Topic started by Arleene Brathapan (@ host-66-81-145-193.rev.o1.com) on Sun Dec 21 19:16:50 EST 2003.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

12/21/03: Hello - I accidently came upon this site. My husband is Jaffna-Tamil. I know only of a few recipes that he taught me from his memor of back home in Sri Lanka. To make matters difficult, all of his family are in Australia. I want to cook more authentic dishes. Can anyone kindly advise me if there as a book or knows of someone who can helop me get recipes for authentic Sri Lankan-Tamil Dishes?

Your assistance is most appreciated!!!

Responses:

• From: Kannika chandran (@ wc09.ym.rnc.net.cable.rogers.com) on: Mon Dec 29 09:15:28 EST 2003
  
  Dear Arleene,
  If you are living in Canada,There are few Jaffna recipe books avilabel in Srilankan book shops in Totonto. The big differents between Jaffna cooking and Indian cooking is, Jaffna people use lot more hot chillies and chilli powder in their curries. for Some hot curries they use coconut milk . otherwise there is not much different.
  
  
• From: s (@ 61.11.78.144) on: Fri Jan 2 13:09:08 EST 2004
  
  Hi,
  
  You can visit the new website on CHEMBAI at http://www.chembai.com
  
  
• From: ombhooho (@ cpe00045a7ad5ce-cm00e06f1f99e8.cpe.net.cable.rogers.com) on: Tue Jan 6 19:04:19 EST 2004
  
  Majority of Jaffna people dont know to cook various dishes. They dont know to make "iddali." Sevaral times we invite Jaffna friends to eat "iddili." When we serve "Molagapodi" with "idddili" they ask us what to do with that stuff. We explain them clearly how "Molagapodi" should be dealt with "iddili"
  They boil semolina pour milk to it add plums and say it is "Payasam"How many varieties of "Paayasams" are there they dont know. Jaffna people who live in towns mingled with Indian friends only know about briyani and Kuruma carry.
  
  
• From: Priya (@ d142-179-251-173.abhsia.telus.net) on: Wed Jan 7 15:44:47 EST 2004
  
  ombhooho
  Do not generalize your opinion by saying Jaffna people do not know how to make variety of dishes. There are so many other Jaffna people who can make variety of dishes. Just because your so-called Jaffna friends do not know idlli it does not mean that none of the Jaffna people know idlli or milagai podi. So broaden your knowledge before saying anything about Jaffna people.
  
  
• From: Nick (@ 217.154.75.223) on: Fri Jan 9 10:24:06 EST 2004
  
  I have one Jaffna cook book I bought in Sri Lanka. Jaffna food is almost identical to Sinhalese food - and therfore completely different to Indian Tamil food. Poriyal is called Varai. Kolambu exists but there is another method of cooking which simply involves boiling everything together in coconut milk, sometimes till almost dry and sometimes with more sauce. This is just called "Curry" it seems. Also there are specialities unique to Jaffna like Kool which requires the special Odial Flour to thicken it. If anyone wants specific Jaffna recipes please request and I will post them on this web page.
  
  
• From: MAUREEN PIYATISSA (@ cache-rb06.proxy.aol.com) on: Thu Jan 29 14:20:47
  
  DEAR ARLEEN , MY PASSION IS COOKING AND I LOVE BOTH SRI LANKAN TAMIL AND SINHALESE CUISINES. THEY ARE SIMILAR IN SOME RESPECTS AND YET VERY DIFFERENT. PERHAPS THIS BOOK SUGGESTION WILL HELP. I RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS IN COLOMBO AT LAKE HOUSE. TITLE: INTRODUCTION TO JAFFNA COOKING AUTHOR: SATHANITHI SOMASEKARAM ISBN: 955-9276-01-8 HOPE THIS HELPS. IF YOU HAVE ANY BOOK SUGGESTIONS OR RECIPES TO SHARE WITH ME THAT WOULD BE GREAT. I HAVE BEEN COOKING FOR ABOUT 35 YEARS FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS. GOOD LUCK!
  
  
• From: theep (@ 203.115.19.218) on: Tue Feb 3 02:00:33 EST 2004
  
  Introduction to Jaffna Cookery by Mrs. Sathanithi Somasekaram is available @
  http://www.lankadotcom.com/pub.htm
  
  
• From: Sarogini Kamalanathan (@ pool-151-198-136-194.mad.east.verizon.net) on: Sun Feb 8 17:21:35 EST 2004
  
  Dear Arlene
  
  It is very interesting that you ask for Jaffna Tamil cooking. I teach Sri Lankan and Indian Cooking in New Zealand and for the last 7 yeaa I have had a very successful career in this area My cooking style includes a combination of Jaffna Tamil and Singhalese styles and somre purely Jaffna styles too. Jaffna Tamil type cooking does not have many variations. So a combination does really bring my style to the fore. I will be very happy to share my recipes with you.
  
