2016 Oct 24
by Vandana Hiranand
Using beer in cooking recipes is certainly not a novel concept. However, this technique is mostly put into use when cooking Western dishes, rather than our Lankan food. After all, an insane volume of coconut milk goes into most of our dishes and you don’t have to be Gordon Ramsay to feel that coconut milk and beer don’t pair together well!
Or do they? Below, we have compiled a list of Sri Lankan dishes you can make using beer.
- Aappa (Hoppers)
As surprising as it may be, beer can be incorporated into the cooking of your everyday Aappa. This can be done by using a simple recipe involving a mixture of rice flour, yeast, lukewarm water and a cup of lukewarm beer to create the delicious batter. Before preparation coconut milk is added too – which dispels the reservations we had about mixing it with beer, of course! With the rest of the cooking done in the regular manner, you will end up with a deliciously hot, thin, and crispy Aappa.
Speaking of Aappa, check out our Pani Appa video here: http://www.pulse.lk/2016/09/05/pani-appa/ . You could use some beer for a yummy twist!
- Tomato Curry Chicken
Cooking chicken in beer has been exhausted with regard to Western dishes. However, cooking it in a curry – Sri Lankan style – is rarely done. Tomato Curry Chicken involves chicken breasts which are baked in tomato, beer, and of course, curry sauce, which involves the regular Sri Lankan spices. This recipe pairs well when eaten with rice. Other variations of this include mixing the partially cooked chicken and rice together within the rice cooker and letting the flavours mix together, for a biriyani type feel!
- Beer Batter Fish
Behold the perfect mix of curry powder and beer in one scrumptious Sri Lankan seafood dish. Begin by combining the flour batter with curry powder, salt and an entire can of beer! Deep fry the fish fillets with cornstarch and batter, and it will result in a crispy, golden brown plate of delicious beer batter fish fillets.
- Flavoured Rice in Beer
Cook rice in beer for a flavourful, non-lumpy dish! Perfect to serve at any dinner party, beer is the perfect flavourful candidate to replace water when cooking rice. Much of the alcohol will simply cook away and you will wind up with non-sticky rice which is a million times tastier than plain white rice cooked in water. Adding a cup or two of beer and some flavoursome spices will bring this dish to a whole new level.
- Green Beans in Beer Sauce
A Lankan favourite vegetable is green beans – otherwise known as bonchi. Surprisingly, you can incorporate beer as an ingredient when cooking your favourite green beans dish. Simply follow the first step of boiling the beans in beer and butter and leaving them to simmer for roughly ten minutes. This will leave the beans in a crisp and tender texture. Once completed, cook the beans the regular way – in a pan, with beloved Sri Lankan spices and powders. It’s a perfect way to enhance the flavour and texture of your bonchi, while maintaining the delicious Lankan taste.
- Beer Battered Prawns
Delicious seafood strikes again, in the form of beer battered prawns! After combining the flour and salt, gradually incorporate the ale to form a smooth batter. This is combined with a scrumptious chili and tomato relish, which can consist of tomato, sugar, vinegar, and wine! Fry the prawns in batter until it reaches a crisp golden brown colour. Although it contains two different alcoholic ingredients, don’t worry, this dish will most definitely not get you drunk.
The next time you decide to experiment in the kitchen, keep these ideas in mind! After all, who doesn’t love a touch of beer with their meal?
