Falling In Love With The Spice Trail From Sri Lanka

By Pamela Nandi | Aug 06, 2021

We all know that Sri Lanka is the land of fine Asian spices and I am touched when my dear friends Moumita Sen and Sujit Sen picked up these treasures during their visit to this island country.

So happy to unbox the humble spices and experiment with them in my kitchen.

Sri Lankan Pork Belly Curry

One such signature spice is the SRI LANKAN CURRY SPICE. A great melange of roasted curry powder with a robust flavour. I used this spice to marinate the pork belly pieces, added a cup of coconut milk to boost the flavour of this meaty. Paired with steamed rice and some sauteed spinach to relish the intense flavour of the dish.

Pork Cottage Cheese Bell Peppers Saslik

Marinated the pork pieces, cottage cheese, bell peppers in Teriyaki Sauce. Added little oil to the marination and set it for 24 hours. Roasted in the oven at 250C for 45 mins. The caramelization of the light sweet veggies and savoury meats with smokey flavour and the shiny lustre is sublime. To complete with the Asian flavours paired with some steamed rice, poached egg and sticky gravy on the side.

Chinese Five Spice Fish Fried

Rice tossed in oil with small pieces of bhetki fish, bell peppers, garlic and added the Chinese Five Spice powder which is a blend of cinnamon, cloves, fennel, star anise and Schezwan peppercorns. Love the depth of the sweet warm balanced flavour.

Pork Cauliflower Red Chilli Curry

Chinese Chilli Paste is always considered as one of the essential condiments for any South-East Asian delicacies. The simple ingredients – garlic and red chillies elevated the flavours of the dish. Marinated some pork belly and cauliflower florets with the paste, tossed in the pan and allowed it to cook under low flame until the pork started releasing its fat. Loved the fiery flavour and the dense texture of the dish.

BBQ Chicken Tikka

Chicken Tikka is one of the most popular recipes in and outside of Indian. Marinated forked chicken pieces overnight with BBQ Chicken Tikka Mix to let the flavours steep into the meat and grilled in the oven. The dish came out as mouth-watering, flavoursome and juicy and satiated my barbeque craving.