For the longest time I had this mental block of visiting Srilanka because I was of the opinion that it wasn't that different from Kerala. While there is indeed a striking similarity in climate, vegetation & food, Srilanka has a charm on its own which is unique. On the day I was to leave Kandy, I walked into a real nice local restaurant called Devon. I was very happy to see Pittu , Kukul Mas , Kiri Hodi but what really caught my eye was something they labelled as manioc. I asked the maître d'hôtel to just serve me a sample . On closer observation, I realised it was my favourite bread Fruit steamed & served with katta Sambol, a delicious mix of chopped shallots, red chilli paste, curry leaves, Maldive fish flakes, lime juice & salt. Breadfruit is Artocarpus altilis from the Moraceae family and closely related to jackfruit. Breadfruit is considered a domesticated version of breadnut native to Maluku islands & Phillipines which spread across Oceania & South East Asia. One of my vivid reading memories is how Robinson Crusoe while desolate in the island roasts breadfruit & eats. It requires a very high rainfall, tropical weather & low land elevation to grow & hence it is mostly found only in coastal areas like the West Coast of India & Srilanka .Breadfruit unlike jackfruit can't be eaten as a fruit per se & hence needs to be cooked. It is quite loved in Kerala for its mashy texture & sublime sweetness , called Cheema Chakka here. The other day, I decided to go full Srilankan with Egg Hoppers & Del Maluwa. Del Maluwa is a coconut milk based curry flavored with Thuna Paha, unroasted Srilankan curry powder. In an earthen pot, mustard , cumin & Fenugreek seeds are spluttered , chopped shallots, green chillies,curry leaves , ginger & garlic ,salt is added & sauteed till golden brown in coconut oil. To this turmeric powder , Pandan leaves are added & then the cut breadfruit is added & boiled in the 2nd extract of coconut milk. When it is almost done , 2 tsp of Thuna Paha is added & shaken. The final step is adding the first extract of coconut milk & then taken off the stove. #del #maluwa #thunapaha #thuna #breadfruit #curry #currypowder #srilankan #sinhala #vege (at Trivandrum, India) https://www.instagram.com/p/CBcemxoF_3f/?igshid=1mcquzrs87jm0
