bean curd into 1 inch pieces and deep fry the pieces until browned.
Chop onion, ginger, garlic and chillies.
Heat the oil in the pan and sauté the chopped onion, ginger, garlic and chillies.
Add the soya sauce and tomato sauce and sauté for 1 minute.
Add the fried bean curd pieces and fry for another 3 to 5 minutes.
Serve hot with rice or soup noodles.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Three fish recipes

Today, I will share three fish preparations of my grandmother, as remembered by my mother and occasionally prepared at home during my childhood days.

(a) Fish curry

Cooking time: 25 mins

Serves 5

Ingredients:

Fish (any type) – 5 pieces
Onion – ½, chopped
Fenugreek seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Tamarind juice – ½ cup
Coconut milk – 1 cup (thin consistency) + ½ cup (thick consistency)
Special curry powder for fish – 1 tbsp + 1 tsp (optional)
Oil, as required

Method:

Heat oil in a pan and fry the chopped onion and curry leaves with fenugreek seeds for 2 minutes.
Add the fish pieces. Mix well and fry for a few minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and add ½ cup of tamarind extract and then the 1 cup of thin coconut milk.
Let the curry simmer for about 15 minutes.
Add the ½ cup of thick coconut milk and if you like, another tsp of the curry powder. Let the curry cook for another 5 mins until the gravy thickens.
Serve with rice.

(b) Fried fish/ Meen Poriyal or Varuval

Cooking time: 30 mins

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Seer fish/ Arakkula or Malabar Trevally/Paarai meen or Emperor fish/ Vilai meen – 4 pieces
Onion – 2, chopped
Crushed red chillies – 2 tsp
Cumin powder – ½ tsp
Coriander powder – ½ tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Chilli powder – ½ tsp
Salt, to taste
Oil, for deep-frying

Method:

Clean the fish pieces. Marinate with salt and chilli powder.
Deep fry the marinated pieces and keep aside.
Heat a little oil in a pan and fry the onions and curry leaves. Add the crushed chilli, cumin and coriander powders.
Add the fried fish and mix. Cook for about 10 mins or nicely combined.
Serve with rice.

(c) Scrambled fish or Sura varai

Time taken: 25 mins

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Fish, usually shark/ sura – 1 cup (250g), cleaned and chopped pieces
Onion – 1, chopped
Green chilli – 1, chopped
Dried red chillies – 2, chopped
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Freshly scraped coconut – 2 tbsp
Pepper or Curry powder – 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Pepper powder – 1 tsp
Salt, to taste
Sesame oil, as required

Method:

Boil the fish pieces. Once cooked, cool and then crumble the pieces in a bowl. Add some salt, pepper and turmeric powder and keep aside.
Heat 2tbsp of sesame oil in a pan and sauté the chopped onion, green and red chillies and curry leaves with the fennel and mustard seeds.
Add the crumbled and spiced fish to the pan and mix well. If needed, add a little more oil.
Finally, add the freshly scraped coconut. Combine well and cook for a few minutes before removing from heat.
Serve with rice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Curry powder for fish dishes

This Jaffna curry powder is specifically used when making fish curries. It can also be used for making crab scraps gravy.

This quantity of curry powder can be used for 12 – 15 dishes.

Ingredients:

Dried red chillies – ½ cup, chopped
Coriander seeds – ½ cup
Cumin seeds – 1/3 cup
Fennel seeds – 2 tbsp
Fenugreek – 2 tsp
Turmeric piece – 1 small piece
Dried ginger – small piece
Pepper – 1 tbsp
Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

Method:

Dry roast the ingredients lightly. Then, grind the roasted ingredients into a mixed spice powder.
Store the curry powder in an airtight container.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Squid curry

This is another of my grandmother’s seafood recipes, as remembered by my mother.

Squid curry/ Kanavai curry

Cooking time: 35 – 40 mins

Serves 4 or 5

Ingredients:

Squid/ Kanavai – 2 cups, well cleaned and chopped
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Onion – 1, finely chopped
Ginger – ½“, finely chopped
Garlic – 1, finely chopped
Fenugreek seeds – 1 tbsp
Coconut milk – 1 ½ cup thin coconut milk + ½ cup thick coconut milk
Curry powder – 2 tbsp
Special curry powder for meat dishes – 2 tsp
Salt, to taste
Oil, as required
Lime juice – 1 tbsp

Method:

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and fry the finely chopped onion, ginger, garlic and curry leaves with the fenugreek seeds till the aroma emanates. Take care that it does not burn.
Add another tbsp of oil and the cleaned and chopped squid. Mix well and cook on low heat for about 5 – 10 mins.
Add 1 ½ cup of coconut milk to the pan, together with 2 tbsp of and salt. Cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes.
Now, add the ½ cup of thick coconut milk and 2 tsp of the special curry powder for meat dishes and increase the heat. Cook the curry till it combines and comes together and the liquid begins to dry up.
Remove from heat and add the lime juice and mix well.
Serve with rice or pittu.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Curry powder for meat based dishes

In addition to the regular all-purpose curry powder, this special blend curry powder is used for meat based dishes. At local grocery stores around Sri Lanka, one can buy little packets of ‘iraitchi sarakku’/ dried spices for meat curries.

This curry powder is used for chicken and other meat dishes as well as crabmeat and squid dishes.

Ingredients

Fennel seeds – ½ cup
Cinnamon – 1 inch and thick
Cloves – 8 to 10
Cardamom – 6 to 8
Dried sathikkai/ nutmeg – 1
Dried kungumapoo/ dried saffron flower – 1 or 2

Method:

Dry roast the ingredients lightly and then, grind the roasted ingredients into powder.
Store the curry powder in an airtight container.
This quantity of curry powder can be used for about 10 meat-based curries.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Prawn vadai

My mother remembers having this prawn snack from her childhood days and even better, the way her mother used to make it.

Prawn Vadai/ Raal Vadai

Time taken: 40 mins + Soaking time – 3 or 4 hours

Makes 10 prawn vadai

Ingredients:

Prawns/ Raal – 10
Urad dal/ Ulunthu – 1 cup
Chillies – 3 or chilli powder – 1 tbsp
Onion – 1, chopped
Fennel seeds and Salt, to taste
Oil, for deep-frying

Method:

Clean the urad dal and let it soak in a bowl of water for 3 – 4 hours, or overnight.
Clean the prawns. Rub some salt over them and boil the prawns in some water for about 10 mins.
Drain the urad dal and grind it together with the chopped chillies and onion till the batter is just right for vadai. Add some fennel seeds and salt, to taste and mix well.
Dab some oil on one of your palms.
Take a small ball of batter and flatten it slightly on your palm.
Place one of the cooked prawns in the middle of the batter and close it up, forming a ball again.
Flatten the ball of batter again, into the shape of a vadai and make a small hole in the middle, like a mini-doughnut.
Deep fry the prawn vadai.
Serve with some hot tea.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.