Sri Lankan dishes are fresh, vibrant, distinct and a perfect recipe to sample this cuisine is Sri Lankan Green Bean Curry Recipe from Kolamba, Soho NYC. The newest Little Jewel recipe added to the Membership Collection.
LONDON CALLING
Sri Lankan dishes are starting to become known in their own right thanks to a group of restaurants in London. First was Hoppers, which introduced people to the Sri Lankan savory pancake of the same name. Kolamba, is a modern restaurant in the heart of Soho with a more focused approach to authenticity and the dishes cooked and eaten in homes across the island. But when it comes to the food of Sri Lanka, a beautiful island nation just 17 miles off the coast of southern India, a lot of us assume it’s no different to what’s found on the subcontinent. Nothing could be further from the truth. This recipe is adapted from Kolamba in Soho.
SRI LANKAN CUISINE
But what makes Sri Lankan flavors stand out against those found in India? A lot of it comes down to one ingredient: coconut. Despite being a small island it’s the world’s fourth-largest exporter of coconuts, and they are a part of almost every aspect of the national cuisine. ‘We’re always compared to India when it comes to our food, but there are real differences between what we cook and eat compared to the rest of the subcontinent,’ says Eroshan, Kolamba;’s owner, ‘We don’t use any animal fats in our cooking – no ghee, butter, cream or yoghurt – because coconut adds all the rich creaminess we need instead. We go through a couple of hundred coconuts a week here at the restaurant, so it’s the single most important ingredient.’
Sri Lankan food is NOT for the timid eater. Fiery curries, sweet caramelized onion as seen sambal (onion relish), and sour lime pickle are all dominant, powerful flavors that awake the senses dulled by the thick, hot island air. The building blocks of Sri Lankan cuisine are rice, coconut, and native tropical fruits and vegetables. The island grows some 15 varieties of rice (down from 280 just 50 years ago, and 400 in times before that), some of which are used for various types of rice flour pancakes (called hoppers) and rice noodles (called string hoppers).
GREEN BEAN CURRY
This simple but flavor forward curry demonstrates the cuisine of Sri Lanka. A simple curry with most ingredients easily found in the supermarket. Curry leaves are the one ingredient that is found in International markets. I am lucky to have a small Indian market by my home where I can get my cooking ingredients, including fresh curry leaves stored in the refrigerated section. The leaves are used both in the curry and to create the curry oil for garnish. I also can’t leave the market without Kesar Pista Kufi (Saffron Pistachio Ice Cream) heavenly.
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