Our first day in Sri Lanka was the Katina Poojava, also known as Katina Pinkama, one of the most important Buddhist festivals. The entire community participates, organising, cooking dishes and preparing for this event. Our host, Yasassri, was contributing by making a few dishes. Together we cooked three dishes, see recipes below: Boiled manioc with grated coconut (Kaha manioc) Pumpkin curry with blackened coconut (Wattakka kalu pol maluwa) Pennywort sambols (Gotukola sambol)

It is winter, so turnips have flooded the market. I love turnips and try to enjoy them during this time of the year. This is a delicate soup dominated by turnip flavour. The leeks and potatoes temper the turnips' flavours a bit, and the herbs add earthy notes that complement the vegetables. This is a smooth soup, with mild, delicious flavours. I enjoy it for dinner with a few slices of sourdough bread and cheese. This book, Six Seasons, is one of my favourites for a variety o

Kala namak is a fascinating salt condiment and has been used in Indian cuisine for centuries. It is naturally harvested in the Himalayas, especially around Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Pakistan. It is prized for its medicinal qualities, and there are several references to the salt in early Ayurvedic texts dating back to the 3rd BCE. So let's ask what Kala Namak is? It is Himalayan salt that is mixed with harad seeds, or other plant matter and exposed to high heat. The