DIANTHI'S KIRIBATH (SRI LANKAN MILK RICE)

Dianthi Edirisooriya

Associate Consultant PMC, London

What this dish means to me

Kiribath is a traditional Sri Lankan savoury dish consisting of rice cooked in coconut milk. It is naturally vegan and gluten free and is best served with a sweet and spicy onion chutney known as seeni sambol.

This dish is typically eaten in Sri Lankan households on special occasions to mark a new beginning, e.g. weddings, a first day of school or a new job, and most importantly, Sinhala and Tamil New Year. This is because it symbolises prosperity and new life.

Growing up in Peterborough, my mum would always make Kiribath for breakfast on New Year's Day. It was the one day of the year she made it, and it brought all of us together to share a dish that is full of meaning and made me feel connected to my Sri Lankan heritage.

SERVES

MINUTES

DIFFICULTY

4/10

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of Basmati rice

2 cups of water

100g thick coconut cream (this can be scooped from the top of a can of full fat coconut milk)

Coconut oil (for greasing)

2 tsp salt

METHOD

Step 1

Wash your rice under a tap and drain it until the water runs mostly clear and place the rice in your cooking pot.

Step 2

Add the water and salt to the pot.

Step 3

Put the pot on medium-high heat and bring the rice to boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid (this process is very similar to how you’d normally cook rice, except you’re using more water).

Step 4

Let the rice steam on low heat until it has cooked fully and is soft to touch (this usually takes 10 to 15 minutes). If your rice is not cooked and it has run out of water, you can add a few tablespoons more and continue to steam it.

Step 5

Once your rice has cooked, add the thick coconut milk and stir it in whilst the rice is still hot so that it all sticks together (don’t worry about breaking down the grains of rice).

Step 6

Take half a teaspoon of coconut oil and grease a baking tray or banana leaf.

Step 7

Add the rice to the baking tray and shape it into a square.

Step 8

To make the cutting process easier, wrap a knife with cling film and grease the knife with a bit of coconut oil. Cut the rice into diagonal pieces.

Step 9

Serve with any curry you want or if you’d like to enjoy this traditionally, serve with Sri Lankan Seeni Sambol (a sweet and spicy onion chutney) which you can find in your local south Asian supermarket.