Sri Lankan Fried Ash Plantain Curry (Badapu Alu Kesel Kari)! Sri Lankan cuisine is known for delicious curries. This unique Sri Lankan-style plantain curry is flavored with fragrant spices. It also has local herbs and coconut milk. This curry goes well with any rice and curry meal. It is plant-based, vegan, and filling.
Sri Lankan Fried Ash Plantain Curry
(Badapu Alu Kesel Kari)
Have you ever tried green plantain curry? In this post, I’ll show you how to make Sri Lankan-style ‘Fried Ash Plantain Curry the easy way from scratch. Here you’ll find an easy-to-follow recipe with step-by-step instructions, helpful info plus top tips. I hope you will try the recipe and enjoy ‘Badapu Alu Kesel Kari’ as much as I do!! It is easy to make just takes around 30 minutes and goes well with any rice and curry meal.
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What is Fried Ash Plantain Curry
(Badapu Alu Kesel Kari)
In Sri Lanka, ash plantain, a variety of plantains, is commonly used for making curry and savory dishes.
You can make Ash Plantain Curry (Alu Kesel Kari) either with raw plantains or with deep-fried plantains. Both are cooked in a coconut milk-based gravy flavored with spices and herbs.
In this recipe, I used fried ash plantains. So it is called ‘Badapu Alu Kesel Kari’ (Fried Ash Plantain Curry). It is a part of the famous rice and curry dish called Lamprais.
In Sinhalese, Fried = Badapu
Ash plantains = Alu Kesel
Curry = Kari, Kariya, Kariyak
Fried Ash Plantain Curry = Badapu Alu Kesel Kari
Notes: In Sinhalese, curry is also called Vanjanaya, Vyanjanaya, Maluwa, etc.
Fried Plantain Curry is a part of the famous
Sri Lankan rice and curry dish known as Lamprais!
What are Plantains?
While most of us are familiar with the banana, not many know the plantain. I was curious about ‘plantain’, so I googled it.
Are plantains and bananas the same thing? The answer is NO because they are quite different.
Sweet bananas, known as ‘dessert bananas’, are sweet. They have a soft creamy texture and a soft peel. They are commonly eaten raw as fresh fruit when the fruit has ripened.
Plantains are members of the banana family. They have a thicker peel and are much starchier. They are also not as sweet as bananas. For these reasons, they are treated more like vegetables like potatoes or yams. They must be cooked (boiled, fried, baked) before eating.
In many South Asian, African, Caribbean, and Latin American cuisines, plantains are commonly used in savory recipes. These recipes include stews, soups, and fried meals.
What are Ash Plantains?
Ash plantains are a unique variety of plantains. They are native to Southeast Asia, and typically found in Southern India and Sri Lanka.
They are shorter and have thick skin with white, starchy, and firm flesh. The dusty coating on the plantain’s surface gives it the appearance of being covered in ash. So, it is called ash plantain.
Both the flesh and the raw peel of the fruit are used as a vegetable. The flower of the tree is also used as a vegetable. They are used for making a variety of Sri Lankan curries and savory dishes. Besides the fruit, the leaves of the tree are also used to wrap and cook food.
Ash Plantain Substitute
If you can’t find Ash Plantains, you can substitute some varieties of ‘Green plantains’ or ‘Cooking bananas’ for them. Here in Japan, it’s not always easy to find ‘Ash Plantains’. I have used Cardava Bananas and Saba bananas. These are two varieties of cooking bananas from the Philippines.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe. For the quantities of each ingredient, check the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Fresh Ingredients
- Ash plantain (or green plantain)
- Onion or shallots
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Curry leaves (if not available, skip)
- Pandan leaves (if not available, skip)
- Green chilies (if not available, skip)
Spices
- Mustard seeds
- Turmeric
- Chili powder
- Salt
- Sri Lankan curry powder (Scroll down to read more)
- Fenugreek seeds
Other
- Cooking oil
- Coconut milk
- Lemon/lime juice (optional)
- Sugar (optional)
Sri Lankan Curry Powder
In this recipe, I used basic curry powder (Thunapaha) because I did not want the spices to be too strong. This is especially true when I make vegetable curries.
You can also use roasted or unroasted curry powder according to your preferences. You can also experiment with other curry powders available besides Sri Lankan curry powders.
