Sri Lankan Recipes Cooking Together

To make the filling:

• Peel and wash potatoes, cut into pieces and boil them in water until well cooked.
• Drain and mash them coarsely and set aside.
• Dry roast fennel seeds in a little oil until golden and add diced onions and curry leaves and fry further until onions are golden.
• Add the meat and curry powder, and salt, stir and cover the dish and cook in low heat.
• Occasionally stir and check adding a little water if necessary.
• When the meat is cooked, add the mashed potato and stir well.
• Remove from fire when done keep aside.

To Make the Rolls

• Place some curry filling at one end of the spring roll wrapper (about 2 tablespoons) and fold both ends towards the centre. Then start rolling to about 8 cm long and 3-4 cm diameter rolls.
• If the end does not stick, use a thin mixture of flour and water or beaten egg white as glue.
• Make more rolls and place them on a board.
• Dip each roll in flour, egg and breadcrumb to coat.
• Shallow fry in very hot oil until the breadcrumbs turn golden

• Grate the carrot into a bowl. Add green chillies, onion, salt, curry leaves and coriander
• Mix well. Finish with all the lime juice and zest.
• Garnish with toasted desiccated coconut

• In a pan, heat oil on medium to high, ad the onion and saute for 5-8 mins until they start to caramelise. Add ginger, garlic, red chillies and curry leaves and saute for another few minutes until it turns a deep brown colour.
• Add the Sri Lankan curry powder and turmeric, and mix well.
• Add the chicken and 1 cup of water and coconut milk. Close the lid and cook for 20 minutes. If using paneer cook for 5 minutes to keep the paneer soft, as it is already cooked it just needs heating through.

• Toast all the ingredients in a dry frying pan over a medium heat, for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned and smelling toasty.
• Cool, then transfer to a spice grinder or pestle and mortar, to grind.
• Store in a sealed jar.

• Add all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir together using a wooden spoon.
• Once it starts to form a dough, use your hands to bring everything together. If your dough is too sticky, add a little more flour. If too crumbly, add a little more water.
• Kneed lightly to form a ball and sett aside for 10-30 minutes.
• Split dough into 2-4 balls. Heat a frying pan to high heat, while the temperature builds, sprinkle flour on a 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 the roti to your pan one or two at a time, and cook until they blister and char.
• Once both sides cooked, keep wrapped in tea towel to keep them warm and soft.