2 Healthy Curries for almsgiving without adding any Oil
Shallot and Garlic Curries are 2 of the most important and healthy curries for almsgiving in traditional villages in Sri Lanka. They will make only one of these curries for almsgiving day but not both. For these curries, you do not add any Oil.
For almsgiving, you are serving this food with good intentions. Therefore, when you add Water to thicken Coconut Milk we have to make sure to strain the Water to remove any impurities. These are traditions in terms of almsgiving in villages in Sri Lanka.
For the Shallot Curry, there is a reason why we lightly crush the Shallots. Normally when we eat any type of Onion, there is a slightly sweet taste. When you lightly crush the Shallots, the spices that we add to the curry will be thoroughly absorbed and make the curry tastier.
You can cook the Shallot Curry more dry or with more gravy by controlling how long you cook it for. We prepared it with less curry gravy.
Although we added Maldive Fish to both curries to make it tastier, it is optional and you don't have to add it if you're vegetarian.
Shallots and Garlic have a very good nutrition profile so both curries are very healthy to eat.
If you like these Shallot or Garlic Curries, you will want to try my other traditional vegetable curries such as Long Beans, Lotus Root, and Thalana Batu curries.
Ingredients
For the Shallot Curry
- 300g of Shallots
- 2 sliced Green Chilies
- Curry Leaves
- 2 Tamarind Seeds
- Maldive Fish (optional)
- 1 tbsp of Chili Powder
- Toasted Fenugreek Seeds
- Pepper
- 1 tbsp of Roasted Curry Powder
- Turmeric Powder
- Salt
- Thick Coconut Milk
- Small piece of Cinnamon
- Small piece of Rampe (Pandan Leaf)
- Crushed Cardamom
- Crushed Cloves
For the Garlic Curry
- 300g of Garlic
- 2 sliced Green Chilies
- Curry Leaves
- Piece of Cinnamon
- Piece of Rampe (Pandan Leaf)
- Piece of Goraka
- 5 to 6 Shallots
- Toasted Fenugreek Seeds
- 1 tbsp of Raw Curry Powder
- Pepper
- Crushed Cardamom
- Crushed Cloves
- Turmeric Powder
- Small amount of Roasted Curry Powder
- Salt
- Thick Coconut Milk
- Maldive Fish (optional)
Instructions
For the Shallot Curry
- Remove the peels from the Shallots.
- Wash the Shallots thoroughly.
- Lightly crush the Shallots using a rolling pin (do not crush too hard and split it).
- Add the Shallots into a clay pot.
- Add 2 sliced Green Chilies.
- Add some Curry Leaves.
- Add 2 Tamarind Seeds.
- Wash some washed Maldive Fish and then add it (optional).
- Add 1 tbsp of Chili Powder.
- Toast some Fenugreek Seeds and then add it.
- Add some Pepper.
- Add 1 tbsp of Roasted Curry Powder.
- Add some Turmeric Powder.
- Add Salt to taste.
- Add thick Coconut Milk until everything is covered.
- Add a small piece of Cinnamon.
- Add a small piece of Rampe (Pandan Leaf).
- Add some crushed Cardamom.
- Add some crushed Cloves.
- Stir everything together thoroughly.
- Cook uncovered over medium heat for about 20 minutes while stirring occasionally.
For the Garlic Curry
- Remove the peels from the Garlic.
- Wash the Garlic.
- If you have any larger Cloves of Garlic, split them into 2 pieces.
- Add the Garlic into a clay pot.
- Add 2 sliced Green Chilies.
- Add some Curry Leaves.
- Add a piece of Cinnamon.
- Add a piece of Rampe (Pandan Leaf).
- Add a piece of Goraka.
- Remove the peels from 5 to 6 Shallots and wash them.
- Add the Shallots into the pot.
- Toast some Fenugreek Seeds and then add it.
- Add 1 tbsp of Raw Curry Powder.
- Add some Pepper.
- Add some crushed Cardamom.
- Add some crushed Cloves.
- Add some Turmeric Powder.
- Add a small amount of Roasted Curry Powder.
- Add Salt to taste.
- Add thick Coconut Milk until everything is covered.
- Wash some washed Maldive Fish and then add it (optional).
- Stir everything together thoroughly.
- Cook uncovered over medium heat for about 20 minutes while stirring occasionally.
Photos
