Traditional Christmas Cake of Sri-Lanka

Traditional Christmas Cake of Sri-Lanka is supposed to be the richest and the most delicious of all Christmas cakes. 

Ingredients

250 g seedless dark-raisins
350 g seedless golden raisins
250 g mixed glace fruit
250 g preserved ginger, drained
500 g (1 jar) chow chow preserves or melon and ginger jam, drained*
125 g mixed citrus peel (no pith)
250 g glazed cherries
250 g raw cashews or blanched almonds
1 cup brandy
3/4 cup butter
2 cups (granulated) sugar
12 egg yolks
6 egg whites
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons vanilla essence
1 tablespoon almond essence
2 teaspoons rose essence
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups semolina flour (lightly roasted with a little butter)

 

2 days before :

• Chop raisins, mixed glace fruit, preserved ginger, chow chow preserves and citrus peel into small pieces.
• Cut glace cherries in halves.
• Chop nuts very finely.
• Combine fruits and nuts in a large bowl, sprinkle with 1/2 of the brandy, cover and set aside for 24 hours to allow fruit to absorb more of the brandy.

1. After 48 hours (or more), grease a 10-inch cake pan and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Add grated lemon rind, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, vanilla, almond, rose essence and honey and mix well.
5. Add the semolina and mix until well combined.
6. Add the brandied chopped fruit and nuts, stirring until fruit and nuts are dispersed evenly throughout the batter.
7. In another mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.
8. Gently fold the beaten egg whites throughout the cake batter.
9. Turn into prepared cake pan.
10. Bake in a 275*F (130*C) oven for 2 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. (You may cover the cake pan with foil after 30 minutes to prevent over-browning.)
11. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 to 20 minutes, then remove cake from pan.
12. Sprinkle with remaining brandy & allow cake to cool completely, preferably overnight.
13. Wrap cooled cake tightly in foil.
14. Drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons brandy over the cake every week to keep it moist.
15. You can keep this cake for a year or longer in an airtight container.

Serves 24 - 30

You may cover it with almond icing if desired. 

Sri-Lankan Crab Curry

• 2 whole large Crabs, washed & cleaned
• 3 Cloves & 3 Cardamom
• one 2" Cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• ½ tsp Curry powder
• 2 tsp Chilli powder (or to taste)
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp Mustard powder/paste
• Vegetable oil
• 5-6 Garlic cloves, crushed
• 7-8 small red Onions, chopped
• 2 Red Chillies, chopped
• 2 Green Chillies chopped
• 7-8 Curry leaves (or a bay leaf)
• 2” Rampe leaf
• 1 Root Lemon grass, cleaned & root lightly crushed
• 1 cup Coconut milk
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt to taste

·        

1.       Dry-roast the cloves, cardamom & cumin & crush or grind together.

2.       In a pan, heat oil and gently saute onion, garlic, lemon grass, curry leaves, red & green chillies, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves & cardamom

3.       Add curry powder, turmeric, chilli powder, salt & add 2 cups of water

4.       Add crabs

5.       Add more water if needed

6.       Simmer gently for 20 minutes

7.       Bring to boil

8.       Dissolve mustard in coconut milk & add to the pan

  

Sri Lankan Curry Powder

        3 Tbsp         Coriander seeds

        1 ½ Tbsp    Cumin seeds 

        2 Tbsp         Fennel seeds

        2 tsp             Fenugreek seeds 

        2 small piece of  Cinnamon

        12                 Cardamoms

        12                 Cloves

        12                 Curry leaves

        2 tsp  chili powder

Dry roast the whole spices in a heavy frying pan over medium heat 

until they turn dark brown, stirring frequently to prevent burning.

Cool, then combine with curry leaves and chili powder and grind to a powder. 

Stored in an airtight container, it will keep 3-4 months.

Milk Rice (Kiribath)

 

2 cups White Raw Rice

2 cups thick Coconut Milk

Salt to taste

Wash the rice & cook in a pan until rice is tender on low flame.

When rice is cooked, dissolve salt in the coconut milk & pour into rice, stirring.

Under very low flame keep stirring for about 5 minutes.

Switch off the cooker, close the pan with a lid and keep for about 10-15 minutes.

Put the rice onto a buttered plate and shape & flatten with a spatula.

Let cool, and when its totally cool and firm, cut into pieces.

Serve with hot onion & chili paste (Lunumiris) & Fish curry.

Serves: 2 medium eaters.

 

Mutton Masala Biryani

"Biryani", the best "Indian" way of eating rice ...


Ingredients :

Mutton pieces 250 g
Garlic paste ½ Tbsp
Ginger paste ½ Tbsp
Curd 1/3 cup
Chopped mint leaves 1/8 cup
Chopped Coriander leaves ¼ cup
Chilly Powder ¼ Tbsp
Green Chilly 1
Garam masala ½ tsp
Sliced Onion 1-2 nos


For Rice:-

Basmati rice 250 g
Grampoo (cloves)1-2
Cinnamon 1 pieces
Chopped Coriander leaves 1/8 cup
Chopped mint leaves 1 Tbsp
lemon juice ½ Tbsp
Saffron flower 1/8 Tbsp
Milk 1/16 cup
Ghee ½ Tbsp
Maida ½ cup


Method :

1. Heat oven at 350 degree Celsius

2. Marinate the mutton pieces with ginger-garlic paste, curd, coriander leaves, mint leaves, green chilly pieces, Chilly powder, Garam masala and salt.

3. Mix well these mixtures with mutton pieces and keep it for 4 hours.

4. Meanwhile cook rice. Make sure the rice doesn’t stick each other.

5. Drain the rice.

6. Add lemon juice, coriander and mint leaves, grampoo and cinnamon to the rice.

7. Cook the meat (mutton).

8. Fry the onion till it golden brown in colour.

9. Keep some fried onion for garnishing and remaining add to cooked meat.

10. Take a vessel and pour 2 tablespoon of ghee.

11. Place mutton pieces over the ghee.

12. Spread the rice over the mutton pieces.

13. Sprinkle saffron flower mixed in milk on the top of rice.

14. Tightly close the lid by using maida around the lid.

15. Bake the biryani vessel in a pre heated oven for 30 minutes.

16. Sim and again bake for 15 minutes.

17. Open the lid.

18. Garnish with fried onion and serve.

Spiced Coconut & Jaggery Pudding

A mouthwatering dessert, gifted by the moor community
this is famous as "Watalappan" in Sri-Lanka.


serves 5-6

Ingredients

Eggs 5-6
Jaggery-grated 250 g
Thick coconut milk 250 ml
Water 150 ml
Pinch of Cloves, cardamom, cinnamon
- roasted & ground
Pinch of Nutmeg
-grated
Rose essence ¼ tsp
Cashew-chopped optional


Mix the jaggery and water and boil until the jaggery has melted.
Allow to cool.
Lightly beat the eggs.
Add melted jaggery and coconut milk a little at a time to the eggs and continue to beat.
Add the powdered cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and rose essence
Pour into a greased bowl.
Sprinkle with grated nutmeg on top
Cover with grease proof paper and steam for 1 hour.
Sprinkle with cashew nuts before or after steaming.