Sri Lankan Cookery Class & Meal Recipes
We hope you enjoyed your class with us, below are the recipes – if you have any questions for chef please do ask and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
We cooked:
- Ajwaini Chicken; Mango Chutney; Roti Flatbread;
- Keema Lamb; Pomegranate Kachumber;
- Kottu Roti
Pol Roti flatbread
Ingredients – Makes 2 large or 4 small breads:
- – 185g plain or 00 flour – plus extra for dusting
- – 20g of desiccated coconut
- – 25g of oil (any)
- – 80ml water
- – 0.5tsp of baking powder
Method:
- Add all the ingredients into a mixing bowl, stir all together using a wooden spoon…once it all combines, take the dough with your hand until it becomes a springy dough. If your dough is too sticky, add a little more flour. If too crumbly, add a little more water.
- Set Aside – it doesn’t need to rest for long, but you can wait until you need to cook.
- Split dough into 4 balls, heat frying pan to high heat, while the temperature builds, sprinkle flour on clean work surface or board, and some on your rolling pin.
- Take a ball of dough, flatten into rough circle with your hand then roll until thin, keep turning and flipping over.
- Add 2 -3 flatbreads to your pan at a time and cook until you see the rotis blister and char.
- Once both sides cooked, keep wrapped in tea towel – this softens your flatbreads
Ajwaini Chicken
The KFC of Sri Lanka! Super fast, deliciously spiced. Cauliflower or paneer can be a direct replacement for chicken.
Ingredients – Serves 2
- – 300g chicken breast or thighs, cut into pieces
- – Corn flour 3tsp
- – Salt and pepper to taste
- – Ajwain seeds 2tsp (ground carom seeds)
- – 2cm of fresh ginger, grated
- – 2 cloves of fresh garlic, grated
- – Turmeric ¼ tsp
- – Onion powder ½ tsp
- – Vegetable oil for cooking
Method:
- Toast your ajwain seeds in a dry pan.
- Dip the chicken into garlic and ginger and massage it together. Mix cornflour, onion powder, turmeric, ajwain seeds and coat the chicken well.
- Shallow fry in hot oil until crispy and golden, flip and repeat until cooked through.
Mango Chutney
Ingredients: Makes half a jar, but make lots and it will last in the fridge.
- 1 large mango, it doesn’t really matter how ripe, but the less ripe ones are easier to prepare.
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 1tsp fennel seeds
- 1tsp crushed chillies
- 60g brown sugar
- 40ml white wine vinegar
- 1 lime juice
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp Cardamom powder
- Salt, to taste
- 1 red chilli, chopped
Method
- Peel and dice the mango into 1 inch pieces.
- Heat some oil in a large pan. Fry the onion for 5 minutes over a medium heat, until soft. Then add your spices, fennel, crushed chilli, turmeric and cardamom, stir through the onion.
- Add the mango, red chilli and stir, then add your vinegar and the juice of the lime.
- Allow this to bubble and reduce, then stir through the sugar – the mango should be super soft and you can mash if you wish or leave a bit chunky.
- Taste for seasoning – add more sugar if you need or more lime if too sweet.
- You can serve immediately as a dip/ side…or you can put in a sterile jar and keep in the fridge.
Lamb Keema
If you don’t eat we would recommend jack fruit it absorbs flavours really well.
Ingredients – to serve 4-6
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 500g Minced lamb
- 1 red onion – fine dice
- 1 large potato – cut into small cubes – you can peel or leave the skin on
- 2 tomatoes – rough chopped (or use half a tin of chopped tomatoes and slightly less water)
- 3 green chilli – red would be fine – fine chopped
- 2 teaspoon ginger and garlic paste
- 1 Tablespoon Sri Lankan Spice Mix (see below for recipe)
- 400ml water
- Fresh coriander for garnish
METHOD
Take a large pan on medium heat and add the oil and then the diced onion. Cook it till soft, then add your ginger and garlic paste, the diced potato and the diced green chilli. Cook for a couple of minutes – if it is sticking, splash in some water.
Then add your lamb (and/or jackfruit if you are using), and stir to make sure you don’t have lumps. Once the lamb is colouring, add a good tablespoon of the Sri Lankan spice blend.
Cook for 3 minutes, then add the chopped tomatoes, stir through and then add the water. Use some judgment, the water will reduce, but don’t make a soup! You can cover and leave simmering on the hob for about 20minutes, or alternatively pop into the oven at 180c for 30 minutes. When ready it should not be at all watery.
