Sri Lankan traditional salad options

The multiple choices of ingredients allows the taste and texture of the salad to be varied in an almost infinite variety of ways

The multiple choices of the ingredients including one or more of the suggested choices, allows the taste and texture of the salad to be varied in an almost infinite variety of ways, every time it is prepared, simply by varying the ingredients.

Use a large bowl or two depending on number of guests; a combination of the following (to vary taste):

1. Begin by lining the bowl with green lettuce leaves and then add the following mixing them together

2. 1 big or 3 small red onions (sliced fine) 

3. 4-6 pods of garlic sliced very fine (use a garlic press to maximise combining of separate elements.

4. 1/2 teaspoon each of turmeric (a superfood), curry leaf sliced fine. Grated frozen lemon skin Himalayan salt and pepper to taste

5. 1/4 cup cabbage (including purple cabbage) scalded or blanched to release nutrients and sliced into 1/8 by 3/4 inch strips (cabbage and cabbage family vegetables should not be eaten raw – ideally they should be fermented like Korean Kimchee or German Sauerkraut)

6. 1/4 cup grated carrot and/or 1/4 cup diagonally sliced celery and/or mung sprouts

7.  1/4 cup mix of multi-coloured leaves – gotukola, cheena batu, parsley, lettuce, coriander, mint, kale, onion leaf, kuringnang, rathu thampala, rathu mukunuwenna and weeds like monara kudumbi, ambul ambili, holy basil (tholasi/madurutala – protects against viruses like dengue), murunga leaf, thebu, kovakka, tender ambarella, and sour sop leaves. (Leaves like mint, ambarella, anoda can be used if flavour enhancement is needed)

8. 1/4 cup tomato and/or 1/4 cup red or yellow capsicum peppers – preferably oven-dried to maximise release of the anti-oxidant Lycopene (dried tomato can also be used).

9. 1/4 cup Crisp Fresh Fruit mix – Star Apples (Karmaranga), Nami nam or Pineapple or Ambarella or Guava, (small slices 1/4x1/2 inch and without the seeds), Avocado (avoid imported fruits as they could be full of preservatives, etc.).

10. 1/4 cup Dried Fruit mix – raisins, currents, chopped prunes or apricots or Kiwi or any other non- sugared dried fruit (chopped prunes are good for diabetics).

11. 1/4 cup – Mixed Berries (Nelli, Veralu, dark coloured berries – Local Cherry, purple Dhang, Damson, Lovi lovi, Uguressa, Mulberries, Coffee berries (red covering) local grapes including crushed seeds 

(Dark Berries high in anti-oxidants), Narang, etc. Note: Seeds are the eggs of plants – super nutritious

12. 1/4 cup nuts – Cashew, Almonds, Pistachios, Macadamia nuts, (avoid Peanuts because of allergies), Walnuts, Brazil nuts (has Selenium, important for women) or even some ‘Mixture’.

13. Mix of coloured flowers – Violet Minimal, Rathu Sapatthu mal, White Ayurvedhic Mussanda

(some of the complete flowers can be used to decorate the top of the salad)

14. Optional – 1/4 cup hard-boiled egg or flavoured omelette (cheese with dash of sliced green chilli) pepper and salt cut into 1/2 inch square pieces. 

15. Optional – 1/4 cup sharp tasting cheese preferably grated Feta Cheese

(Can be used to decorate the top too) 

Dressing: A mixture of coconut oil (Olive oil in Si Lanka is questionable) and natural coconut vinegar (in glass bottles to avoid plastic contamination by acids), or Apple Cider Vinegar (both preferably raw which will have dregs mandiya at the bottom) mixed with one beaten raw egg, 1/2 teaspoon ground curry leaf mint or oregano leaf (optional) 

(Raw egg – peel off film under shell, cut into pieces, put into salad (good for arthritis and worn cartilage),

Or 

Mix of raw curd with a little chutney (may need cutting up of larger pieces), with mint leaf decoration

RS