I have been quite hooked to Sri Lankan recipes and reading up on differences and similarities between Indian and Sri Lankan cuisines. I really want to try using their salted chillies in my cooking too. The book mentions how they marinate chillies in salt water and use that in their curries. The use of coconut milk is also quite extensive in their recipes.
If you like recipes with beetroots, then you may enjoy this Kerala beetroot thoran recipe, beetroot pachadi, and this dal with beet leaves.
Beetroot Thel Dala Recipe
Serves: 2-3
Source: Sri Lankan Flavours by Channa Dassanayaka
Ingredients:
2 medium-sized beetroots, peeled and diced
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup tomatoes, chopped
10 curry leaves or 1 bay leaf
1 small cinnamon stick
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 green chillies, sliced
1 teaspoon curry powder or garam masala
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons oil
1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
Salt to taste
Instructions:
1. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion, curry leaves, cinnamon and garlic and saute until golden brown – about 1 to 2 mins. Then add the beetroot and toss for another 2 mins.
2. Add the tomatoes, green chilies, curry powder, turmeric and chilli and stir until spices are mixed through.
3. Add 1/4 cup water, bring to boil then simmer until the beetroot is tender – about 7 mins. Mix in salt to taste and remove.
Note:
Instead of thel dala, you can also make a Sri Lankan beetroot curry with the same recipe by adding coconut milk. At step 3, instead of adding water, add 1/4 cup light coconut milk and cook till beets are tender. Two minutes before removing from the flame, add 1/2 cup thick coconut milk, simmer and remove.
Serve beetroot thel dala hot with plain steamed rice.
Beetroot curry looks so lovely. Yummy!
This looks gorgeous! I have never used so much spice in beetroot before. must try for me.
I too have not tried any Sri Lankan food. This looks very easy. I think I would like the curry more with the coconut milk. Here we have a couple of Sri Lankan grocery stores and I was able to find a lot of unique ingredients, not in the sense that they are not available in India. Stuff like roasted moong dal powder, so that I can make moong dal laddus without having the trouble of roasting them and powdering it and then make the laddus.
If anyone tries it with the coconut milk, do let me know!
wowww… lovely color combination.. :)its tempting me.. 🙂
Hi Nags, I love beetroot!This is simple and flavorful. I will definitely try this for a welcome change from poriyal n beetroot rasam. I am sure the curry with coconut milk is likely to be more popular at my place. Awesome colour-ful entry:D
I have never tried any Srilankan stuff knowingly..who knows maybe had stuffed them in my belly and never knew that’s from Srilanka. Your pandan leaves still are on my hit list..This beetroot recipe sounds ok to me what with all those familiar ingredients I seem to have in my pantry..
Can you inform that certain other Ms.S that I am on an H4 visa and need to get work done around my home once in a while to show my sponsor that he didn’t commit a mistake in getting me here?? Thanks in advance for letting her know..
You are right- there are so many similarities between Indian and Sri Lankan cuisines.
I am going to make this with my current stash of beet root, only they have been already chopped into slices but lets see
Looks beautiful, have made simple beetroot curries before. But this recipe is entirely new, thanks for sharing. Yummy looking shots too.