Seeni Murukku (Deep Fried Flour & Coconut Mixture Coated with Sugar Syrup) – Sri Lankan Sweet

INGREDIENTS:
For the Murukku Dough:
2 cups flour
3 – 3 1/2 cups coconut milk
2 eggs
Salt to taste

For the Sugar Syrup:
3 – 4 cups sugar
2 cups boiled water

Oil to fry

DIRECTIONS:
Making Murukku Dought & Deep Frying:
Steam the flour for nearly 1 ½ hours.
Then sift the flour through a sieve, and put it in a large bowl.
Now add salt and mix the flour well.
Then add eggs & coconut milk and mix it well with the flour.
In the end you has to get a nice, smooth ball which is don’t stick on your hands.
Cover the dough and keep it in aside.
Ready a board or tray & some plates, greased with little oil all over the surface.
Ready your Murukku maker and insert a little part of the dough and squeeze it out.
Now cut it to small parts or you can make shapes or designs & etc…. as you like.
Place it on the greased plates & cover it with a paper.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan in medium heat.
When the oil is ready, deep fry the shapes & designs you made. (Kids designs also.)
And let it fry till its gets golden brown.
Drain it on a paper or kitchen tissues.
After the oil is drain, keep the murukku in an airtight container.

Making the Sugar Syrup & Coat the Murukku Pieces:
Heat a large saucepan in a medium heat. Add the boiled water and sugar into the pan and stir the mixture till sugar dissolves and the mixture should be bit thick. (If you pour it from a little height, it should be falls like a thin thread.)
Take the pan from the heat, and add fried murukku into the sugar syrup and stir it continuously till the entire pieces coat with sugar syrup.

SERVING:
This is a sweet specially making for Sinhala & Tamil New Year in Sri Lanka.

NOTE:
1. To make Murukku you need a Murukku Maker. If not you can use a Icing bag with your favorite nozzle.
2. When you are steaming the flour use 2 -3 papers to cover it & as last layer use an oil paper.
3. When you open the steamed flour package, if there is a CRACK on the middle of the flour, it says the flour has steamed well.
4. When you are adding coconut milk into flour, first add 1 cup and then add it little by little at a time.
5. Always keep the dough covered.
6. If you have kids who can play with dough, give a small part of dough for them & ask them to make their own designs. They will enjoy it a lot.
7. If you don’t like sweet you can coat it with salt & chili and can have it as a snack.
8. I feel it’s good to coat murukku pieces with sugar syrup on the day you are going to use it. (I’m doing like that :-).

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Mung Ata Kavum (Deep Fried Mixture of Mung Beans & Rice Flour with Sugar) – Sri Lankan Sweet

INGREDIENTS:
For The Mung Mixture:
2 cups mung beans
1 cup uncooked rice
600g sugar
10 black pepper corns
1 cup boiled water
4 tablespoons oil

For The Flour Batter:
1 ½ cups uncooked rice
¼ teaspoon turmeric
1 egg (optional)
2 cups coconut milk
Salt to taste

Oil to fry

DIRECTIONS:
Making the Mung Kavum Mixture:
Wash the all uncooked rice (2½ cups) and soak it for overnight.
Then drain the water and grind it.
Sift the rice flour through a sieve and divide rice flour in to three portions as two ½ cups portions and a 1½ cups portion and keep all a side.
Wash the mung beans and drain the water.
Heat a medium size pan in medium heat. When the pan is ready put the mung beans and fry it till it´s get nice golden brown.
Let it cool.
When fried mung beans are cool, add black pepper corns and grind it well.
Now mix the ½ cup of rice flour and mung beans flour together and keep the flour mixture in aside.
Heat a large pan in medium heat. Add the boiled water and sugar into the pan and stir the mixture till sugar dissolves and the mixture should be bit thick. (If you pour it from little height, it should be falls like a thin thread.)
Take the pan from the heat, and let it cool.
Ready a board spread with other ½ cup rice flour all over the surface. Keep it aside.
Also ready a piece of oil paper greased with little oil too.
When the sugar syrup is cool, adds the flour mixture and combined it well with the syrup.
If it’s wet keep it on the very low heat for about 2- 5 minutes. Stir it continuously.
When you feel now it’s enough (mixture should be all together), transfer the mixture to the board which ready made and flatten down it with the help of oil paper.
Mark the lines on the mixture as diamond shape and let it cool.
When its cool, cut the pieces and separate it. If you are transfer the pieces into a plate or a tray make sure to sprinkle the surface with some rice flour.
Cover it and keep it in aside.

