Mutterings*

After going through this particular post by seanhenricus I was reminded of how beautiful the Nilaveli Beach is. (Great photography there by the way). Although most of this is out of nostalgia and just homesickness (I'm about to buy plane tickets), I remember this magical place and the heart aches for a different time and place. Imagine a full moon poya. A silverish huge moon in the sky. The cool breeze and the silent waves hitting the shore every few seconds. The shadow of Pigeon Island just a few seconds away to the left. I stand there. Taking in every smell, every sound. The sand is soft to my bare feet. I look at the foam that forms. I can't help notice the gleam in the water...of the moon light glimmering, dancing away. The foam is white. Silvery. Everything is a shimmery silver. And I stand there. Years later, I can't forget the Nilaveli beach. I long to go back. To stand there again, on a full moon poya day. To feel that magic again.

It's the same as the elawalu rotti recipe , except for the fact you don't make it in to the bun like part - make the rotya and cut it in to pieces. The trick to keeping it moist, I've been told, is to add pol kiri/ parippu or anything with coconut milk in to it. I promise it isn't as amazing as the kadey kottu, BUT. Pretty close. Pretty clean. And the satisfaction of having made it yourself? Priceless. Enjoy!

Home away from home, this is a simple (yet messy) recipe that has helped keep the homesickness away - and allows bragging rights to most Sri Lankans back home *grin* Here goes  - You mix piti (flour) and water in to a nice, unsticky ball. You can decide how much water and piti you need, I played it by ear. Add a teaspoon of butter, helps to make it smooth and unsticky. Make them in to nice round 'guli' a little smaller than a tennis ball. Leave them in vegetable oil overnight if possible, or 20/30 minutes will do.  Make your own potatoe/ onion/ fish/ chicken/ meat/ sausage whatever filling you like separately. Then take the piti guli you left overnight and smooth it out best you can without tearing it...think of a godamba rotiya or a handkerchief ;) I used my fingers. Put the potatoe filling inside and you know what to do. Try to imagine the size and shape of an elawalu rotiya :) Then fry it. Warning: for some reason you can only try this once with each 'gu...