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Kesel muwa curry
කෙසෙල් මුව (kesel muwa): finely sliced banana blossom cooked in roasted spices and coconut milk
Every banana plant in a Sri Lankan back garden eventually pushes out a heavy, purple, spear-shaped flower, and rather than waste it, home cooks across the western province slice it into this savoury, slightly meaty curry. Once the tough outer bracts come off, the pale heart is shredded and cooked with roasted curry powder, mustard seed and chilli, then finished with coconut milk until it is tender with a faint, pleasant astringency, a bit like artichoke. It is a weekday dish, served with red rice, parippu and a pol sambol. The flower browns and turns bitter within minutes of being cut, which is where most first attempts go wrong, so have a bowl of salted turmeric water waiting and drop the slices in as you go. Chef's tip: if you can only find tinned banana blossom in brine, rinse it well, chop it and skip the soaking; it needs only half the cooking time.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the blossom
- 1 banana blossomabout 400 g
- 1 tbsp saltfor the soaking water
- 1 /2 tsp ground turmericfor the soaking water
For the curry
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 /2 tsp black mustard seeds
- 3 cm piece cinnamon stick
- 1 sprig curry leavesleaves picked
- 1 onionfinely sliced
- 3 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- 2 green chilliessliced
- 1 /2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 /4 tsp ground turmeric
- 3 /4 tsp salt
- 1 cup thin coconut milk
- ¾ cup thick coconut milk
- 1 tsp lime juice (optional)
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Fill a large bowl with cold water and stir in 1 tbsp salt and 1 /2 tsp ground turmeric.
Step 2: Rub a little oil on your hands. Peel away the dark outer bracts of 1 banana blossom and the little florets under them until you reach the pale, tightly closed heart.
Step 3: Cut the heart in half lengthways and slice it across as thinly as possible, dropping the slices straight into the turmeric water. Leave for 15 minutes, then squeeze out firmly by the handful.
10 minStep 4: Heat 2 tbsp coconut oil in a pan over a medium heat, add 1 /2 tsp black mustard seeds and, once it pops, 3 cm piece cinnamon stick and 1 sprig curry leaves.
1 minStep 5: Add 1 onion, 3 cloves garlic and 2 green chillies and cook for 3–4 minutes until soft.
4 minStep 6: Add the squeezed blossom and stir-fry for 5 minutes until it darkens slightly and smells cooked rather than raw.
5 minStep 7: Stir in 2 tsp roasted Sri Lankan curry powder, 1 /2 tsp red chilli powder, 1 /4 tsp ground turmeric and 3 /4 tsp salt and cook for 1 minute.
1 minStep 8: Pour in 1 cup thin coconut milk, cover and simmer over a low heat for 10–12 minutes, stirring now and then, until the blossom is tender.
12 minStep 9: Add ¾ cup thick coconut milk and simmer uncovered for 2–3 minutes until the gravy is thick and clings to the blossom. Finish with 1 tsp lime juice and serve with rice.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kesel muwa curry take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
- What can I use instead of black mustard seeds?
- Cumin seeds, same amount (different flavour, same crackle).
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