Making the Batter:
Now take another large bowl and combined 1½ cups of rice flour, turmeric & salt. Mix it well.
Then add the egg & coconut milk and make a thick batter.

Deep Frying the Mung Kavum:
Heat the oil in a large frying pan in medium heat.
When the oil is ready, take those mung mixture pieces and dip it in the batter and put it into the frying pan. (Dip it one by one, but you can fry 6 – 7 pieces depend on the size of the frying pan.)
Deep fry it till it’s get a nice golden brown / yellow.
Drain it on a paper or kitchen tissues.
After the oil is drained, keep the mung kavum in an airtight container.

SERVING:
This is a Sri Lankan sweet specially making for Sinhala & Tamil New Year. And also for the traditional occasions.

NOTE:
1. When you are frying mung beans, stir in continually. So it won’t burn.
2. When you are grinding fried mung beans, if you like have small pieces also, you can stop grinding when it is small pieces + power.
3. When you are working with sugar syrup be carful because it’s try to get hard the mixture very soon. If you feels the mixture is too hard put some boiled water and mix it well.

Enjoy!!!

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Kokis (Deep Fried Batter of Flour & Coconut Milk) - Sri Lankan Sweet

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup wheat flour
2 cups coconut milk
1 egg
¼ teaspoon turmeric
Oil to fry
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Sift the flour and transfer it into a large bowl.
Add turmeric & salt to the flour and mix it well.
Then add the egg and coconut milk into the flour mixture and mix it well till you get a thick batter without lumps. Cover the bowl and keep it aside.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan in medium heat.
When the oil starts bubbling, place the Kokis mould in the oil for nearly 1 minute.
Then carefully dip the mould in the flour batter. Make sure the all the sides of the mould are fully covered with the batter, except on the top.
Then again put the covered mould into the heating oil, and hold it for nearly ½ - 1 minute.
Then slip the kokis out of the mould by shaking it a bit or if the kokis is sticks to the mould take a wooden toothpick and push the kokis out from the mould from all the sides.
And let it fry till its get nice yellow.
Drain it on a paper or kitchen tissues.
After the oil is drain, keep the kokis in an airtight container.

SERVING:
This is a Sri Lankan sweet specially making for Sinhala & Tamil New Year. And also for the traditional occasions.

NOTE:
1. To make kokis, you need a Kokis Mould. (When I saw a kokis mould in a supermarket here, I got surprised and also happy :-).
2. If you are using rice flour, make sure you soak the rice overnight before you grind it into rice flour.
3. Also After you make the batter, cover it & keep it a side for nearly 1 hour before frying kokis. ( If you are using Rice Flour, then Only follow this step.)
4. Don’t over heat the oil, if you do you won’t able to slip the kokis out from the mould.
5. When you slip the kokis into the oil from the mould, you can continue the process again with another kokis. In the same time you can fry 4 – 6 kokis if your frying pan is a large one.

Enjoy!!!

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Chocolate Cake with Fudge Frosting

INGREDIENTS:

For the Cake:-
115g butter
190g flour
200g sugar
30g unsweetened chocolate - melted
2 eggs
165ml milk
5g baking powder
5ml pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt

For the Fudge Frosting:-
30g butter
10g unsweetened chocolate
200g sugar
80ml milk
10ml pure vanilla extract

For the White Icing:-
15g confectioners’ sugar
10ml hot water

DIRECTIONS:-

Make The Cake:-
Preheat the oven at 350° F (180° C), grease 2 round 20 cm cake pans with little butter and line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment paper then again apply little butter on the round of parchment paper also. Keep the trays aside.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and keep it in aside.
Sift the flour for three times with the baking powder and salt and keep it in aside.
Ina large bowl beat the butter to a cream and add sugar gradually.
Then add the melted chocolate and mix well. The mixture should be creamy and light in color.
Add the unbeaten eggs and mix well. The mixture might look curdled.
Gradually add the flour mixture (flour, baking power & salt) to the butter mixture. Letting the flour fall through a fine sieve into the butter mixture and beating until incorporated.
The final mixture should look creamy and smooth again, and very light. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool in the pans, placed on racks, for about 10 minutes, then take the cakes out of the pans and takeoff the parchment papers from the bottom, and let them finish cooling on racks.

Make The Fudge Frosting:-
Take a small saucepan and put the chocolate there. Scald the milk, and then pour it over the chocolate and stir until melted in a low heat.
Add the sugar, mix well, and then cook for 6 minutes.
Add the butter and cook for 6 minutes more.
Off the heat and takeout the saucepan from the heat, stir in the vanilla.
Beat the mixture until thick enough to spread.