Serve with some chopped coriander leaves (or treat yourself with a fried egg)
Pomegranate Kachumber
Ingredients – Serves 4 as a side/ garnish
- – 1/4 of white cabbage
- – 1x plum tomato, de-seeded and diced
- – 1 small red onion, diced
- – 1tbsp extra virgin oil
- – 1 lime, zest and juice
- – ½ cucumber, de-seeded and diced
- – Handful of pomegranate seeds
- – Salt and pepper
- – 2tbsp of fresh parsley, chopped
- – 2tbsp of fresh coriander, chopped
- – Salt and pepper
Method:
- Shred the cabbage, place in a mixing bowl and add a pinch of salt. Massage the cabbage until softened.
- Add all the other ingredients into a mixing bowl, toss and let marinade for at least 20 minutes.
Sri Lankan Prawn Curry
Ingredients: Serves 4
- 300g green beans (optional)
- vegetable oil, for frying
- 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 2 banana shallots or onion, finely chopped
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 1 cinnamon stick, 5cm long
- 1 tomato, small, diced
- Curry leaves plus extra to garnish
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 400ml can of coconut milk
- 500g Prawns
- Salt to taste
Method:
- Add a dash of vegetable oil to a saucepan and fry the shallots, garlic, chillies, cinnamon and sprig of curry leaves for 5 minutes until soft. Add the diced tomato and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Add the chilli flakes, cumin, turmeric and pepper and cook gently for 5 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk and simmer for a few more minutes.
- Cut the fish into cubes and place into the curry along with the green beans. Simmer gently for five minutes.
- Season to taste, then transfer to a serving bowl. Top with crispy shallots, extra curry leaves (ideally fried in a little oil until crisp) and finish with a drizzle of the curry leaf oil.
Quick & Fragrant Sticky Rice
Ingredients – Serves 2:
- 1 cup of long grain rice such as jasmine or basmati
- 2 cups of cold water
- 1 white onion
- 2 curry leaves
Method:
- Fry the onion in a little oil for 5 minutes, until soft and lightly caramelised.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients and season with 1/2 tsp salt
- Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cover with a plate or lid
- Cook for 10 minutes, until the rice is cooked and the water is gone. Leave to stand with the lid on for five minutes before serving.
Kottu Roti
A twist on the traditional rice side dish – we love Kottu Roti as we frequently have left over flat breads – any will work, even if stale.
Ingredients – Serves 2-4 as side or even a main:
- – 2 leftover flatbread, sliced into 1cm pieces
- – 1 small red onion, diced
- – 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- – 1 greed chilli, diced
- – 1 tsp of madras
- – 1tsp of Sri Lankan roasted curry spice *see below
- – 1 carrot, peeled and shredded
- – 1 spring onion, sliced
- – ½ courgette, diced
- – Handful of cooked new potatoes, sliced
- – handful of desiccated coconut
- – Handful of chopped coriander
- – 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
Method:
- Put a deeper, non-stick frying pan on medium heat, add splash of oil and sauté pre-cooked potatoes until coloured
- Addb the onion until it takes on some colour, followed by garlic. Garlic needs only 1 minute or so.
- Add courgettes and and cook for 3-4 minutes until courgette has softened.
- Next, throw in chillies, spices, spring onions, carrots, and bread.
- Cook for further few minutes.
- Garnish with loads of chopped coriander and serve immediately alongside your favourite curry.
Sri Lankan Spice Mix
Makes plenty so save in a jar for future
Ingredients:
- – 4 tbsp Coriander seeds
- – 2 tbsp Fennel seeds
- – 2 tbsp Cumin seeds
- – 1 tsp Black peppercorns
- – 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- – 1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds
- – 5 Cloves
- – 5 Cardamom pods shelled
- – 2 sprigs Curry leaves
Method:
- Heat a fry pan in medium high.
- Add all the spices, seeds, and curry leaves. Keep stirring continuously and roast for about 5 minutes or till the cumin seeds turn golden brown and mustard seeds start to splutter. Curry leaves should turn dry and dark.
- Transfer the spice blend to a plate and let it cool for a minute. Then use a spice or coffee grinder to grind to a smooth powder.
- Transfer to an airtight container and use a dry spoon when you need to scoop out the curry powder.
- This makes about 1/2 cup of curry powder. Double or triple as needed.
We hope you enjoyed the class!
If you have any feedback about the class or questions for chef get in touch. Email: lovetocook@foodsorcery.co.uk
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