Kit Perera kindly shared this recipe for me to take to Sri Lanka with our World Expeditions group.
I have now made it several times and despite forgetting to add the tomatoes for this image – duh, it really is a delicious curry that as long as you have curry powder on hand, is very quick to make.
Kit is New Zealand based and can be booked to cook fabulous Sri Lankan fare for you through his business Chef for a Night.
Light, pretty and delicious, this is a favourite dessert with the kids in our house.
It is the perfect dessert for making ahead of time.
Often known as chia puddings these little bowls of goodness are such a great way to start the day.
Make them with the milk you like best and top with seasonal fruit.
A friend of mine in Melbourne emailed me about this most delicious salad from Hellenic Republic. A little time spent on the www discovered a few variations on this combination and while this one is close to some, they all have a few tweaks to suit the individual writer.
This has great texture and flavour and encapsulates everything I love in a salad.
Plus it looks gorgeous!
Thanks to the Hellenic Republic team for the inspiration.
I am easing my way back into working life after a two glorious weeks hosting a tour in Sri Lanka with World Expeditions.
We had a wonderful time and over the next week or so I will be popping travel photos, words and some little videos around foodlovers.
First up is a lttle blog Fishing in Sri Lanka, being an island, fish of course is a staple in Sri Lankan cuisine and watching the fish being hauled into shore is simply amazing. A delicious fish curry recipe from Kit Perera compliments the images along with coconut sambal. A coconut grater was one of my few purchases while away so be ready for loads of coconut recipes!
Happy Cooking!
The waters surrounding the island of Sri Lanka are literally teaming with fish and while you can of course charter a boat and head out with rod and reel, you can also experience plenty without having to leave the shore.
Typically flights to Sri Lanka arrive into Negombo airport and it is worth taking at least a full day to relax, visit the fish markets and surrounding beach area where hundreds of fish are laid out to dry.
The markets are at their busiest early although they are open right through the morning and there is always something to see. The market runs 6 days a week, Sunday being the exception.
Fish is a staple in Sri Lankan cuisine and the markets demonstrate the vast number of species fished in the Indian ocean.
The beachfront leading up to the markets is a covered mats of fillets of fish and whole cuttlefish drying in the sun. These are covered with polythene at night but essentially salt cured and left to dry for as many days as needed before being packaged and sent away for processing. Much of this is destined to become the prized Maldive fish although obviously not from the Maldives. Maldive fish is fish that has been completely dried and is generally pounded into flakes and then sold in jars or bags. The dried fish is then added to many dishes as a flavour enhancer and also it can help to thicken sauces.
Different methods of fishing can be spotted all around the Sri Lanka coastline. Commercial fishing is of course a major industry but it is amazing how much can be dragged to shore, simply by throwing a set net into the water. This set net haul in Trincomalee was just one of many, although possibly had the biggest catch of the day.
Crab and prawns are also popular and The Ministry of Crab in the old Dutch Hospital. Colombo is notably Sri Lankas most famous place to enjoy crab and Sri Lanka’s contribution to the top 50 restaurants in Asia. Here, crab is served by weight, comes with your choice of flavours and bread cubes are recommended for mopping up the juices.
Bookings are recommended as the restaurant can be booked up for weeks in advance.
Sri Lankan Fish Curry (Malu)
800g seer fish steaks (Thora Malu)
1 teaspoon turmeric
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
1 cinnamon quill
1 onion, finely chopped
2 green chillies split lengthways
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon Sri Lankan curry powder
2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
400 ml coconut milk
Salt to taste
Method
Combine the fish and half the turmeric in a bowl and mix well
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium to high heat; add the mustard seeds and allow them to pop. Add the cinnamon and curry leaves; cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring. Then add the onion, chillies, garlic and ginger; cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring Add the curry powder, turmeric and tomatoes. Cook for further 2 minutes, stirring
Add the fish and mix well to combine
Add coconut milk, stir and bring to a rapid simmer. Turn down the heat to low and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Season with salt
Serve with steamed rice, coconut sambal and pappadoms
Serves 4.
Sri Lankan Curry Powder
50 g- coriander seeds
30 g- cumin seeds
1 tablespoon fengureek seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 cinnamon stick
4 cardamom pods
4 tablespoons dried curry leaves
Method
In a heavy based pan over low heat, dry roast separately the coriander, cumin, fengureek and fennel, stirring constantly until each becomes fairly golden. Do not let them burn.
