Today I learned how to make dhal curry, green bean curry, pumpkin curry, aubergine pickle, coconut roti, Sri Lankan style salad, and devilled potatoes. It was a long hot day but I’m feeling excited about the large task ahead of me on Monday of making the first lunch for the group at the project site.
The day started off at the vegetable market. Karuna, my Sri Lankan cooking teacher, and I headed to Galle market in a three wheeler. On arriving at the market I was delighted to find mountains of exotic colourful fresh veggies. I wanted to eat it all - two of each please!! As we pointed to each ingredient for our curries the kind man at the veggie stall weighed and bagged everything for us…such a civilized way to shop! Karuna found my sheer delight on discovering banana flowers, fresh cinnamon and vanilla beans to be quite humourus. The cinnamon is so sweet and flavourful - I am actually breaking off pieces of a cinnamon stick and eating it right here while I type this. So wonderful to see such a huge variety of fresh veg all grown locally, picked at the perfect moment for enjoying and only transported a short distance from the field… I am starting to realize why my homemade curries in Canada are always lacking that rich round sumptuous flavour that the curries have here. I could have spent the whole day at the market!
We head back to Karuna’s open air kitchen with the three wheeler weighed down with bags of lentils, spices, rice, and fresh vegetables and coconuts.
First we shucked coconuts and ground out the fresh meat to make coconut milk and coconut cream sans vitamix. Then we carefully assembled each dish all the while I’m sneaking bites every time Karuna goes into the other room - I feel like I’m a child sneaking cookies from the cookie jar. She is so patient with me and 3 hours later we have created a meal that is probably the most delicious thing I’ve ever made. The two of us groan with delight as we sit down to feast on our elaborate meal.
Here is Karuna’s recipe for Devilled Potatoes… enough for 4 people
Devilled Potatoes (Ala Thel Dala)
250g potatoes cubed (approx. 3 medium)
2 pinches of turmeric powder
1 pinch of salt
2 pinches of turmeric powder
1 pinch of salt
2 onions sliced thinly
5 garlic cloves sliced thinly
1 stick cinnamon broken into a few pieces
1 small piece of Rampe (similar to lemon grass)
20 fresh curry leaves
4 t of coconut oil
3 t chilli flakes
½ lime juiced
5 garlic cloves sliced thinly
1 stick cinnamon broken into a few pieces
1 small piece of Rampe (similar to lemon grass)
20 fresh curry leaves
4 t of coconut oil
3 t chilli flakes
½ lime juiced
Boil potatoes until tender with turmeric and pinch of salt
Prepare all of the other ingredients.
In a separate pot heat the oil – when hot add in onion and garlic and fry until a golden brown colour
Turn off heat and add spices into the onion mixture. Then heat everything together until curry leaves are tender.
Add potatoes to spice mixture and pour over lime juice – mix gently.
Prepare all of the other ingredients.
In a separate pot heat the oil – when hot add in onion and garlic and fry until a golden brown colour
Turn off heat and add spices into the onion mixture. Then heat everything together until curry leaves are tender.
Add potatoes to spice mixture and pour over lime juice – mix gently.
Try not to eat it all before it reaches the table!
Serve with a vegetable curry (recipe to come) and green salad.
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| Ala Thel Dala - Devilled Potatoes |
I took a ton of photos of the dishes we made and will post those with some other recipes soon. The internet has been a bit patchy this evening so won't be tonight.
Getting late here and the work group will be flying in in a couple of hours. They’ll be arriving here in Unawatuna tomorrow afternoon! I’ll be heading to the village early to wash up and prepare the kitchen and then early Monday I’ll head back to the market to buy all the veggies for the day’s meal.
Hope you get a chance to try out the recipe! Let me know what you think.
Have a wonderful Saturday.
Eden
