There is plenty of sunshine in this seductive, Sri Lankan-style potato curry that’s chock-full of evocative smells and flavours
I
stitch myself up sometimes by planning on cooking something that’s native to a country – a Sri Lankan potato curry, say – then embellish it with my own desires (lemongrass, leeks, ginger) to such an extent that it can no longer really be called as such. But taste and memory work in mysterious ways. This recipe still evokes Sri Lanka for me: sunshine, spiced earth, the smell of cinnamon bundles and dense forest, and also the sound of the bread vans (playing Beethoven, curiously) and the distinctive squawk of the myna bird. I hope, if you cook it, it might evoke a little Sri Lankan sunshine for you, too.
This recipe calls for one and a half tins of coconut milk, so use up the spare half-tin in a smoothie or dal. Buy fresh curry leaves from large supermarkets or an Asian one. Strip the leaves you don’t use, pack them well and freeze for another day. And use the whole leek, unless it’s really fibrous: soak the sliced greens and whites, then use your hands to scoop them into a colander to drain; don’t tip them out or any grit will get in your meal.
Prep 15 min