Here are the Sri Lankan Curry Powder recipes
- Sri Lankan Basic Curry Powder (With Whole Spices)
- Sri Lankan Basic Curry Powder (With Ground Spices)
- Sri Lankan Unroasted Curry Powder (With Ground Spices)
- Sri Lankan Roasted Curry Powder (With Whole Spices)
How Do I Make Fried Plantain Curry?
In Sri Lanka, curries are traditionally cooked in clay pots, and curries cooked in clay pots taste so good. So, I usually cook all my curries in clay pots and highly recommend using clay pots for cooking curries.
I made this curry as a part of Lampraise, a Sri Lankan special rice & curry dish. I cooked the curry over low heat until there was less gravy. Feel free to adjust the thickness of curry gravy as you like.
When preparing Ash plantains, you need to peel the outer skin from the flesh. Plantains have thick skins. Removing them is a bit difficult. It can be intimidating if you haven’t cooked with green plantains before. It takes a bit of practice.
The dish comes together in three stages.
- First, you need to deep-fry the sliced ash plantains until cooked through and lightly browned not crisp. You can also bake them to make a bit healthier version if you like it that way.
- Next, you make the coconut-based curry gravy. Flavor it with local spices and herbs.
- Then cook the fried plantains in the gravy.
Useful Tips
Preparation
- Unripe plantains are the best to make this plantain curry as they have the lowest sugar content. Still, you can also use plantains that just start ripening with a bit of sweetness.
- Plantains tend to get brown when cut or peeled. One of the easiest things you can do to prevent browning is to submerge the cut plantain in salted water. You can also submerge the peeled plantain in salted water.
- I usually cut them into thick slices diagonally around 2 cm. Cutting them to the same size will help all the eggplant slices to fry evenly.
- Mixing the cut slices with turmeric powder and salt avoids the browning while giving a nice flavor.
Deep-frying
- Deep fry the plantains until cooked through, lightly brown but not crisp.
- Make sure to adjust the oil heat throughout the cooking process.
- Fry them in smaller batches. Otherwise, they take longer to cook and absorb too much oil. As a result, they become soggy.
Cooking
- How spicy or mild you want your curry is completely up to you. If you want it to be less spicy, simply reduce chili powder and skip the green chilies.
- Make sure to stir the curry occasionally throughout the cooking process.
- Adding some fresh lime juice at the end of cooking adds nice flavor and sourness but is optional.
- Adding some sugar to the gravy adds nice sweetness but is optional.
- After cooking, let the curry sit for a while. This helps the fish to absorb the flavors. It also thickens the gravy.
Serving Suggestions
It’s a great accompaniment to have with Sri Lankan-style rice and curry meal. But, it also goes well with just plain rice or a piece of bread.
Make Lamprais
Badapu Alu Kesel Curry is also a part of Lamprais, a Sri Lankan special rice & curry dish.
Lamprais consist of Dunthel Bath (Ghee Rice) or Kaha Bath (Yellow Rice), Chicken Curry (Kukul Mas Kari), Fish Cutlets (Fish Croquettes), Bata Moju (Eggplant Pickle), Seeni Sambol (Onion Relish), Badapu Alu Kesel Curry (Fried Ash Plantain Curry), and Fried boiled eggs.
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Storage Suggestions
Your curry needs to cool down to room temperature before placing it in the fridge. Store leftover it in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days. If you like to freeze it, put it in a zip lock bag. Then place it in the freezer for about 3 months. You can reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop.
More Sri Lankan Recipes
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Badapu Alu Kesel Kari (Sri Lankan Fried Plantain Curry) Step-by-Step Recipe
(Check out the printable recipe card at the end of the post)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Serving: 4
Ingredients
To Fry the Plantains
300g of ash plantain (after peeled)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp of chili powder (optional)
1/4 tsp salt
Cooking oil for frying, as needed
To make the gravy
2 tbsp oil, preferably coconut oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
6 curry leaves
2-inch piece of pandan leaves
2 green chilies, split in the middle
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp of Sri Lankan curry powder (see the notes)
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
200 ml thin coconut milk (see the notes)
200 ml water
1 tbsp sugar (optional)
1 tbsp lemon/lime juice (optional)
Notes: I used basic curry powder (Thunapaha). You can also use roasted curry powder (Badapu Thunapaha) or unroasted curry powder (Amu Thunapaha) if you like it that way. You can also use 400ml of thin coconut milk without water.