Make The White Icing:-
Mixing confectioners sugar and hot water to make it rather thin.

Assemble The Cake:-
Try to cut the both cakes from the middle, and separately you’ll get four cake circles. do not break those parts.
Firstly take a bottom part and spread fudge frosting on top surface. Then cake the top part place it on the top of fudge frosting and again spread chocolate frosting.
Repeat it with other two parts also. But the in final part spread the frosting nicely and neatly, on the top and as well the sides too.
Immediately drizzle the white icing in a decorative pattern on the top.
Also if you like you can drizzle the white icing in the same pattern on the sides too. Or you can use some chocolate chips or anything you like for the sides.

NOTE:-
1. Refrigerate the cake in a container with a lid that does not come directly in contact with the cake top.
2. Takeout the cake from the refrigerator, and keep it outside for 2- 2 ½ hours before serving.

Enjoy!!!

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Lunu Miris (Mix of Onion, Chili & Maldive Fish)

INGREDIENTS:
2 medium onions - sliced
4 tablespoons Maldive fish
2 tablespoons red dry chili pieces
1 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
2 tablespoons lime juice
salt – to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Firstly ground salt, chili pieces and chili powder in a mortar and pestle (Wangediya) . Then add maldive fish into the mortar and pestle and chop it till it is small pieces.(Same time mix it nicely with the salt mixer.) After that add onions into the mortar and pestle, and chopped it till it is a nice paste.(same time mix all the ingredients in the mortar and pestle.) When you feel all the ingredients are nicely mixed together,and it is a fine paste take out the mixer in to a bowl and add lime juice. Again mix it well & taste for salt.

SERVING:
You can have this with milk rice, rice, roti(Naan), hoppers, and string hoppers too.

NOTE:
1. If you can find shallots, it is the best onion for this with taste. If you are taking shallots, take 10 – 15 shallots.
2. If you can’t find maldive fish, you can use dry prawns or shrimp also.

Enjoy!!!

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Katta Sambola (Mix of Chili & Maldive Fish)

INGREDIENTS:
4 tablespoons Maldive fish
2 tablespoons red dry chili pieces
1 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
2 tablespoons lime juice
salt – to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Firstly ground salt, chili pieces and chili powder in a mortar and pestle (Wangediya) .Then add maldive fish into the mortar and pestle and chop it till it is small pieces.(Same time mix it nicely with the salt mixer.) When you feel all the ingredients are nicely chopped & mixed together, takeout the mixer in to a bowl and add lime juice. Again mix it well & taste for salt.

SERVING:
You can have this with milk rice, rice, roti(Naan), hoppers, and string hoppers too.

NOTE:
If you can’t find maldive fish, you can use dry prawns or shrimp also.

Enjoy!!!

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Seeni Sambola (Fried Onion Mix With Chili, Tamarind & Sugar)

INGREDIENTS:
500g onions – sliced
100g Maldive fish – small pieces
50g tamarind
4 cloves garlic – finally chopped
1 inch ginger root – finally chopped
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon dry red chili pieces (optional)
1 x 5cm cinnamon stick
6 cardamom pods - split
6 cloves – crushed
6 curry leaves
4 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
6 tablespoons water
salt – to taste

DIRECTIONS:
In a small bowl mix tamarind & water together and make a thick paste, and keep it in aside.
Then in a large bowl mix all the ingredients (onions, Maldive fish, garlic, ginger, chili powder, red chili pieces, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and cloves) well, except Curry leaves, sugar, vegetable oil and lime juice. Now cover it and leave it for at least 15-20mins.
Heat the oil in a large pan in medium heat. Firstly add curry leaves and fry it for 1 minute. Then add the onion mixer and fry it for nearly 10 – 15 minutes, stir continuosly.
When the onions are getting brown and the same time you’ll feel a nice smell too. On that time reduce the heat to low, and add the tamarind paste and stir the mixer well. Then add sugar and again stir the mixer. Off the heat and finally add the lime juice and again stir it.
Taste for salt.
In the end you should get a nice dark brown mixer.

SERVING:
Best are rice, bread, hoppers, string hoppers and noodles. But you can have it with your favorites also.

NOTE:
1. If you can find shallots, it is the best with the taste and also when you are cooking water won’t come from that.
2. If you can’t find Maldive fish, you can use dry dry prawns or shrimp also.
3. If you can find coconut oil for frying, that’s the best.

Enjoy!!!

