How to make Kesel Kole Rice with Side Dishes Recipe

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How to make Kesel Kole Rice with Side Dishes Recipe

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Kesel Kole Rice was a prepared rice meal that was wrapped in a banana leaf and taken on long journeys. The Kesel Kole Rice meal will stay fresh for at least 1 day because of the way it was prepared which involved cooking the rice and side dishes until all the moisture has gone. Common side dishes that were made for Kesel Kole Rice included a tempered dried Fish Fry (called Katta Karola Baduma), tempered Pol Sambol, and a up country style Potato Curry.

Traditionally, villagers used an important ingredient to make the Pol Sambol very tasty. They would add 1 tbsp of Cooked Rice into the tempered spice mix when making the Pol Sambol. You can keep this Tempered Pol Sambol for 1 week since the moisture will be cooked out.

The Banana Leaf for Kesel Kole Rice would be heated in the Sun before being used. We instead lightly rubbed it on the Gas Burner to heat it. They would use about 3 Banana Leaves to wrap the Rice and Side Dishes.

The Rice that was used for Kesel Kole Rice would be Samba or White Kekulu Rice. It is important to not overcook the Rice, you only need to cook until the Rice grains separate.

If you like these type of historic and traditional Sri Lankan cuisine, you might be interested in trying my Traditional Curry Powder called Pahe Pol Katta and Olu Rice with Sesame Seed Curry recipes.

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Katta Karola Baduma

  • 250g of Katta Karola
  • Pandan Leaves
  • Curry Leaves
  • 2 halved Green Chilies
  • 6 sliced Onions
  • 3 crushed Garlic Cloves
  • 1.5 tbsp of Chili Flakes
  • Turmeric Powder
  • Salt
  • 1 tsp of Chili Powder

Up Country style Potato Curry

  • 500g of Potatoes
  • 2 sliced Green Chilies
  • Curry Leaves with the leaf stems
  • Pandan Leaves
  • Sliced Onion
  • Salt
  • Turmeric Powder
  • Curry Powder
  • Chili Powder
  • Coconut Milk
  • Half a teaspoon of Roasted Curry Powder
  • Toasted Fenugreek Seeds

Tempered Pol Sambol

  • 2 tbsp of Chili Flakes
  • 1 tsp of Pepper
  • Salt
  • 10 Shallots
  • Grated Coconut
  • 2 chopped Garlic Cloves
  • Sliced Onion
  • 2 dried Whole Chilies
  • Curry Leaves
  • 1 tsp of Mustard Seeds
  • 1 tbsp of Cooked Rice

Instructions

Katta Karola Baduma

  1. Wash 250g of Katta Karola and cut it into pieces.
  2. Heat some Oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
  3. Add the Katta Karola.
  4. Keep frying until the Katta Karola turns a golden color.
  5. Reduce the heat slightly.
  6. Now add some Pandan Leaves.
  7. Then add some Curry Leaves.
  8. Add 2 halved Green Chilies.
  9. Add 6 sliced Onions.
  10. Add 3 crushed Garlic Cloves.
  11. Stir frequently for about 3 minutes.
  12. Now add 1.5 tbsp of Chili Flakes.
  13. Then add some Turmeric Powder.
  14. Add Salt to taste.
  15. Stir frequently for about a minute.
  16. Then add 1 tsp of Chili Powder.
  17. Reduce the heat slightly.
  18. Keep stirring frequently until all the moisture has evaporated.

Up Country style Potato Curry

  1. Peel and wash 500g of Potatoes.
  2. Cut the Potatoes into quarters.
  3. Add the Potatoes into a pot.
  4. Add 2 sliced Green Chilies.
  5. Add some Curry Leaves with the leaf stems.
  6. Add some Pandan Leaves.
  7. Add a sliced Onion.
  8. Add Salt to taste.
  9. Add some Turmeric Powder.
  10. Add some Curry Powder.
  11. Add some Chili Powder.
  12. Now add Coconut Milk until everything is covered.
  13. Give this mixture a stir using your hands.
  14. Add half a teaspoon of Roasted Curry Powder.
  15. Add some toasted Fenugreek Seeds.
  16. Cook over medium heat until most of the Coconut Milk has evaporated and you have a dry curry.

Tempered Pol Sambol

  1. Add 2 tbsp of Chili Flakes to a Mortar and Pestle.
  2. Add 1 tsp of Pepper.
  3. Add Salt to taste.
  4. Add 10 Shallots.
  5. Grind this mixture.
  6. Now add some grated Coconut.
  7. Grind this mixture until it is well incorporated.
  8. Add the Pol Sambol into a pot.
  9. Heat some Oil in a saucepan.
  10. Add 2 chopped Garlic Cloves.
  11. Add a sliced Onion.
  12. Add 2 dried Whole Chilies that are broken into smaller pieces using your hands.
  13. Add some Curry Leaves.
  14. Lightly fry this mixture.
  15. Now add 1 tsp of Mustard Seeds.
  16. Add 1 tbsp of Cooked Rice.
  17. Stir frequently until the Mustard Seeds have popped.
  18. Now add the Pol Sambol into this tempered mixture.
  19. Stir frequently and keep cooking until all the moisture has evaporated from the Pol Sambol.

Photos

Kesel Kole Rice With Side Dishes Katta Karola Baduma Tempered Pol Sambol Up Country Potato Curry

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