  
• From: Sungaree (@ netcache6.is.co.za) on: Fri Feb 13 07:25:44 EST 2004
  
  I found the discussion quite interesting. I am South African of Indian origin and the SA Indian food is also unique. Fish curry made by (former) tamil-speaking Indians is popular among all sections of the Indian community. I will try to get hold of the Jaffna and Singhalese recipes so as to compare!
  
  
• From: Sharmila (@ 195.39.134.86) on: Mon Feb 16 02:37:11 EST 2004
  
  I need some receipe's of Srilankan muslim way of cooking and Jaffna way of cooking ( All the food including desserts)
  
  
• From: Janet Bouston (@ host213-122-151-132.in-addr.btopenworld.com) on: Thu Feb 19 18:14:13 EST 2004
  
  Hi Sarongini,
  
  I teach Indian cookery and would love to find a recipe for Prawn Ceylon which is made in the same way that they do in Indian Restaurants. Any ideas? I would most appreciate a recipe from you and then perhaps I could send you one in return. Thanks
  
  
• From: mala (@ ) on: Fri Aug 27 03:19:08
  
  i want icing cake strucure photoes..can u send strucute..i am a srilankan
  
  
• From: To All Srilankan (@ cpe00400548e2fe-cm014270110094.cpe.net.cable.rogers.com) on: Mon Oct 25 10:38:57
  
  Hi all
  I would like to know whether I can attend any of your tamil cooking classes so I can learn very quickly. Please let me know. Thanks
  
  Jenny
  
  Any good books in english???
  
  
• From: To All Srilankan (@ cpe00400548e2fe-cm014270110094.cpe.net.cable.rogers.com) on: Mon Oct 25 10:39:03
  
  Hi all
  I would like to know whether I can attend any of your tamil cooking classes so I can learn very quickly. Please let me know. Thanks
  
  Jenny
  
  Any good books in english???
  
  
• From: To All Srilankan (@ cpe00400548e2fe-cm014270110094.cpe.net.cable.rogers.com) on: Mon Oct 25 10:39:08
  
  Hi all
  I would like to know whether I can attend any of your tamil cooking classes so I can learn very quickly. Please let me know. Thanks
  
  Jenny
  
  Any good books in english???
  
  
• From: To All Srilankan (@ cpe00400548e2fe-cm014270110094.cpe.net.cable.rogers.com) on: Mon Oct 25 10:39:15
  
  Hi all
  I would like to know whether I can attend any of your tamil cooking classes so I can learn very quickly. Please let me know. Thanks
  
  Jenny
  
  Any good books in english???
  
  
• From: Shanthy (@ ip-83-16.dot.net.au) on: Mon Oct 25 21:48:35 EDT 2004
  
  Hi Arleene
  
  Recently I bought a book titled Recipes of the Jaffna Tamils by Nesa Eliezer. I is a fund raiser for the women's Project in Srilanka. I am very pleased with the recipes and brings back lots of memories of my childhood.
  
  Please go to www.orientlongman.com/contactus1.asp if you are interested. I bought it through a friend here.
  
  
• From: Shanthy (@ ip-83-16.dot.net.au) on: Mon Oct 25 22:08:07 EDT 2004
  
  Hi Arleene
  
  Here is a recipe for potato curry or kulambu.
  Ingredients: Two large potatoes peeled or washed and chopped into cubes.
  One large onion chopped length wise, Green or dried red chillies 2
  Fenugreek 1Tb sp, Oil 2Tb sp, Jaffna curry powder 1 to 2 Tbsp (can use any curry powder or chilli, cumin, coriander powder mixed) curry leaves if available.
  Salt Optional: milk, tamarind water.
  
  Heat the oil in a wok or a saucepan and add fenugreek first followed by onions. (Fenugreek goes brown very fast ). Add chillies and curry leaves, fry till golden. Add potato fry for 2 minutes. Add salt and chilli powder fry for another minute. Then add water to cover the potatoes. Let it cook for about 10 minutes. Stir in between. Taste test the salt. Once the potatoes are cooked stir well and the curry is ready.
  At this stage you can add soy milk or coconut milk to make more gravy. Can also add tamarind water or lemon juice to finish it off.
  
  

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