By Vanessa Mendis
We were greeted with a resounding “Ayubowan” as we walked into the International Hotel School in Mount Lavinia, where Chef Publis Silva, dressed in his chef’s jacket, was all set to start off his chat with us. He sat us down and smiled, his eyes focused on the garden outside as he became lost in thoughts of his journey from a young boy to the world-renowned expert with a proud legacy that he is today. He started right away, taking us down memory lane to unearth flavours lost in time, in search of the missing piece of Avurudu.
“I came to Mount Lavinia Hotel in 1956 in search of a job. I found work as help where I would fuel the stoves with charcoal. We had no gas stoves back then. I had to go to the hut that had charcoal and fuel the stoves with it. There were no chefs then either, we were called ‘basunnehe’. It would be correct to say that I got addicted to this job and I embraced it with all my heart. I may not have been able to receive a standard school education, but I did fall in love with the art of cooking,” he said.
[caption id="attachment_130444" align="alignright" width="500"]
"We have over 30 kinds of New Year sweet dishes and 42 herbal ingredients that are used in the preparation of Avurudu dishes. But we need to know how to use them in the right quantities. Because even medication used in the wrong dosage becomes harmful" Chef Publis Silva[/caption]
Do you feel that the dishes made for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year have changed through time?
The Sinhala and Tamil New Year has certainly changed. We have 21 races living in our country even though only six are clearly distinguished – Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, Malay, Burgher, and the Adivaasi or the indigenous people. For the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, we all carry out the same traditions of lighting the stove, preparing food, and so on, regardless of what our race may be. After colonisation, there were certain small changes that came to our Avurudu spread. For instance, sweet dishes such as kavum and aasmi are rarely made now. Earlier, they used to be ubiquitous. Just like that, many of the original dishes that were often made in homes, are now rarely seen.
Just think about it. For us to enjoy a kavum or a kokis, we need to wait for the New Year. However, I am very happy to see that there are now many businesses that specialise in traditional dishes. There is also a trend of people enjoying such traditional dishes outside of the New Year. In fact, our dishes have a demand all over the world.
You’ve always maintained that food is medicine. How can we incorporate this ideology into our Avurudu spread this year?
We’ve stopped treating food as medicine. The majority of non-infectious diseases prevail in our communities because we no longer pay attention to what we eat. I request all of you, that at least this New Year, to make it a point to start treating our food like an elixir and prepare it with the right standards. You don’t need to go out of your way to make this change. All we need is the love, compassion, and kindness of heart. We have over 30 kinds of New Year sweet dishes that include kavum, kokis, aasmi, mung kavum, and aggala. There are 42 herbal ingredients that are used in the preparation of these dishes. But we need to know how to use them in the right quantities. Because even medication used in the wrong dosage becomes harmful.
Times have changed and we must adapt to it. This includes cooking too. However, understanding the health benefits of the ingredients used in cooking and how to retain those properties is a must. For example, let’s say we are making a bean dish for the New Year. Beans come in white, green, red, and brown colours, and no matter how you choose to cook it, those colours need to stay. The smell of beans need to be present. The original taste of the beans needs to be there. If we can apply this principle to all the food we cook this year, we can transform food to medicine.
You spoke about being kind, compassionate, and loving as you prepare food. Why is this important?
Because our food is our medicine. This New Year, light the stove according to the auspicious time. Fold your hands in respect towards your stove and prepare your kiribath. As you stir the kiribath, retain one thought in your heart and mind – may this food be an elixir to everyone who enjoys it – and believe me, there will never be any ill effects of food that is prepared with such thought in mind. Your kiribath will never end up raw, too salty, too milky, or otherwise. Our thoughts are very important in cooking and, this being the New Year, it is even more important. Use all five senses when you prepare your dishes. The New Year will be one that is filled with health, abundance, and happiness. Aim to make everybody happy when they sit to enjoy your Avurudu spread. When people are unhappy with food, they fall ill from it.
Are there any essentials apart from the sweet dishes that need to be a part of the Avurudu spread?
Yes, rice is the main dish that is an essential. Apart from that, we also need to prepare an achcharu or pickle. However, the issue here is that the vinegars we use to prepare the achcharu today are almost 99% artificial. So can we make achcharu without these artificial vinegars? Of course we can, and I will tell you how. Get as much tamarind as you need and wash them thoroughly (five to six times should do the trick). Now remove all the water and place that water to boil. Remove the layer of foam that comes to the top while simmering and add some salt to the mixture while stirring. Now make a reduction out of this. The thick tamarind paste that you get from this is ideal for achcharu, for making candy, adding to any kind of meat apart from pork, and even for adding flavour to the Avurudu sweet dishes. What’s more? You can use this as a tamarind juice to serve your guests instead of buying sugary and artificial drinks from the shop. All you have to do is add some hot water, sugar syrup, and tamarind paste together and mix it well. You can then chill and serve.
