Dear Sri Lanka, I love you!
Episode 8: I took notes so you didn’t have to….We talked about the following in this episode….All things Sri Lanka, our guide, the one, the only Samantha Fore from Tuktuklex!
Oh god do I love learning about new food. It’s the dead of winter, we are all still in a massive worldwide pandemic and I live in New England. The cold, the snow, the being inside constantly is getting real old real quick. I am craving sunshine, warmth, friends and vacation time. So when I have these cravings I make a huge effort to eat food that would be found in a warm area and FaceTime as many people as I can so I don’t fall down into a deep dark pit of despair. Sri Lankan food checks that box for me.
To me it’s like Indian, Caribbean and island cuisines had a baby and it’s Sri Lankan cuisine. It’s big on bold flavors, fish, coconut and yet it still has an almost delicate flavor as well. It’s magical!
To get started with Sri Lankan cooking you need to get your hands on some spices!! I bought everything I could get my hands on but to get started you need coriander seed, black mustard seed, cumin seed, Sri Lankan black pepper, Sri Lankan sweet cinnamon, Sri Lankan curry powder (it’s special) and some fresh curry leaves. We recommend Spicewalla, Diaspora Co., Burlap and Barrel or Curio Spices (in Mass). We both recommend knowing where your spices are coming from and try to buy them from companies who support paying fair wages to their farmers, it’s processed properly and it’s coming directly from the farmers.
You need a mortar and pestle, toast your spices in a dry pan until they just start to smell beautiful and then grind them yourself by hand. It’s life changing and really takes no time to do. Make sure you add some pink Himalayan sea salt or whatever salt you like when you’re grinding them in your mortar and pestle. It helps break them down a little more and makes it all come together.
When the tomatoes are in season in your area please make Sam’s Roasted Curry Tomato Pie from Food and Wine. Or maybe you want to make her okra from Taste of the South magazine or this Shrimp Curry that Sam did for Southern Living is 10000% what I am making for dinner tonight. Did I mention I LOVE her!?
Sam’s website and company, tuktuklex and her instagram our all must follows. She hinted that Spicewalla will be rereleasing her Fried Chicken Spice blend so make sure you keep your eyes out for it or you can just try to befriend my friend, Shari, who did get her hands on some but will not share so good luck. She also just mentioned that she may be doing a pop up in NYC later this spring. She is also apart of “Brown in the South” a collaborative dinner put on by a handful of chefs in the south of India and Sri Lanka decent. They put a pause on the dinners because of the pandemic but will be back in full force sooner than later so keep an eye out for that. Oh and check out her episode on Somewhere South with Vivian Howard!
To get some of your Sri Lankan tea biscuits check out this online store.
Check out the podcast instagram page because we need to name Sam’s giraffe in Sam’s kitchen. Shoot me an email or DM with your name.
Sam is working very closely with the LEE Initiative, who is doing AWESOME things for the industry and please check them out and do more for the people in the industry who need your help the most.
And to fact check myself it’s the 20th Century Cookbook by Michelle Polzine, not 21st.
Go forth and cook some amazing food!!
Beth Fuller is a Boston based Food, Product and Lifestyle Photographer. One of the best ways to support the podcast and Beth is to write a review wherever you listen, like the podcast on your favorite platform and please keep Beth in mind for any photography projects as a gal has got to pay her bills!
If you have a question and want it to be featured on the podcast please email either the question or a voice memo to letsgoonafoodadventure@gmail.com. Are you on instagram? Tag me in your food adventures, @letsgoonafoodadventure. Do you want to work together with food and product photography, drop me a line here!
xoxo
Beth
