Photos of Mackwoods Tea Factory, Sri Lanka

Photos from our Sri Lanka Holidays

Photos of fresh vegetables @ Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka

Photos from our Sri Lanka Holidays

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

Pinnawala Elepehant Orphanage, Sri Lanka (Photos from our Sri Lanka Holidays)

Source – Wikipedia

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is an orphanage, nursery and captive breeding ground for wild Asian elephants located at Pinnawala village, 13 km (8.1 mi) northwest of Kegalle town in Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka. Pinnawalla is notable for having the largest herd of captive elephants in the world. In 2011, there were 88 elephants, including 37 males and 51 females from 3 generations, living in Pinnawala.

The orphanage was originally founded in order to afford care and protection to many of the orphaned unwanted wild elephants found wandering in and near the forests of Sri Lanka. It was established in 1975 by the Sri Lanka Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC).

The Millennium Elephant Foundation is a separate registered private charity organization which is a retirement home for 7 elephants and a tourist attraction.

The orphanage was established to feed, nurse and house young elephants found abandoned by their mothers. Young elephants sometimes fall into pits and ravines in their quest for water during drought period. Other orphans have been displaced from their wild habitat by development projects or have been found abandoned before weaning, diseased or wounded.

There are 48 mahouts (handlers) who take care of the elephants. The female and young elephants in Pinnawala range freely as a herd during the day in an area of a few acres. They are herded about .5 km (0.31 mi) twice a day to drink and be bathed in the river. At night, the females are individually chained in stalls. Adult males are do some light work such as transporting feed. They are chained and managed individually, Calves born in Pinnawala are not bottle fed, but a few from ETH are kept at Pinnawala and bottle fed as a tourist attraction.

The elephants are fed in their stalls. There is very little food they can gather from the premises of the orphanage except some grass. Large quantities of jackfruit, coconut, kitul (sugar palm), tamarind and grass, brought in daily, form the bulk of the elephants food.[6] Each adult animal is given around 76 kilograms (170 lb) of this green matter per day and around 2 kg (4.4 lb) from a food bag containing rice bran and maize.

08.30 hours         Open to visitors

09.15 hours         Bottle feeding

10.00 hours         Herd leaving to the river

12.00 hours         Return from the river

13.15 hours         Bottle feeding

14.00 hours         Herd leaving to the river

16.00 hours         Return from the river

17.00 hours         Bottle feeding

17.30 hours         Ticket counters close

18.00 hours         Close to public

Ragi Patheli / Ragi Ada

Ragi Patheli / Ragi Ada

A delicious steamed dish in Konkani, Kerala and Sri Lankan cuisine, made ragi flour, well ripe bananas, jaggery and cardamom powder !!

Makes: 6

Ingredients

1 cup / 200 g (Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz capacity) ragi flour (good quality ragi flour available @ leading supermarkets)

4 well ripe bananas (130 - 140 g), mash well

1 – 2 tablespoon water

4 tablespoon melted and sieved thick jaggery (or grated thick organic jaggery)

¼ teaspoon cardamom powder

For banana leaf:

1 banana leaf

Clean banana leaf. Smoke this leaf on flame for a few seconds so that it becomes flexible and easy to fold.

Cut banana leaves into 7 - inch square pieces. Keep it ready.

Method

In a wide bowl, mix ragi flour with well mashed bananas. Sprinkle very little water (1 – 2 tablespoon / 3 – 6 teaspoon) and make a soft dough. Add melted and sieved jaggery and mix well. Then the ragi – jaggery dough will be extra soft. Sprinkle cardamom powder and mix well.

Take a piece of banana leaf. Keep a lemon sized (1 ladleful) ragi dough portion over it. Keep another piece of banana leaf smeared with oil (with oiled portion facing down) the dough. Press evenly to form a thin circle of ragi dough of approximately 10 - 12 cm diameter. Carefully remove the leaf on top. Now one will see a thin circle of ragi dough. Fold into semi circle and seal the edges tightly - such that the outer covering is the banana leaf which was placed initially.

Repeat the process to make 5 - 6 adas / patheli or to the limit of the vessel.