Put the roasted spices into a spice grinder together with cinnamon stick broken in pieces, cardamom and curry leaves
Blend on high speed to a fine powder
Coconut Sambal
1 tablespoon Maldive fish flakes
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely sliced
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1 heaped cup grated fresh coconut
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste
Place the Maldive fish flakes, shallot, chilli and paprika in a large mortar and grind until you get a paste.
Add the coconut and mix well.
Stir in the lime juice, season with salt and taste. Adjust seasoning if needed.
Serves 4 as a side dish
Taste the fragrant flavours of SE Asia in this delicious chicken satay.
The ingredient list may be long but the method is simple.
Our lovely homestay Leona from Germany made these for us and also shared the recipe.
Guten Appetit! :-)
This traditional Bavarian dip is simply delicious served with soft pretzels warm from the oven.
The original recipe also includes butter but having made it with and without, I prefer this version.
Chicken is always a popular choice of protein and these fabulous chicken recipes are perfect for winter cooking.
Lebanese Style Chicken with Kumara, Onion and Walnuts
With lots of hearty flavour, this is one of our go to winter chicken recipes.
Slow Roasted Chicken with Garlic
If garlic does keep away the ills then this chicken is sure to make you bullet proof to whatever winter throws your way.
Turkish style Yoghurt and Herb Marinated Chicken
Yoghurt adds a lovey flavour to chicken and combined with herbs it makes for a pleasing weeknight dinner.
Crisp skin with moist full flavoured skin, this chicken is simple to make but does need some time to marinate first.
with soy, lemongrass, garlic ginger and kaffir lime the flavours in this dish are big, bold and super tasty.
Chicken Adobo
This simple dish relies more on flavour than it does on technique and is always a crowd favourite.
Chicken Mushroom and Bacon Pie
Who doesn’t love a good pie? Winter is the perfect time for hunkering down with delicious flavours and this chicken pie is one of our favourites.
Cauliflower crust is utterly delicious, it is obviously great for those wanting to cut out gluten but also so tasty that everyone is sure to like it.
Media Release: August 3 2016
Jaimie Stodler, Queenstown’s Cup & Cake store owner, and her German-born pastry chef Josie Geimecke have won the Dilmah High Tea competition at the NZ Chefs National Salon final.
Their prize includes a trip to Sri Lanka to attend the Dilmah School of Tea, to help mentor students at the MJF Charitable Foundation’s culinary training centre and to see the tea plantations and spice gardens for which the country is renowned as the Isle of Spices.
“We are so proud to have had the honour to compete and to have been recognised for our efforts is amazing,” Jaimie says. “I am really into tea, so winning this competition and having the honour of travelling to Sri Lanka, the home of tea, is a dream come true for me. Josie and I couldn’t be happier and are so thankful to Dilmah for this amazing opportunity.”
The duo won the Central Otago salon in May, which earned them a place in the final to compete against the best in New Zealand over the weekend. Their winning menu consisted of three dishes all showcasing Dilmah tea infusions. One of the dishes included a pâte á choux swan filled with Dilmah Italian Almond Tea infused crème pâtissière, a piece of raw ‘cheesecake’ topped with Dilmah Italian Almond Tea pearls and spiced pinot noir cherry pearls and was served with a Dilmah Green Tea kombucha shot.
Jaimie has previously entered a national Real High Tea competition run by Dilmah New Zealand in 2013 earning a bronze medal and later went on to compete brilliantly with Bec Stanley to become runners up in Masterchef 2014.
“There’s no doubt that competing in the Dilmah Real High Tea has showed me that the careful brewing of tea and how to match tea with food, or use it in the preparation of food, was as important as presenting seasonally appropriate food,” Jaimie says. “While Josie and I both love to travel, we are focused on what we can learn and share as chefs during our visit to Sri Lanka.”
Nigel Scott, general manager for Dilmah NZ, says during recent visits by Dilmah Founder Merrill J Fernando and his son Dilhan Fernando, funds were raised toward an annual scholarship for Kiwi culinary professionals to go to Sri Lanka. The goal was for them to help train students at the purpose- built culinary centre just outside Colombo.
The 1850 sq m centre, which was recently opened, will take around 20 students each intake from tea plantation families, those injured in the country’s civil war that finished only seven years ago, or people who live with disability. The graduates will be targeted at a growing number of international hotels being developed to meet the country’s flourishing tourism industry.
This is simply one of the best ways to enjoy cauliflower and brussels sprouts when the days are dull and cold.
This chicken has wonderfully crisp skin and moist flavoursome meat.
Remember to immerse it in the marinade 1 1/2 days before you plan to eat it.
