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Lunu miris
Pounded onion and chilli relish
ලුණු මිරිස් (lunu miris): fiery pounded red onion, chilli, salt and lime, the relish for kiri bath and hoppers
Two words, salt and chilli, describe the bluntest relish on the Sri Lankan table, and that is exactly the point: a spoonful of this rough red paste wakes up the plainest starch. It is the classic partner for kiri bath on Sinhala and Tamil New Year mornings, for boiled manioc, for kurakkan roti in village kitchens and for a stack of plain hoppers at a roadside boutique. Red onion, dried chilli and salt are crushed on a grinding stone or in a mortar, then sharpened with lime; many cooks also pound in a spoon of Maldive fish, which is left out here to keep it vegan. Do not reach for the food processor, which chops everything into a wet slurry instead of bruising it into a coarse, juicy paste. Chef's tip: pound the chilli and salt together first, before the onion goes in, because the salt acts like grit and breaks the flakes down far faster.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the relish
- 2 tbsp dried chilli flakesor 8 dried red chillies, broken up
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 red onionsmall, finely chopped (or 6 shallots)
- 1 ½ tbsp lime juicefrom about 1 lime
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Method
0/3 doneStep 1: Put 2 tbsp dried chilli flakes and 1 tsp sea salt in a mortar and pound for 2–3 minutes until the flakes are broken into a coarse red powder.
3 minStep 2: Add 1 red onion and pound and grind for 3–4 minutes until it breaks down and the mixture turns into a moist, rough paste.
4 minStep 3: Stir in 1 ½ tbsp lime juice, taste and add more salt or lime; it should be hot, salty and sharp. Serve straight away or within a few hours.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 25 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 5 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lunu miris take?
- About 10 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 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.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
- What can I use instead of lime juice?
- Lemon juice, same amount.
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