The hathmaluwa has been a part of our Avurudu food tradition that is now dying out. What is this dish?
Yes. Back in the day, the Avurudu spread would never be complete without a hathmaluwa. This consists of seven vegetables in seven colours. If we cannot find seven colours, we need to find ways to colour it too. All seven vegetables used need to be diced in the same size. Now, for brown colour you can dice some ash plantains and fry them. For the rest of the vegetables you can use carrot, pumpkin, cashew nuts, mushrooms, red spinach, or beetroot. However, the dye in beetroot can stain everything and overpower the other colours of the hathmaluwa. To avoid this, cut beets and wash it about three times. Then boil it for about five minutes and wash it twice again. This way, the staining effect of the dye will no longer be there. Now, fry it for a few seconds in deep, hot oil so that the colour is sealed. You can use any seven vegetables that you have in your home for this dish. Try it out this year.
We have stopped using ridge gourd (wetakolu) as part of our Avurudu spread. It used to be a dish that always came to the table at the dawn of the New Year. Take some ridge gourd and remove the ridges only. Don’t peel it off completely. Now chop it into half-inch pieces. Add onions, cinnamon, and curry and pandan leaves into a pot or pan. Use a tablespoon of coconut oil to temper all of these ingredients together. As they roast, add in garlic, green chillies, and chilli flakes along with a bit of salt and turmeric. When the mixture has cooked through, simply toss the ridge gourd pieces in and be sure not to overcook it. It's a delicious dish that also smells heavenly. You can add some tomatoes if you need more colour. Try adding this to your Avurudu table this year.
Taking a break from the discussion, Chef Publis asked me whether I know the difference between lunu miris and katta sambol. He then explained that the only difference is that we add Maldive fish to a katta sambol, whereas the original lunu miris does not have anything apart from onions, salt, chillies, and lime. Laughing heartily, he added: “I am 85 years old. I eat food thinking of it as medicine for my heart and soul and that’s what I want to share with my country. Come, now let’s go cook,” he said, as he strode energetically towards a stove set up in the garden.
We watched as he made the tamarind paste, tamarind juice, and the ridge gourd dish, all under half an hour. As he cooked, the delicious aroma of traditional Sri Lankan spices wafted all around us. It was reminiscent of villages and paddy fields, of grandmothers frying kokis by wood-fired stoves, and the music of Avurudu raban padha. It was reminiscent of children singing as they take turns on the swing or playing hopscotch on a dirt road. It’s nostalgia. It was life in its most simplistic glory.
Handing me a spoon, Chef Publis invited me to dig in. I obliged. With each bite I took, there was a distinct sense of joy and warmth that spread through my heart. Perhaps it was in the love, compassion, and kindness with which he cooked the dish. Perhaps it was in the wonder of tasting a dish I had not before. But mostly, perhaps, it was in knowing that there is hope for our food traditions to continue to adorn the Avurudu table for many, many years to come.
PHOTOS Eshan Dasanayaka and Vanessa Mendis
"We have over 30 kinds of New Year sweet dishes and 42 herbal ingredients that are used in the preparation of Avurudu dishes. But we need to know how to use them in the right quantities. Because even medication used in the wrong dosage becomes harmful" Chef Publis Silva[/caption]
Do you feel that the dishes made for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year have changed through time?
The Sinhala and Tamil New Year has certainly changed. We have 21 races living in our country even though only six are clearly distinguished – Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, Malay, Burgher, and the Adivaasi or the indigenous people. For the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, we all carry out the same traditions of lighting the stove, preparing food, and so on, regardless of what our race may be. After colonisation, there were certain small changes that came to our Avurudu spread. For instance, sweet dishes such as kavum and aasmi are rarely made now. Earlier, they used to be ubiquitous. Just like that, many of the original dishes that were often made in homes, are now rarely seen.
Just think about it. For us to enjoy a kavum or a kokis, we need to wait for the New Year. However, I am very happy to see that there are now many businesses that specialise in traditional dishes. There is also a trend of people enjoying such traditional dishes outside of the New Year. In fact, our dishes have a demand all over the world.
You’ve always maintained that food is medicine. How can we incorporate this ideology into our Avurudu spread this year?
We’ve stopped treating food as medicine. The majority of non-infectious diseases prevail in our communities because we no longer pay attention to what we eat. I request all of you, that at least this New Year, to make it a point to start treating our food like an elixir and prepare it with the right standards. You don’t need to go out of your way to make this change. All we need is the love, compassion, and kindness of heart. We have over 30 kinds of New Year sweet dishes that include kavum, kokis, aasmi, mung kavum, and aggala. There are 42 herbal ingredients that are used in the preparation of these dishes. But we need to know how to use them in the right quantities. Because even medication used in the wrong dosage becomes harmful.
