This website mainly focuses on Jaffna Tamil recipes and to some extent other recipes. Jaffna (Yaalpanam) is a town located in the northern part of Sri Lanka which consists mainly of the ethnic group “Tamils”. The name “Yaalpanam” is derived from ”Yaal” (means Harp) and “Panam” (means town) which means land of the Harp Player. Jaffna, which is dotted with beautiful Palmyrah trees, coconut trees farm lands, and surrounded by pristine beaches is the home of traditional Tamil cuisine.
The main ethnic groups of Sri Lanka are Singhalese, Tamils, and Muslims. Even though the food is same among all ethnic groups, there are minor variations between them in the preparation methods.
Tamil cuisine mainly consists of steamed rice accompanied by spicy curries. Rice and curries are consumed for lunch, dinner and at special occasions. Break-fast and dinner mainly consists of food prepared from rice flour or wheat flour. For example Pittu and Idiyappam (called string hoppers in English) are the most common food eaten for break-fast and dinner. These dishes are also accompanied by spicy curries. Dosa, idly, chapathis and uppuma are also eaten for break-fast and dinner occasionally.
Normally Pittu is accompanied by coconut sambol, seeni sambol, and different kind of gravies (tomato gravy, eggplant gravy, fenugreek gravy etc), vegetable, mutton, chicken, and fish curries. Idiyappam is also accompanied by the above side dishes. But one important side dish used with Idiyappam is called Sothi made from boiling different vegetables in coconut milk. Dosa and idly are normally served with coconut chutney and sambar.
Even though Tamil cuisine is similar to south Indian cuisine, it has it’s own distinctive taste and spicier than most south Indian food. Coconut milk used in most Sri Lankan Tamil dishes gives them a unique flavor.
Tamil cuisine has some influence from the Portuguese, Dutch and the British cuisine. For example “lamprais” which is prepared by adding steamed rice, mutton curry, chicken curry, vegetable curries, and coconut milk on a banana leaf and baked on a moderate oven for about 20 minutes got the influence from the Dutch dish “Lomprijst”. Dutch and Portuguese sweets also continue to be quite popular.
Apart from all the above, Tamils and other Sri Lankans also have adapted to many western food. Cakes, pastries Cookies, and buiscuits are very common and used mainly at tea parties.
June 8, 2010 at 7:35 pm
Hi Chelvi,
Thank you so much for putting up this site. I lost my mother before I could have learned cooking from her, and I always crave her cooking. Even though there are books, nothing is like having someone guide you through in details and pictures like you have done.
If possible, could you share the following recipes (with pictures) on this site, I would like to learn the following:
1. Katirikai Kulambu
2. Any Paal (Milk) Curry (Egglplant, Okra etc)
3. Venthaya Kulambu
4. Potato Dishes
5. Appam
Thank you so much, I’ve been looking for someone like you to have a site like this for a long time.
June 8, 2010 at 9:45 pm
Sorry that you lost your mother early. But I am really glad that my blog is helping you. I will definitely post these recipes. You can subscribe to my email subscription if you like. So when I post the recipes, you will get an Email.
June 10, 2010 at 2:40 pm
Thank you, I have already subscribed as well.
I have a quick question for you. For what dishes do you use the Jaffna Curry Powder for. I see that mostly in your Kulambi and dishes you use the single spice powders like chilli, tumeric etc.
Thank you.
June 10, 2010 at 3:14 pm
According to Jaffna cooking, there are 3 types of powders – chili powder, curry powder and plain chili powder (thani milagai thuul). When we say chili powder in Jaffna, that means it’s not just chili powder. It contains dried red chili, coriander, cummin, little bit of tumeric, little bit of fennel (Perunjeerakam) etc. So all these are roasted and then ground. My mother usually roast all these at home on fire in a “Irumbu chatti”. Then she gives it to the mill “alai” where they grind and give us back. So color of the chili powder depends on how much tumeric is used and also depends on the color and type of the dried red chili. Also the spiciness also varies on how much ratio you use between chili powder and others – coriander, cumin etc. Since I am in USA, I usually buy this Jaffna chili powder in Canada now.
So in Jaffna, if some one says “chili powder”, normally that means it’s the one with all the ingredients I mentioned above. Just the chili powder is sold as “Thani milagai thuul”
When it comes to curry powder, it varies from house to house. Normally at my home they call it “Perunjeeraka thuul”. This will contain certain amount of coriander, cummin and fennel. The one my mother makes have more fennel than others. But the one I bought in canada have a lot of ingredients like coriander, cumin, fennel, cardamom, cloves etc. They call it “Curry vasanai kudu”. This smells and tastes quite different from what my mother makes.
When I don’t have the normal Jaffna chili powder, I use the plain chili powder and add a bit of cumin, coriander etc.
I will get the recipe for Jaffna chili powder and will post it soon
Hope this helps
July 26, 2010 at 2:47 pm
Hi Chelvi,
I have been enjoying your recipes and your website.
I was wondering if you have recipes for:
1) Pythanga
2) Sagoo Payasam
Thank you,
V.
July 26, 2010 at 9:14 pm
What a coincidence!. I cooked this curry just 2 weeks ago and thought of posting it. But some how it got missed. Here is the recipe I have posted: http://thefeastforall.com/2010/07/26/yard-long-beans-curry-payathanga-curry/
Saago payasam — Is this the “Javvarisi payasam/savvarisi payasam” we call in Sri Lanka? I have always been confused with the word saago.
July 27, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Thank you soooo much for the recipe! I’ll be sure to try out. Here in California the pythanga are dark green just like the one in your recipe.
Yes, I think Sago is the chinese/english name for Javvarisi. (round tapioca balls). Do you add semiya also into your Javvarisi payasam?
July 27, 2010 at 7:10 pm
I never added semiya. But I remember my grand-mother used to add this. I will post the payasam recipe soon. I think she used to roast the semiya a little bit in ghee just for a minute or so before adding, but not sure.
December 27, 2010 at 12:53 pm
Thanks Chelvi
December 27, 2010 at 1:05 pm
Excellent website, can’t wait to try some of the dishes
Thank You
May 24, 2011 at 1:21 am
OMG i am so happy that i have found your blog…im a student just starting to cook, and ur blog has been amazing, as i couldn’t find other srilankan tamil blogs, please never stop posting recipes
May 29, 2011 at 6:47 pm
Hiya! Quick question that’s entirely off topic. Do you know how to make your site mobile friendly? My web site looks weird when viewing from my iphone. I’m trying to find a theme or plugin that might be able to resolve this problem. If you have any suggestions, please share. Thank you!
July 31, 2011 at 9:44 pm
I could not find an answer for you. Sorry but I will keep this in mind and definitely let you know. I did not do any thing different to make in in iphone. If yours is a blog, this might be due to a theme you have chosen.
August 9, 2011 at 4:47 am
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September 2, 2011 at 4:35 am
we need video demonstration
September 16, 2011 at 11:30 am
Dear Chelvi,
I have been following your website and thank you so much for giving us special treats with recipes. I am a Malaysian and I appreciate if you could give the recipe for KOOLU porridge with step by step instruction on it’s preparation.
September 18, 2011 at 4:05 pm
Dear Kanesan
I will post that as soon as possible. I have to try that first since its a bit complicated.