Sri Lankan Carrot and Beet Curry
Post Updated from November 2012.
I have been enjoying a new Sri Lankan cookbook so much. Lots of fun dishes. Including my interpretation of this Carrot and Beet Curry. Well, the book has a Carrot Curry Recipe and a Beet Curry Recipe, both very similar. So, here you see the marriage of these two lovely recipes. While the dish looks like a beet curry, it actually has more carrots than beets. Hence the slightly pinkish appearance. Reminds me of the days when we used to mix colors in art class. Well, sometimes cooking is a little like that.
I got a copy of Rice and Curry over this summer. Rice and Curry, is a wonderful book on the cuisine of Sri Lanka, written by fellow Hippocrene author Skiz Fernando.
My Story About Sri Lankan and Beetroot Curry
The lovely island nation of Sri Lanka has been on my list of places to visit, but it is unlikely that I shall be visiting the island anytime soon. At this time this book is the closest that I can get to experience and taste this lush tropical island. However, this book with its detailed introduction that offer you a good visual and cultural orientation to the island.
It has been an integral part of my kitchen since I got it. The book is written in thoughtful prose, that is vivid without being overly sentimental. It interjects a picture of Skiz’s family thereby bringing to life the life in Sri Lanka. I love the family anecdotes narrated with a sense of humor.
Over the years, the other Sri Lankan Recipes on the blog are the Shrimp Curry also from Rice and Curry. To go well with these are the coconut lentils from A Taste of Serendib.
Skiz, emphasizes the essence of the cuisine in the form of two curry powders, a lighter raw curry powder and a stronger roasted curry powder. The is an extensive use of coconut in the cuisine of the island to use up the the fruit of the coconut tree that grows in prolific abandon all around the island. Since, the cuisine is generous in its use of cayenne pepper powder the coconut offers a good balance of depth and richness to balance the heat.
How to Enjoy the Carrot and Beetroot Curry
The Carrot or the Carrot and Beetroot curry is a regular in my house during the fall months when both carrots and beets are a plenty. It is a beautiful, vibrant and vegan addition to any dinner table. In Sri Lanka, it would typically be served with rice. It can be a great idea to add on the Sri Lankan Shrimp Curry and or the Sri Lankan Hoppers to add into the mix.
A Sri Lankan Carrot curry with coconut milk
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 3 tablespoons cumin seeds
- 11/ tablespoons fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 pods garlic minced
- 2 chopped green chilies
- 2 teaspoons raw curry powder
- 2 cups carrots, cut into 3 inch sticks
- 1 teaspoon powdered fenugreek
- 10 curry leaves
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce (instead of maldive fish)
- 1 cup coconut milk
Instructions
- Grind all the ingredients in a coffee blender and store in a glass jar in the fridge.
- Heat the oil and add in the onion and garlic and saute lightly for about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add in the curry powder and the carrots and the fenugreek and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Add in the curry leaves, soy sauce and mix well.
- Add in the coconut milk and simmer for 15 minutes until tender and serve.
Sri Lankan Roasted Curry Powder and Shrimp Curry
[…] A couple of months back, I had told you about how I was working through the Sri Lankan cookbook by Skiz Fenando – Rice and Curry. […]