Kiri hodi (කිරි හොදි) means "milk gravy" in Sinhala, and the milk in question is coconut milk. It is a thin, pale yellow gravy flavoured with onion, green chilli, curry leaves, a piece of pandan leaf, a few fenugreek seeds, turmeric and a squeeze of lime. It is barely a curry at all in the sense of a dish on its own; its job is to moisten and season whatever it is poured over. A closely related coconut milk gravy is also known as sodhi.
The classic use is with string hoppers and pol sambol for breakfast or a light evening meal, but kiri hodi is just as common with rice, bread, roti and kiribath. It takes only about 25 minutes and uses everyday ingredients.
How to make kiri hodi
- Serves 4
- Prep: 10 minutes
- Cook: 15 minutes
- Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp coconut oil or vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 2.5 cm piece cinnamon stick
- 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced (or 6 shallots)
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 green chillies, slit lengthways
- 1 sprig curry leaves (about 10 leaves)
- 5 cm piece pandan (rampe) leaf
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp Maldive fish (umbalakada) flakes, optional
- 250 ml water
- 400 ml thick coconut milk
- 3/4 tsp salt, or to taste
- 2 tsp lime juice, or to taste
Method
- Warm the spices. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the fenugreek seeds and cinnamon and stir for about 30 seconds, until the seeds darken slightly and smell nutty. Do not let them burn, or the gravy turns bitter.
- Add the aromatics. Add the onion, garlic, green chillies, curry leaves and pandan. Cook gently for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until the onion is soft and translucent but not browned.
- Simmer with water. Stir in the turmeric and Maldive fish (if using), then pour in the water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes, so the onion is fully tender and the flavours come out into the liquid.
- Add the coconut milk. Lower the heat and pour in the coconut milk, stirring continuously. Heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until it is steaming and just bubbling at the edges. Do not let it boil hard, or the milk may split.
- Season. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the salt. Taste and adjust.
- Finish with lime. Stir in the lime juice off the heat, then remove the cinnamon stick and pandan leaf. Serve hot.
What goes into kiri hodi?
The base is always coconut milk, onion, green chilli, curry leaves and turmeric. Most cooks add a few fenugreek seeds, which soften and turn mellow in the milk, and a piece of rampe (pandan) leaf for fragrance. A small piece of Ceylon cinnamon is common. Maldive fish flakes are a frequent addition that gives a savoury, smoky depth; leave them out for a vegetarian gravy. The lime juice goes in at the very end and is what makes the gravy taste bright rather than flat.
Do you have to fry the spices first?
No. The recipe above warms the fenugreek and aromatics in a little oil first, which gives a slightly rounder flavour. Many home cooks skip the oil altogether: they put the onion, chillies, curry leaves, pandan, fenugreek, turmeric and Maldive fish into the pan with the water, simmer until the onion is soft, then add the coconut milk. Both methods are traditional and the result is very similar.
How do you stop the coconut milk from splitting?
- Keep the heat low once the coconut milk is in, and stir continuously while it heats.
- Stop as soon as the gravy is steaming and just bubbling at the edges; a rolling boil is what separates the fat.
- Add the salt and lime juice off the heat, and do not return the gravy to the boil after the lime has gone in.
What do you serve it with?
String hoppers with kiri hodi and pol sambol is the best-known pairing, and the same trio is served with hoppers. Kiri hodi is also poured over plain rice alongside other curries, used as a dip for bread or coconut roti, and served with kiribath. A little lunu dehi (salt-pickled lime) or seeni sambol on the side works well with its mild flavour.
What are the common variations?
Kiri hodi is often used as a base for simple mild curries. The best-known versions add one extra ingredient to the finished gravy and warm it through:
- Ala kiri hodi with boiled, cubed potatoes.
- Bittara kiri hodi with halved hard-boiled eggs.
- Malu kiri hodi with pieces of fish simmered in the gravy until just cooked.
Households also vary the heat with more or fewer green chillies, and some add a pinch of black pepper.
How do you store it?
Kiri hodi is best eaten the day it is made. Leftovers keep, covered, in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently over a low heat, stirring, until hot but not boiling, and add a squeeze of fresh lime to revive the flavour. It does not freeze well, as the coconut milk tends to separate on thawing.
