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Please join us instore on Tuesday 24 November to meet the author & chef Peter Kuravita and taste some sensational dishes from his book 'Serendip: my Sri Lankan kitchen'.
In Serendip, Peter, acclaimed chef from Flying Fish
in Sydney, takes us on a rich and rewarding journey through the
traditional cuisine of Sri Lanka, its culture of family and ceremony,
and the colourful approach to life on this beautiful island nation.
Offering Sri Lankan curries of every kind as well as traditional
snacks, breads, sticky sweet treats, and recipes for curry powders,
chutneys, sambals and pickles, Serendip is a treasury of delicious and
flavoursome dishes.
Born in London to an Austrian mother and Sri Lankan father, Peter spent much of his childhood in Sri Lanka acquiring idyllic memories of family, fun and happy hours spent in the kitchen with his grandmother. His teenage years in Australia led to a career as a chef that has taken him from Sydney to prestigious restaurants in London, the USA, Fiji, Lord Howe and Hayman Islands, Bali and back to Sydney's impressive Flying Fish restaurant. Peter's passion for Sri Lankan cuisine is evident in Serendip's fine collection of traditional recipes drawn from his family's kitchens as well as his travels to various regions of the island nation.
7pm Tuesday 24 November
235 Gertrude St Fitzroy
As usual, the event is free but bookings are essential.
Please only book (return email or phone) if you can definitely attend.
Places are limited to 30.
If you can't attend, we can organise signed
and/or personalised copies
of Serendip for you.
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A small taste of an evening with Peter...
Peter, you had a very international upbringing - born in London to an Austrian
mother and Sri Lankan father, you spent much of your childhood in Sri Lanka
and moved to Australia as a teenager - how did that influence your personal
cooking style?
It taught me how to cook wholesome food with love.
How are Sri Lankan curries different from Indian curries?
I get asked that question all the time. Sri Lankan food uses many of the same spices,
plus some very unique ones as well. Indian food is based around Garam Masala and
Assofetida, and I personally find it a bit oilier than Sri Lankan food. Sri Lankan food is
more focused on the raw ingredient and while a lot of the recipes may seem to have the
same spices, it is the amounts and how they are used that gives each one a unique
flavour. Sri Lanka is a mainly Buddhist country and so it has many vegetarians and the
vegetable curries are very diverse: anything from Jackfruit seeds to pineapple curry.
What's the secret ingredient for a perfect curry?
There are three; the first is cooking with love. Produce changes, for example chillies get
hotter or milder depending on the season. To blindly cook a curry straight out of a book
is not always going to give you the best result. Learn about the ingredients and use the
recipe as a guide. Taste the food regularly and add the finishing touches as you go.
The second and third in my eyes are curry leaves and coconut cream, you will find either
or both of these two ingredients in every single Sri Lankan recipe.
In Australia, is it difficult to find some of the spices?
Not any more, with more Sri Lankans calling Australia home there are a few very good
spice stores in Sydney and Melbourne.
What's your most treasured family recipe?
My auntie's breadfruit curry.
What cuisine are you cooking at home?
Curry at least twice a week, and then it is a matter of looking in the fridge and deciding
what country we want to take our taste buds to. There are definite benefits to being in
this industry for nearly thirty years.
Where do you like to go for dinner in Sydney?
Yum Cha in China town, the Regal, seafood at Flying Fish or Golden Century, Azuma for
Japanese, home for my wife's spaghetti Bolognese, mum's for anything she cooks, the
Ivy and Establishment for nine cuisines under two roofs, Malaya for laksa, Pier for a
special dinner, Catalina Rose Bay or Flying Fish for a lazy Sunday lunch. I could go on
forever. Sydney has so many great restaurants, you need to decide your mood before
the venue.
What's your favourite recipe for a cold autumn day?
Anything that contains Jerusalem Artichokes.
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Beetroot Curry*
Deep pink in colour and retaining that unique beetroot flavour, this curry makes a
stunning addition to a selection of dishes. While there is an urban myth that says
beetroot leaves are poisonous, I have been making beetroot curry for years and I
always incorporate the stems and leaves.
Ingredients
350 g (12 oz) small beetroots, washed,
trimmed, stems reserved if desired
50 g (1 3/4 oz) ghee
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 small green chillies, finely chopped
3 cm (1 1/4 in)piece pandanus leaf
1 sprig of curry leaves, leaves picked
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon chilli powder
3 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar
200 ml (7 fl oz) coconut milk
Method
Cut the beetroots and stems (if using) into 1 cm (1/2 in) pieces.
Heat the ghee in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion and
green chilli for 6-8 minutes or until translucent. Add the pandanus leaf, curry leaves and
garlic and cook for another 3 minutes or until fragrant.
Add the remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer over very low heat, stirring
occasionally for 15-20 minutes or until the beetroot is tender. Season to taste and serve. SERVES 6
*(taken from Serendip - copyright Peter Kuruvita, Alan Benson & Murdoch Books)
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233-235 Gertrude St Fitzroy, VIC 3065
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