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Kiri Bath (Milk Rice)

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups rice
1½ - 2 cups thick coconut milk
4 - 4½ cups water
Salt – to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Wash the rice and place it in a medium saucepan with water & salt. Bring it to boil in medium heat. Cover the saucepan and cook till the rice is soft and the water is absorbed.
Do not burn the rice.
Mix little salt with coconut milk and stir it. When the rice is ready reduce the heat to low and pour the coconut milk into the rice and Mix it well. Simmer the rice and coconut milk mixer till the coconut milk is absorbed and the rice is very soft and creamy.
Taste for salt.
Off the heat, and let it cool for 5mintues.
Transfer the mixer to a wide shallow dish and flatten down with flat spoon, spatula or with a piece of oil paper. Draw lines on top surface according to the shape (diamond or square) you want and let it cool another 5- 10 minutes, cut it into pieces.

Serving:
Best is Seeni Sambool, Lunu Miris, Katta Sambool, Fish curry or your favorite meat curry. Also you can have milk rice with banana, sugar or juggery.

Note:
1. The amount of water and coconut milk is depend on the kind of rice you use.
2. If you can't find coconut milk, of course you can use normal milk.
3. When you finish flatten down the milk rice on the serving dish, just apply little coconut milk on the top surface. So then the top surface won’t get dry and also it’s bringing you a good taste too.

Enjoy!!!

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Maalu Ambulthiyal (Sri Lankan Style Sour Fish Curry With Black Pepper & Gambooge)

INGREDIENTS:
500g fish
½ onion – sliced
5 tablespoons black pepper
5 - 6 gambooge (goraka)
½ tablespoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric
3 curry leaves
salt - to taste
3 cups water (It is depend on the size of the saucepan)

DIRECTIONS:
In a small saucepan boil gambooge with 1/2cup of water. When it is boiled take out the gambooge and minced it with little boiled water. It should be a fine paste in the end.
Cut the fish into pieces and wash it well with salt mix water and put it into a saucepan. Then put all the rest of the ingredients, including gambooge paste into the saucepan & mix well with fish pieces with little water. Do not break the pieces.
Final step is put the rest of the water (2 1/2cups) in to the saucepan and cook the fish in medium heat till the gravy is become so thick.
Taste for salt.

Serving:
Best is plain rice. But you can have this with bread, roti and also what you like most.

Note:
1. It is good if you can take black pepper corns and grind it with boiled gambooge.
Then taste is really nice. But you can use pepper powder also.
2. Fish will give you a good taste if it a dry
curry.
3. Try to avoid the spoon to mix the ingredients with fish. Use your hand and wash it well after your work.(Before too)
4. Do not stir the curry with a spoon. it will break the pieces. Just shake the saucepan well.


Enjoy!!!

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Amba Maluwa (Mango Curry)

INGREDIENTS:
1 medium ripped mango
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced ginger
1 onion (sliced)
salt – to taste
1 teaspoon chilli powder
½ teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons Sri Lankan roasted curry powder
6 curry leaves
1 x 2.5cm cinnamon stick
2 cups coconut milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons sugar

DIRECTIONS:
Wash the mango & cut it into pieces with the seed. Now in a large bowl mix all the spices & sugar with mango pieces (mango, salt, Sri Lankan curry powder, chilli powder, turmeric & sugar) and keep it in aside.
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan, add ginger & garlic and fry it for 1 minute, then add curry leaves, cinnamon stick & onions and cook it for nearly 5 minutes.
When onions are cooked, add the mango pieces into the onion mixer and mix it well & keep it for nearly 10 minutes in medium heat.
Final step is adding the coconut milk, and stir the curry. Keep it on heat till the mango pieces are getting soft, but do not try to break the pieces. (Try to stir the curry without a spoon, shake the saucepan.)
Taste for salt.

SERVING:
Mainly with rice, but you can choose what ever you like most.

NOTE:
If you do not peel the mango before cutting, it will give you a good taste. (When I´m making mango curry, I do not peel it. :-)

Enjoy!!!

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How To Make Sri Lankan Roasted Curry Powder

INGREDIENTS:
6 tablespoons coriander seeds
3 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons turmeric powder
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 x 5cm cinnamon stick (crumbled)
4 cloves
4 cardamom pods
5 dried curry leaves
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Directions:
Heat the pan and first put coriander seeds and fry it till it starts to get golden brown. Then add rest of the ingredients and fly all in medium heat, till it is nice golden brown. (Do not burn it.)
Place in a grinder and grind to a fine powder.
You can store it for months in an airtight container.

NOTES:
If you can find dry turmeric, it´s the best.

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