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Large, wide banana leaves
2 tablespoons thick coconut milk
Ingredients for Ghee Rice:
6 cups Basmati or other long-grain rice
7½ tablespoons ghee
3 large onion, finely sliced
10 whole cloves
8 cardamom pods, bruised
1 cinnamon sticks
9½ cups beef, chicken or mutton stock,
or water and stock cubes
6 teaspoons salt
Please refer more Sri Lankan recipes
for the below individual recipes:
2 tablespoons lampries curry
2 frikkadels
2 teaspoons vambotu pahi
1 teaspoon chili sambol
1 heaped teaspoon prawn (shrimp) blachan
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Method:
To prepare ghee rice, wash rice well and
drain for at least 30 minutes. Heat ghee in a saucepan and fry
onion until golden, add spices and drained rice. Fry, stirring
with slotted metal spoon, for 5 minutes over a moderate heat.
Add hot stock and salt and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to
very low, cover pan tightly with lid and cook for 15-20 minutes
without lifting lid. At end of cooking time, uncover and allow
steam to escape for 5 minutes. Gently fluff up rice with a fork,
removing whole spices and leave aside.
Use large, wide banana leaves, strip
them from the center rib and cut into pieces, approximately 30-38 cm
(12-15 inches) long. Wash and dry with a clean cloth and heat
over a gas flame for a few seconds on each side. This makes them
pliable and they will fold without splitting. If you cook by
electricity, put banana leaves in a large basin or sink and pour
boiling water over. If no banana leaves are available, use 38 cm
(15 inch) squares of aluminum foil. On each piece of leaf or
aluminum foil, put 1 cup firmly packed ghee rice. Around rice
arrange 2 tablespoons lampries curry, 2 frikkadels, 2 teaspoons
vambotu pahi, 1 teaspoon chili sambol and 1 heaped teaspoon prawn
(shrimp) blachan. Pour 2 tablespoons thick coconut milk over
rice. Fold leaf over and fasten with bamboo skewers (obtainable
from barbecue departments of large stores) or fold aluminum foil over
to make a neat oblong package. Some people prefer to enclose
leaf parcels in aluminum foil. This is a good idea in case leaf
splits while heating or serving. Heat lampries in a moderate
oven for approximately 20-25 minutes. Arrange on a large tray.
When guests open the lampries, the fragrance of the food is
unbelievably appetizing. Allow one to two lampries for each
guest. A bowl of chilled cucumber sambol is served as an
accompaniment.
Note: It is
practical to make a large number of lampries, for they are ideal for
parties. They freeze well and can be kept frozen for two months.
Heat in a moderate oven from frozen state for 40 minutes, or 20
minutes if first thawed to room temperature.
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