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Hath maaluwa
Seven vegetable coconut curry
හත් මාළුව: one pot of seven vegetables and pulses in coconut milk
Hath maaluwa, literally 'seven curries', is cooked in Sinhala homes for the Avurudu New Year in April and for dana, the meal offered to monks when a family gives alms. Unlike the sept cari of Mauritius or Trinidad's seven curry, which are seven separate dishes, this is one pot: pumpkin, long beans, aubergine, ash plantain, sweet potato and two pulses simmered together in turmeric-yellow coconut milk with curry leaves, pandan and cinnamon. It is mild, creamy and gently spiced, and it stretches to feed a crowd with rice. The common mistake is adding everything at once, so the pumpkin dissolves while the beans stay hard; the vegetables go in by how long they take. It is ready when a knife slides through the sweet potato and the gravy coats the vegetables. Chef's tip: fry the aubergine first; it stops it soaking up the gravy and falling apart.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
Seven vegetables and pulses
- 1 aubergineabout 250 g, cut into 3 cm chunks
- 1 green ash plantain or raw bananapeeled and cut into 2 cm pieces
- 7 oz sweet potatopeeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
- 3 ½ oz long beans or green beanscut into 4 cm lengths
- 9 oz pumpkinpeeled and cut into 3 cm chunks
- 7 oz cooked black-eyed beansdrained
- 7 oz cooked chickpeasdrained
For the curry
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 red onionsliced
- 3 cloves garlicsliced
- 2 green chilliesslit
- 12 curry leaves
- 1 pandan leaf (optional)cut into 5 cm pieces
- 1 ⅛ in cinnamon stick
- ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 ½ tbsp Sri Lankan unroasted curry powder
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ¾ cups thin coconut milk
- ¾ cup thick coconut milk
- 1 tbsp lime juice
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat 2 tablespoons of 2 tbsp coconut oil in a wide pot over a medium-high heat. Fry 1 aubergine for 5–6 minutes, turning, until golden on most sides. Lift out onto a plate.
6 minStep 2: Lower the heat to medium and add the rest of the 1 tbsp coconut oil. Fry 1 red onion, 3 cloves garlic, 2 green chillies, 12 curry leaves, 1 pandan leaf, 1 ⅛ in cinnamon stick and ½ tsp fenugreek seeds for 5 minutes until the onion is soft and the fenugreek turns light brown.
5 minStep 3: Stir in 1 ½ tbsp Sri Lankan unroasted curry powder and ½ tsp ground turmeric for 30 seconds, then add 1 green ash plantain or raw banana, 7 oz sweet potato, 3 ½ oz long beans or green beans, 1 ¼ tsp salt and 1 ¾ cups thin coconut milk. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 4: Add 9 oz pumpkin, 7 oz cooked black-eyed beans and 7 oz cooked chickpeas, stir gently, cover and simmer for 8–10 minutes until the sweet potato is tender to a knife and the pumpkin is soft but holding its shape.
10 minStep 5: Return the aubergine, pour in ¾ cup thick coconut milk and simmer gently, uncovered, for 3–4 minutes without boiling hard, until the gravy is creamy and coats the vegetables.
4 minStep 6: Take off the heat, stir in 1 tbsp lime juice and check the salt. Serve with rice or kiribath.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 35 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 10 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hath maaluwa take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of green ash plantain or raw banana?
- Mango, same weight (in smoothies and shakes).
- What can I use instead of sweet potato?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
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