Sri Lankan Recipes – Class & Meal

• Toast the 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.

• 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.

• 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.
• Add in the cardamom, fennel and mango. Add the fresh chilli and cook until the mango is soft.
• Add the turmeric, sugar and vinegar. Simmer until the sugar is dissolved.
• Simmer until thick and jammy. Finish with the lime juice and season to taste.

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

• To begin, lightly toast the cumin seeds in a dry pan until frgrant. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Put all the ingredients into a bowl and roughly mix together.
• Ideally, place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavours to mingle. Still delicious served straight away.

• Pound the onion, tomato, chilli flakes, paprika and half of the green chilli together in a pestle and mortar until they all combine to create a fine paste
• Fold in the shredded coconut, then season with salt and lime juice to taste. Garnish with the remaining finely sliced green chilli and a lime wedge.

Make the Sri Lankan Spice Mix, recipe below

• Heat the vegetable oil in a pan and add the fenugreek seeds and curry leaves, fry until browned add the onion, garlic and ginger gently fry for 10 minutes or until the onion is soft.
• Add the ground turmeric, chilli powder, 2 tsp of the Sri Lankan spice mix and the vinegar, and stir well.
• Add the chopped up tomatoes, cinnamon, cloves and lemongrass, then add the chicken and season. Stir to coat the chicken (or paneer) pieces in the spices.
• Add the coconut milk, cover and cook on low for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is tender. If using paneer cook for 5 minutes to keep it soft, the paneer is already cooked so just needs heating through.
• Remove the cinnamon stick and cloves. Stir in the lemon juice and serve with rice.

• 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.

• Fry the onion on a medium-low heat in the ghee for 5 minutes, until soft and lightly caramelised.
• Add in the rest of the ingredients and season with 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.