Kithul Thalapa with Kiri Pani Hodda from Up Country Region
Kithul Thalapa with Kiri Pani Hodda is a meal made from Kithul Flour that is popular in the up country regions of Sri Lanka. It has the consistency of jelly and is mainly eaten for Ayurvedic purposes for breakfast or dinner. It is believed to provide strength, cool down the body, heal gastritis, and improve memory.
When serving this meal the traditional way, we would cover a clay pot with Kenda leaves and then place scoops of the Kithul Thalapa inside. Then we would pour the Kiri Pani Hodda over it and serve.
Although plentiful in villages, Kithul Flour is not commonly found in Grocery Stores in city areas. In Sri Lanka, you will need to go to an herbal shop (known as a Beheth Kade in Sinhala) to buy it.
The Kithul Tree is very important in Sri Lanka because we use it to obtain several ingredients for food. It provides us the Treacle, Jaggery, Kithul Flour, and even Kithul Alcohol (known as Kithul Raa). The Kithul Flour is extracted from the pith of the Kithul Tree.
If you like these type of unique traditional Sri Lankan Foods, you might be interested in trying my Kiriwadani Breakfast Meal and Dohoi with Spicy Fish Curry recipes.
Ingredients
- 150g of Kithul Flour
- 4 tbsp of thickened Coconut Milk
- 80g of Sugar
- 2 tbsp of Caramelized Sugar, melted Jaggery, or Kithul Treacle
- 20 Peppercorns
- 400ml of Water
Instructions
- Add 150g of Kithul Flour into a pot.
- Add Salt to taste.
- Add 400ml of Water.
- Using your hands, stir and make sure all of the Kithul Flour is dissolved thoroughly with the Water without clumping.
- Put the pot over medium heat.
- Stir frequently similar to when we make Dodol.
- After about 10 minutes, this mixture will start to thicken.
- Turn the heat down to low to prevent the bottom from burning.
- Keep stirring frequently.
- When the mixture has thickened quite a bit (like Thalapa consistency), add 4 tbsp of Coconut Milk.
- Mix thoroughly.
- When the Thalapa is thickened and starts to separate from the pot when stirring, it is ready so take it off the stove.
- Set the pot aside to cool down.
- Add the thickened Coconut Milk from 1 Coconut into a saucepan.
- Add some Salt.
- Add 80g of Sugar.
- Stir thoroughly.
- Add 20 Peppercorns.
- Add 2 tbsp of either Caramelized Sugar Syrup, melted Jaggery, or Kithul Treacle.
- Mix thoroughly.
- Heat the Kiri Pani Hodda over low heat stirring frequently.
- When it starts to boil, turn off the stove and stir for about 1 minute.
- Now set the Kiri Pani Hodda pot aside to cool down.
- When serving, first add scoops of Thalapa into the plate and then pour the Kiri Pani Hodda over it.
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