Aasmi is a traditional Sri Lankan deep-fried sweet that has graced the Avurudhu table for generations, appearing alongside kiribath at Sinhalese and Tamil New Year celebrations each April, as well as at weddings and birthdays. Its defining characteristic is its lace-like, open weave — a pattern produced not by decoration but by the frying method itself — and a sweet, sticky finish from a coloured sugar syrup.
The batter begins with rice flour and coconut milk, brought together with the juice drawn from davul kurundu — the leaves of Ceylon cinnamon. This juice contributes a natural, mildly mucilaginous quality to the batter that is essential for holding the lace structure as it sets in hot oil. The batter is poured through a special funnel in a continuous drizzle, so that the threads cross and fuse into the characteristic net pattern in the oil below. Frying is a considered, two-stage process: the pieces are set aside after the first fry, allowing the interior to dry thoroughly before a second fry produces a lighter, crisper result. Once cooled, each piece is finished with a coloured sugar syrup, which gives Aasmi its signature sticky gloss. The full ingredient list is rice flour, davul kurundu (dauli cinnamon), refined oil, coconut milk, salt, sugar, food colour, and water.
Lakpura prepares Aasmi in fresh batches specifically for the Avurudhu season, working with small and medium-scale Sri Lankan producers who carry the craft knowledge this sweet demands. The intention is straightforward: to make a genuinely seasonal, traditionally made product available to Sri Lankans and curious food lovers wherever they are in the world.
The listing offers Aasmi in both small and large sizes, available individually or in sets of three, six, nine, or twelve pieces, so you can choose a quantity that suits a household celebration or a gift.
