The Sri Lankan Civil War raged for over a decade due to ethnic tensions between the Buddhist Sinhalese majority and the Hindu Tamil minority. An estimated 80,000 to 100,000 citizens lost their lives and hundreds of thousands of civilians were displaced. But in the pages of Sri Lanka: The Cookbook, husband and wife team, Prakash Sivanathan (who is Tamil) and Niranjala Ellawala's (who is Sinhalese) love for their homeland cuisine and each other comes together with the melding of recipes from both ethnic groups coming to the table as one. This beautiful book shares a collection of authentic and vibrant recipes including feather-light hoppers (rice pancakes), fiery sambols (relishes), curries and unique 'vada' (fried snacks). 100 recipe celebrate the island's wonderful ingredients, from okra and jackfruit to coconut and chillies, and explore its culture through original travel photography of the country, its kitchens and its people. As you know, I am an avid fan of cookbooks that share more than the recipes of an area - I love to study the photographs of the people, markets and landscapes to soak in that region's unqiueness. The terra cotta pots that line a galvanized metal store front or the the shoulder-high stacks of bananas in a marketplace all provide me a glimpse into the scenery of Sri Lanka. The couple, who moved to London in the seventies, use to own a restaurant and would fight over who will do the cooking both there and at home. They find it is easier to take turns in the kitchen to avoid tensions finding a way to balance  their slighly different styles of cooking. The recipes in Sri Lanka: The Cookbook are approachable but some have a long list of spices and ingredients such as the chicken biryani. I have made the Spicy Baked Chicken which was super easy to throw together and full of flavor. As always, you can browse the index here at Eat Your Books to see the recipes that are available in this title. Special thanks to Frances Lincoln for sharing the Devilled Prawn recipe with our members today and for offering three copies of this book in our giveaway below. ISSO BADUMA  Devilled prawns (shrimp) Add this recipe to your Bookshelf (click the blue +Bookshelf button). This is a bar food originally served in drinking clubs during the era of the British Raj, and it has found its way into the homes and hearts of Sri Lankans. As a nation, we're also fond of devilling squid, cuttlefish, pork, potato…you name it. Serves 4
  • 400g (14oz) raw prawns (shrimp), shell on
  • 1 green (bell) pepper
  • 1 red (bell) pepper
  • 1 medium onion, cut into quarters
  • 2 tsp oil
  • 2 tbsp ketchup (tomato sauce)
  • 1 tbsp medium soya (soy) sauce (not dark)
  • 2 tsp chilli powder
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
Wash and clean the prawns (shrimp). Remove the head and most of the shell, leaving it just on the tail. Wash them again, drain and set aside. Remove the stems from the (bell) peppers, quarter and remove the seeds. Halve each quarter and cut them into about 1cm (½-inch) chunks and set aside. Loosen the layers of the onion quarters and set aside. Put the oil in a large frying pan (skillet) or wok over a very high heat, and immediately add the onion. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, then add the (bell) peppers and stir-fry for a minute. Tip in the prawns (shrimp) and stir-fry for just over a minute, then add the rest of the ingredients and stir-fry for another minute. Serve immediately. Note: When making other devilled dishes, the main ingredient will need pre-cooking with a pinch or two of salt, before adding into the (bell) peppers and onions. You can use this method with prawns (shrimp), but they do not need to be cooked for long.  

The publisher is offering three copies of this title to our EYB Members in the US. and Canada. One of the entry options is to answer the following question in the comments section of this blog post.

Which recipe in the index would you like to try first?

Please note that you must be logged into the Rafflecopter contest before posting or your entry won't be counted. Please be sure to check your spam filters to make sure you receive our email notifications. Prizes can take up to 6 weeks to arrive from the publishers. If you are not already a Member, you can join at no cost. The contest ends at midnight on September 21, 2017.