SRI LANKAN STYLE ACHCHARU

 
Ingredients

1) 15-20 small Onions (pearl or red onions)
2) 10-15 small green Chilies (each split into two halves)
3) 2 large Carrots (cut into thin strips)
4) 1 small Turnip (cut into thin trianguler shaped pieces)
5) 15-20 small Cauliflower florets (optional)
6) 2 cups Vinegar (Coconut vinegar if available would be ideal)
7) 1 inch piece Ginger root (crushed)
8) 6 cloves Garlic (crushed)
9) 2 tbs black ground Mustard seed
10)1 tbs black ground Pepper
11)pich of Turmeric
12)Salt to taste 

Method

Heat 1 cup vinegar in a saucepan. Add onions and simmer for few minutes. Drain the onions and set aside in a large mixing bowl. Add green chilies to hot vinegar and simmer for few minutes. Drain the chilies and add to the onions. Repeat same process with carrots & cauliflower and add to the onions and chillie. Do not heat the turnip but add to the onion mix once cut into pieces. Mix all the vegetables well. To the heated vinegar in the saucepan, add the remaining 1 cup of vinegar and all other ingredients and boil for few minutes. Pour the hot vinegar mix over the onions and vegetables and mix well. Pack into a bottle and leave for a day or two to mature.

BIBIKKAN RECIPE (Sri Lankan Coconut Cake)

Ingredients

2 cups shredded coconut
4 cups or 1 liter treacle
1 cup semolina
1/2 cup wheat flour
2 eggs
1 tspn baking powder
1 tspn sweet cumin
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped dried fruit
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped cashews
1/4 cup ginger preserve
2 tspn mixed cardamom and cinnamon powdered
2 tspn grated rind of lemon

Method

Prepare a 8" x 12" baking tray and line with 3 layers of wax paper. Roast the semolina until light brown and set aside. Seperate the eggs from the yolk. Beat the egg whites and yolk seperately and set aside. Heat a pan, add the treacle and bring to a boil. Add the shredded coconut, powdered cardamom/cinnamon mix, vanilla essence and mix well. When the mixture (pani pol) is well done, remove from fire and let it cool for a while. Now add the semolina, wheat flour, baking powder, chopped cashews, chopped dried fruit, raisins, ginger preserve and sweet cumin to the pani pol mixture and mix well using a beater. Add the egg yolks and mix well. Lastly add the leamon rind and fold in the egg whites. Make sure your batter is moist enough. If it is too dry, add a little bit of hot water. Pour the mixture to the tray and decorate with cashews if desired. Bake at 300 F for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until done. Leave it for a day then cut into squares and enjoy.

SRI LANKAN ALUWA RECIPE

Ingredients

3 cups roasted rice flour
2 cups coconut or kitul honey
2 ozs. sliced cashew nuts

Cooking Method

Roast the rice flour in a pan on low heat while stirring all the time. Sieve and set aside. Then heat the honey till it treacles. Add the roasted rice flour and the sliced cashew nuts. Stir well and remove the pan from fire. A flexible consistency should be obtained. Roll out on a well floured board. Cut into diamond shapes. (Note: The rice flour should be well roasted for this receipe to come out well)