The Jayasinghe Recipes

Recipes that Denzil picked up from his early years in Sri Lanka

5 min readMay 10, 2022

Cooking was not something I did in Sri Lanka, except for the rare times when I made roti with my grandma’s loving guidance. I discovered the healing power of cooking much later in life when I had to take care of myself outside Sri Lanka.

Authentic Sri Lankan dishes can be complex and rich. But I have a soft spot for simple dishes. They remind me of my mother and grandmother, who nourished me with them. Here, I share some of their recipes with you.

Canned Fish Curry

Ingredients

3–4 tablespoons of oil

1 large onion sliced

3–4 cloves of garlic sliced

A handful of curry leaves

1-inch cinnamon stick

1 large tomato sliced or a diced tomato tin

2 green chillies sliced

1/2–1 teaspoon of chilli powder(depending on your preference)

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper powder

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 coconut milk(should you need more gravy then add 1 cup of coconut milk)

1 large can of Jack mackerel/ Salmon or Tuna fish

Cooking Instructions

Open the can, drain the fish brine and set it aside.

Place a pan over medium heat, pour in the oil, and leave it to heat for a minute.

Add the curry leaves and cinnamon, stir and sauté for 1–2 minutes.

Include the onions, garlic and tomatoes and green chillies for a further 2–3 minutes.

Add the turmeric, red chilli powder, pepper, and curry powder and sauté

Let the ingredients turn slightly brown, and the tomatoes soften while all of the ingredients turn to a semi-liquid paste.

This will take less than 10 minutes, increase heat if necessary but avoid burning the paste.

Reduce heat to low-medium and pour in the coconut milk(1/2 cup, add 1 cup if you need gravy).

Leave it to slow simmer for another 5–7 minutes — season with salt.

Once the coconut milk is thick and slightly changes colour, gently add the canned fish chunks into the gravy.

Avoid stirring unless it is to place the fish so they cook evenly.

Cover with a lid, and slow simmer for 10–15 minutes or until the gravy is thick.

Season with salt and serve warm. Ideal with rice.

By the way, back in the day, as a teenager, tinned fish was one of my favourites. On the way back from school, on the rare days I had 65 cents remaining in my pocket, I bought a small tin of canned fish from my corner store. Soon after I was home, I’d open the can and pour the whole thing on my rice, uncooked. It was an awesome impromptu meal.

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Mysore Dhal curry

Ingredients

Mysore dhal 200 grams

1 teaspoon black mustard

2 or 3 bulbs of garlic

1 green chilli sliced

Few curry leaves.

1/2 onion sliced

1 teaspoon of chilli powder

2 to 3 tablespoons of oil

Salt to taste

Instructions

Wash the dhal before cooking.

Heat the oil for a few minutes. Mix garlic, black mustard, green chilli, curry leaves and onions. Stir and sauté for 2–3 minutes.

Put the dhal with a small quantity of water into the fried mix

Mix with chilli powder

Add salt to taste

Let it boil; if not sufficient, add more water.

Mysore Dhal curry is a staple diet in Sri Lanka. It is a favourite among Lankans, rich or poor, a simple dish everyone loves. It tastes great with bread, roti and rice.

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Potato Curry

Ingredients

3–4 tablespoons of oil

1 large onion sliced

3–4 cloves of garlic sliced

A handful of curry leaves

A few rosemary leaves (optional)

1-inch cinnamon stick

2 green chillies sliced

1/2–1 teaspoon of chilli powder(depending on your preference)

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon curry powder

300 ml coconut milk

Cooking Instructions

Heat the oil for a few minutes. Mix onions, curry leaves, green chillies, garlic, cinnamon slice and the option of rosemary. Stir and sauté for 2–3 minutes until light brown.

Put in half-boiled peeled potato pieces and fry them in the mix.

When the potatoes are near cooked, put in the chilli powder, turmeric, curry powder, and salt.

Mix it up for a few minutes.

Add the coconut milk.

Season with salt and serve warm. Ideal with bread, rice or roti.