Curries

An invitation to cook in Sri Lanka some years ago consolidated all my previous experience of curries and subcontinental food. Curry remains a favourite today, and I often find myself cooking curries at home to try to capture a little bit of those fragrant tropical nights.

A wide range of authentic spice mixtures, pastes, chutneys, sambals and breads is now made here. These are available far beyond the specialist Asian shops, even in the high-street supermarket. Fresh-produce shelves and the greengrocers are stocked with small aubergines, okra, drumsticks, dudi, kantola, karela, tindoor and all manner of squashes and chillies. Choose amongst them to make into flavoursome masalas, kormas, chaats, bhajias and curries, combined with meat or fish, or simply combinations of vegetables.