Times have changed and we must adapt to it. This includes cooking too. However, understanding the health benefits of the ingredients used in cooking and how to retain those properties is a must. For example, let’s say we are making a bean dish for the New Year. Beans come in white, green, red, and brown colours, and no matter how you choose to cook it, those colours need to stay. The smell of beans need to be present. The original taste of the beans needs to be there. If we can apply this principle to all the food we cook this year, we can transform food to medicine.
You spoke about being kind, compassionate, and loving as you prepare food. Why is this important?
Because our food is our medicine. This New Year, light the stove according to the auspicious time. Fold your hands in respect towards your stove and prepare your kiribath. As you stir the kiribath, retain one thought in your heart and mind – may this food be an elixir to everyone who enjoys it – and believe me, there will never be any ill effects of food that is prepared with such thought in mind. Your kiribath will never end up raw, too salty, too milky, or otherwise. Our thoughts are very important in cooking and, this being the New Year, it is even more important. Use all five senses when you prepare your dishes. The New Year will be one that is filled with health, abundance, and happiness. Aim to make everybody happy when they sit to enjoy your Avurudu spread. When people are unhappy with food, they fall ill from it.
Are there any essentials apart from the sweet dishes that need to be a part of the Avurudu spread?
Yes, rice is the main dish that is an essential. Apart from that, we also need to prepare an achcharu or pickle. However, the issue here is that the vinegars we use to prepare the achcharu today are almost 99% artificial. So can we make achcharu without these artificial vinegars? Of course we can, and I will tell you how. Get as much tamarind as you need and wash them thoroughly (five to six times should do the trick). Now remove all the water and place that water to boil. Remove the layer of foam that comes to the top while simmering and add some salt to the mixture while stirring. Now make a reduction out of this. The thick tamarind paste that you get from this is ideal for achcharu, for making candy, adding to any kind of meat apart from pork, and even for adding flavour to the Avurudu sweet dishes. What’s more? You can use this as a tamarind juice to serve your guests instead of buying sugary and artificial drinks from the shop. All you have to do is add some hot water, sugar syrup, and tamarind paste together and mix it well. You can then chill and serve.
The hathmaluwa has been a part of our Avurudu food tradition that is now dying out. What is this dish?
Yes. Back in the day, the Avurudu spread would never be complete without a hathmaluwa. This consists of seven vegetables in seven colours. If we cannot find seven colours, we need to find ways to colour it too. All seven vegetables used need to be diced in the same size. Now, for brown colour you can dice some ash plantains and fry them. For the rest of the vegetables you can use carrot, pumpkin, cashew nuts, mushrooms, red spinach, or beetroot. However, the dye in beetroot can stain everything and overpower the other colours of the hathmaluwa. To avoid this, cut beets and wash it about three times. Then boil it for about five minutes and wash it twice again. This way, the staining effect of the dye will no longer be there. Now, fry it for a few seconds in deep, hot oil so that the colour is sealed. You can use any seven vegetables that you have in your home for this dish. Try it out this year.
We have stopped using ridge gourd (wetakolu) as part of our Avurudu spread. It used to be a dish that always came to the table at the dawn of the New Year. Take some ridge gourd and remove the ridges only. Don’t peel it off completely. Now chop it into half-inch pieces. Add onions, cinnamon, and curry and pandan leaves into a pot or pan. Use a tablespoon of coconut oil to temper all of these ingredients together. As they roast, add in garlic, green chillies, and chilli flakes along with a bit of salt and turmeric. When the mixture has cooked through, simply toss the ridge gourd pieces in and be sure not to overcook it. It's a delicious dish that also smells heavenly. You can add some tomatoes if you need more colour. Try adding this to your Avurudu table this year.
Taking a break from the discussion, Chef Publis asked me whether I know the difference between lunu miris and katta sambol. He then explained that the only difference is that we add Maldive fish to a katta sambol, whereas the original lunu miris does not have anything apart from onions, salt, chillies, and lime. Laughing heartily, he added: “I am 85 years old. I eat food thinking of it as medicine for my heart and soul and that’s what I want to share with my country. Come, now let’s go cook,” he said, as he strode energetically towards a stove set up in the garden.
We watched as he made the tamarind paste, tamarind juice, and the ridge gourd dish, all under half an hour. As he cooked, the delicious aroma of traditional Sri Lankan spices wafted all around us. It was reminiscent of villages and paddy fields, of grandmothers frying kokis by wood-fired stoves, and the music of Avurudu raban padha. It was reminiscent of children singing as they take turns on the swing or playing hopscotch on a dirt road. It’s nostalgia. It was life in its most simplistic glory.
Handing me a spoon, Chef Publis invited me to dig in. I obliged. With each bite I took, there was a distinct sense of joy and warmth that spread through my heart. Perhaps it was in the love, compassion, and kindness with which he cooked the dish. Perhaps it was in the wonder of tasting a dish I had not before. But mostly, perhaps, it was in knowing that there is hope for our food traditions to continue to adorn the Avurudu table for many, many years to come.
PHOTOS Eshan Dasanayaka and Vanessa Mendis