ඉඹුල් කිරිබත් ගමේ විදිහට
Imbul kiribath is the sweet variation of the kiribath (milk rice). It is traditionally made and popular among Sri-Lankan farmer community.
It is made by taking a small amount of kiribath, spreading it on a banana leaf and add the sweet filling made of coconut and treacle, which is called Pani pol, is placed in the centre. Then the banana leaf is folded and rolled vertically and pressed firm giving it a cylindrical/oval shape. Traditionally an arecanut leaf sheath (areca palm) known as ‘Kolapatha‘ is used in place of banana leaves. Nowadays it's hard to come by with areca leaf. I used banana leaf and clear film to wrap.
Ingredients for Kiribath
2 cups of rice (you can use any type of rice)
If you make it with white Kakulu rice (White Raw Rice) it becomes white. and with red raw rice (Red Kakulu Rice) it's the healthy red colour kiribath.
2 1/2 cups of water
1 tin of thick coconut milk
salt according to your taste
Method
In a rice cooker (slow cooker, clay pot or any pot big enough to cook the rice) put the rice, water, salt and 1/2 of the coconut milk and cook the rice until boil and sticky. When it reaches to this point add the rest of the coconut milk and mix well add extra salt if necessary and cook till its creamy and sticky. Let all the water evaporate until kiribath is dry, but not too dry. As you need this rice to be firm.
Ingredients for pani pol (honey coconut)
2 cups of freshly scraped coconut or desiccated coconut, frozen shredded coconut
1 cup of shaved good quality kitul jaggery (darker in colour is better)
4 crushed cardamom pods (substitute with 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla)
Place pan over low fire, add jaggery combine well with little water, add crushed cardamoms. heat over low fire. Once the jaggery melts, add coconut to the juggery syrup and maintain low heat. Continue to stir and reduce until the coconut and jaggery combine well till you have a slightly wet filling.
Now the fun bit begins
Take a piece of clear film, place it on the surface. Take a spoonful of kirbath and put it on middle of the clear film. Spread it like a thin squire (at least 1 inch thickness), add a spoonful of the honey coconut into the middle of the kiribath square. Then fold and roll the clear film from its edges, allowing the kiribath to comes to its shape. You can make the honey coconut a day in advance. But it is important that the shaping of Imbul kiribath take place, before the milk rice cools too much. As this will become too sticky to handle. Or if it's too dry or cooled the kiribath will tend to brake, so that this will be difficult to form the shape.
This is truly scrumptious. It is a favourite snack of my father-in-law.
Enjoy at tea time as snack.
For those of you who’s wondering what is Arecanut leaf sheath (areca palm) known as ‘Kolapatha‘?! It looks like in the picture below 👇
If you decide to make this recipe, I would love to hear from you!
Please feel free to share your outcomes with a picture or comment below.
I’m open for suggestions and your ideas on which recipes I should put on next.
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