Sri Lankan Patties

Sri Lanka, the pearl of the Indian Ocean, boasts a rich heritage, culture and some of the world’s most wonderful cuisines, which have been heavily influenced by the colonial powers, foreign traders and the Kerala region of India.

Each dish varies in taste and richness and infuses one or more special ingredients like rice, coconut and spices. These beautifully reflect the tropical island’s rich history as a spice producer and trading post over hundreds of years.

I am a Sri Lankan Burgher. What is that you ask? Well, if I tried to explain that, I might end up confusing you more. So, let me simply allow Wikipedia to do the honours ;)

“The Burgher people are a Eurasian ethnic group, historically from Sri Lanka, consisting mainly of male-line descendants of European colonists from the 16th to 20th centuries (mostly Portuguese, Dutch, German and British) and local women, with some minorities of Swedish, Norwegian, French and Irish. The name is not to be confused with the English word "burgher" which simply means a person who resides in a borough, or a member of the middle class. The Burghers were legally defined in 1883 by the Chief Justice of Ceylon, Sir Richard Ottley. They were defined as those whose father was born in Sri Lanka, with at least one European ancestor on one's direct paternal side, regardless of the ethnic origin of one's mother, or what other ethnic groups may be found on the father's side. Because of this definition, Burghers almost always have European surnames (mostly of Portuguese, Dutch and British origin, but sometimes German, French or Russian).” - Wikipedia

As I mentioned earlier, Sri Lanka’s cuisine has many influences. One of these are ‘Short Eats’, which refer to the array of snacks that are enjoyed every day around the island during breakfast, teatime or actually anytime of the day or night. Among these mouthwatering eats is the savoury pattie. As a child I remember my mum making them for afternoon tea, my sister’s and my birthday parties and sometimes as a special treat if I’ve been a ‘good girl’. Well, let’s just say, thank goodness for birthdays and tea parties, otherwise I may have never gotten to enjoy these tasty morsels!!!

Simply put, patties are a savoury pastry snack filled with a spicy and flavourful combination of curried vegetable, meats or fish. What’s more, you can also choose the size and whether it should be fried or baked. No matter your choice, they still taste absolutely heavenly. Well, enough of my rambling. Let’s get to the recipe.

It’s in three parts. The Pattie Dough first, followed by The Filling and finally, how it all comes together. While it follows the same recipe from back home, I have modified it a bit. 

The Dough

Put both kinds of flour, the salt, eggs & butter in a food processor or dough maker. Mix it while adding the water, one spoonful at a time, until it forms a kind of a soft dough.

Now transfer it to a lightly floured surface and knead till it forms a smooth ball.

Wrap the ball of dough in cling film / plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for about 30 minutes. I kept it overnight and it was still great. Just leave it outside till it comes back to room temperature.

The Filling

 

On a medium heat, add the oil to a wok/frying pan. once the oil is hot add the minced chicken/beef or salmon. Fry for about 7 to 10 minutes. In case of the salmon 4 to 5 minutes. Now add the curry leaves and fry for a couple minutes. Add onions, garlic and fry until onions are translucent and garlic is slight brown. Add the lemon juice and mix well.

 

Now add the grated carrot and fry for around 4 to 5 minutes. Add the potato and mix well. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, switch off the fire and leave to cool.

The Patties

 

Once the dough has come back to room temperature, place it on a lightly floured surface and with a rolling pin spread it out to flat thin sheet, say about 3 mm. Now cut out circles using a pastry dough cutter like me or circle shaped biscuit cutter/glass/bowl. Keep rolling out the flour and cutting circles until all the dough is over. Excess dough can be frozen in the freezer. To use, simply take it out of the freezer and bring it back to room temperature.

 

 

Once the circles are all cut out, place it in the pastry cutter, put about a tablespoon-full of the filling and fold. If you are doing it by hand, once you put the filling in he centre, fold the pastry and seal by using a fork.

Now the patties are ready to be baked or fried. If you like, you can always make them before hand and freeze it. To use it, all you have to do is bring them back to room temperature.

 

I prefer to bake the patties. So, take a baking tray. Spray or apply some oil. Place a wax paper and spray it or rub on some oil on top of it again. This ensures that the patties will not get stuck to the tray. Make a wash out of 1 egg and a bit of water beaten together. Using a pastry brush, coat all the patties generously. Place them in a preheated 200 degree oven for about 5 to 7 minutes. Keep checking until patties are golden brown. I usually take them out halfway, turn them over and put them back in. Remember! Baking timing may vary as no two ovens are alike. Take them out and leave to cool a bit before serving.

If you opt to fry them, do so in very hot oil until golden brown. Once done, place them on tissue to drain all the excess oil before serving.

Enjoy the patties with a lovely cup of hot tea or coffee. Bona appetit!