Kiribath (Rice Cake)
Kiribath is a traditional Sri Lankan dish made from rice. It is prepared by cooking rice with coconut milk, hence this name, and can be considered a form of rice cake or rice pudding. Kiribath is an essential dish in Sri Lankan cuisine. It is very commonly served for breakfast on the first day of each month and also has the added significance of being eaten for any auspicious moment throughout one's lifetime which are marking times of transition. It is one of the more renowned traditional dishes in Sri Lanka.
In a Sinhalese home, and during Sinhalese holidays and ceremonies, kiribath plays a significant role. The dish celebrates festive or auspicious occasions and symbolises the beginning of new pursuits or transitions in life.[6] Traditionally, it is also eaten by families on the first day of each month.
Kiribath has a very important role for the Sinhalese in celebrating the Sinhalese New Year, when it will be consumed as the first meal of the year. At the dawn of the new year, a hearth within the household is lit by the lady of the house and the traditional pot of kiribath is boiled. Sometimes rice that has been kept especially for this occasion will be used, as this occasion requires the best rice, which is expressed in terms of taste. When the cooking is finished, after a series of observances and rituals the family begins to eat, but not before making an offering to the Buddha and gods first. The family will eat from the same rice, as if they are symbolically dining together with the Buddha and the deities. During the Sinhalese New Year, or on any other special occasion, kiribath will be served as the main dish and centrepiece of the meal. At the table, kiribath is served alongside traditional sweets like Kevum, Kokis, bananas and many other delicacies. After this, the oil lamp is lit and the first meal of the year commences. The kiribath symbolises life and so it is fed to the rest of the family by the head of the family, either the father or the mother, to their progenitors for the New Year.
Kiribath is typically prepared from four basic components: white short grain rice, thick coconut milk or basic milk, water and salt to taste. Choosing the right variety of rice is critical in cooking the dish well. Long grain rice or medium grain rice are not the best choices for making this dish. Traditionally, it is prepared with a rice variety known as rathu haal or rathu kakulu haal for its neutral flavour and good cooking qualities. Any starchy and sticky rice variety works best. For the rice to set properly, the texture of the cooked rice is very important. Due to some difficult to source the Sri Lankan rice variety in the southern parts of Sri Lanka, the locals might use the red rice. [Source]
Device Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 Category Food Photography Location Galle, Sri Lanka What3words https://w3w.co/league.producers.hypnotist Exposure 1/14 Aperture 2 Focal Length 3.6 mm ISO Speed 800 Flash Off, Did not fire Photo Credit © @tanveer741
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