Kiribath is a traditional Sri Lankan dish usually prepared for all special occasions like Avurudu (Sri Lankan New Year), first day of each month and for any auspicious occasion like birthday, wedding, anniversary, etc. This dish is prepared by cooking rice with coconut milk.

Kiribath is best served with lunu miris, which is made from dried red chilli, onion and lime juice or seeni sambol which is another type of onion dish. Usually Maldive fish (dried fish) is added when preparing these dishes but since mum is a vegetarian, we skipped the Maldive fish. So we made seeni sambol and pol sambol (made from coconut) instead.

Below is the recipe for the Kiribath and next week, I will have the recipes for seeni sambol and pol sambol for you.

Ingredients

• Rice – 2 cups
• Water – 3 cups
• Coconut milk – 1 pkt (500g)
• Salt – a pinch
• Banana leaf – 1 large piece
• Dish cloth and clean plastic bag or cling wrap

Method

• Switch on your stove and place the banana leaf over the flame. Keep the flame low so as not to burn the banana leave.
• Move the leaf back and forth and you will see it turn a shade darker. This will help to soften the banana leaf so that it does not tear easily.
• Prepare a large flat tray and place the banana leaves on it.
• Wash and drain the rice and place it in a pot with water and salt and let the rice cook.
• Cook the rice till it’s slightly over cooked.
• Then add the coconut mil and let the rice cook till the coconut milk is fully absorbed.
• Transfer the rice onto the tray lined with the banana leaves.
• Take a cloth and cover it with the clean plastic bag or cling wrap.
• Using the cloth, quickly spread the milk rice on the banana leaf till it’s about 1 inch in thickness.
• Using a butter knife, cut the milk rice into diamond shapes and let it cool thoroughly.
• Serve with seeni sambol or pol sambol.

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