Instructions
Use ash plantain or sub with green plantain or cooking bananas (read the post for more details).
Preparation
Have a bowl of water seasoned with salt ready to stop the ash plantain from discoloring.
Place the plantain horizontally on a cutting board. Then cut off each of the ends from the plantain and discard. Peel the skin. Make sure to remove all traces of green skin.
At once, Place the peeled plantains in the bowl of saltwater. Set aside for 5 minutes.
Remove them from the water and cut them into diagonal pieces.
Once you have cut them all, pat dry them on kitchen paper.
Add turmeric powder, salt, and, red chili powder and mix well to coat the slices of plantains with the seasoning. Set aside for 5 minutes.
Deep-frying
Heat enough oil in a pot. Fry the plantains in small batches until cooked through and slightly golden, not crisp. Transfer the fried banana slices onto paper towels to absorb excess oil.
Make the gravy
Heat the oil in a clay pot or nonstick casserole pot on medium heat. When hot, add mustard seeds, and fry for a few seconds until they crackle. Saute the ginger and garlic until fragrant and then onion until soft and translucent. Add all other ingredients (except plantains, coconut milk, water, lemon juice, and sugar). Saute for about 2 minutes until all the ingredients are well combined.
Pour in the coconut milk and water. Add sugar if using. Mix well. Bring the pot to a boil. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Do not cover and stir occasionally over medium heat until the gravy becomes slightly thick.
Assemble
Once the gravy is slightly reduced, add the fried plantains, and swirl to mix the gravy with them.
Reduce the flame to low and cook. When the gravy has reduced to your preferred level, turn off the heat. Squeeze 1/4 of a wedge of lime or lemon. Let the curry sit for a while as it helps the fish to absorb the flavors and thicken the gravy.
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Sri Lankan Fried Ash Plantain Curry (Badapu Alu Kesel Kari)
Ingredients
To Fry the Plantains
- 300 g ash plantain peeled
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- Coconut oil for frying as needed
To make the gravy
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 1 medium-sized onion finely chopped
- 6 curry leaves
- 2- inch piece of pandan leaves
- 2 green chilies split in the middle
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp Sri Lankan curry powder see the notes
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 200 ml thick coconut milk see the notes
- 200 ml water
- 1 tbsp sugar optional
- 1 tbsp lemon/lime juice optional
Instructions
Prepare the Plantain
- Use ash plantain or sub with green plantain or cooking bananas (read the post for more details).
- Have a bowl of water seasoned with salt ready to stop the ash plantain from discoloring.
- Place the plantain horizontally on a cutting board. Then cut off each of the ends from the plantain and discard. Peel the skin. Make sure to remove all traces of green skin. Immediately, Place the peeled plantains in the bowl of saltwater.
- Remove them from the water and cut them into diagonal pieces. Once you have cut them all, pat dry them on kitchen paper.
- Add turmeric, salt, and, chili powder and mix well to coat the slices of plantains with the seasoning. Set aside for 5 minutes.
Deep-frying
- Heat enough oil in a pot and fry the plantains in small batches until cooked through and slightly golden. Transfer the fried banana slices onto paper towels to absorb excess oil.
Make the gravy
- Heat the oil in a clay pot or nonstick casserole pot on medium heat. Saute the ginger, and garlic until fragrant and then onion until soft and translucent.
- Add all other ingredients (except plantains, coconut milk, water, lemon juice, and sugar). Stir-fry for about 2 to 3 minutes until all the ingredients are well combined.
- Pour in the coconut milk/water and mix well. Add sugar if using. Bring the pot to a boil, and simmer for about 5 minutes, without covering, occasionally stirring, over medium heat until the gravy becomes slightly thick.
Assemble
- Once the gravy slightly reduced, add the fried plantains, and swirl to mix the gravy with them.
- Reduce the flame to low and cook. When the gravy has reduced to your preferred level, turn off the heat and squeeze 1/4 of a wedge of lime or lemon.
- Let the curry sit for a while as it helps the fish to absorb the flavors and thicken the gravy.
Notes
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