Arrange the Adas in a steel bowl and steam in a pressure cooker ( without weight ) or in a steamer for 20 - 25 minutes on a medium heat until done / well cooked. Allow this to cool. Remove the banana leaf covering and consume the ada.

Another modification is to shallow fry the ada. Remove the banana leaf of the Ada, cut into smaller pieces and shallow fry with ghee. This will make them tastier. This is called “Bhajjille Patheli” in Konkani.

Kiri Hodi

Kiri Hodi

How to make kiri hodi or coconutmilk gravy in SriLankan cuisine?

Makes : 2 serving bowls

Boil 1 cup (200 ml) water with 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1/2 teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds) powder, 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek powder (methi / uluva podi), ¼ teaspoon fennel powder or ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, 1 chopped onion, 6 cloves chopped garlic, 1/2 teaspoon chopped ginger, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 spring curry leaves, 1 bay leaf, salt to taste & pinch of turmeric powder (1/2 teaspoon lemon grass and ¼ teaspoon dried Maldives fish optional). Cover and boil for 15 minutes. Switch off the heat. Keep aside to cool for 15 minutes. Finally add 75 ml thick coconut milk and 2 teaspoon lemon juice. Serve with idiyappam (string hoppers)/ ghee rice / plain rice ..

Katta Sambol

Katta Sambal

A very tasty & spicy side dish with Rice / Idiyappam (Sevai), Idli, Dosa …..

Serves: 2 - 3

You will need

4 tablespoons dried prawns (pick very good quality)

10 dried red chillies

2 shallots / chuvannuli

½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)

Method

As experience in India, the dried prawns needs cleaning. Hence soak dried prawns for 15 minutes, changing water a couple of times. Drain out water. Gently wipe with a kitchen towel. Make a paste of cleaned dried prawns, dried red chillies, salt and shallot using mortar and pestle. Do not add water. Sprinkle lemon juice (optional). Serve with rice / idiyappam (string hoppers), idli, dosa …

Pol Sambol

Pol Sambol (Coconut chutney)
( A very tasty Sri Lankan chutney)

Serves: 3

You will need

75 g grated coconut
2 tablespoon chopped onion or 4 small onions (shallots / chuvannulli)
1 clove garlic
1 - 2 green chilly
3 dried red chillies or 1/2 teaspoon red chilly powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
2 teaspoon lime juice

Method

Mix all the ingredients well and make a coarse / rough paste in a mixer. Do not add water while grinding. Serve with Rice / Pulao/ Idiyappam (string hopper).

Wattalappam

Wattalappam (Steamed / baked pudding with eggs, coconut milk, jaggery & spices) - A very tasty dessert !!!

Makes:6 slices

You will need

2 eggs
100 ml (75 ml to 100 ml) melted & sieved jaggery
100 ml thick coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
1 pinch dried ginger powder
1 pinch nutmeg powder
1 pinch cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon butter (to grease)

Method

Separate egg yolk and white and also beat separately. Finally, mix beaten egg yolk and white. Keep aside.

Mix melted and sieved jaggery, thick coconut milk, cardamom powder, dried ginger powder, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder and beaten egg yolk and white. Mix all the ingredients well.

Grease a flat bowl with 1 teaspoon butter.

Pour the mixture into a greased flat bowl and cover this with an aluminum foil or grease proof paper.

Steam in pressure cooker ( without weight ) or steamer for 50 minutes on a medium heat or until done and golden brown color. Allow to cool for half an hour and cut into desired shape and size.

To test the wattalappam - Insert a skewer into the centre of the wattalappam. If the skewer comes out clean, then remove from the steamer.

Grand Hotel, Nuwara Eliya - Sri Lanka

The Grand Hotel is a 156 room British Colonial style luxury hotel which is over 100 years old, located at central hill station Nuwara Eliya (Little England) in Sri Lanka. It was the former residence of Sir Edward Barnes, Governor of Ceylon from 1830 to 1850, the Grand Hotel is an excellent example of a Elizabethan era manor house.

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View from our room


Beautiful garden











Huge breakfast counter





Delicious Indian cuisine


Butter Naan


Butter chicken masala

Photos of Sunset @ Hikkaduva Beach, Sri Lanka

Paradise Beach Hotel, Negombo, Sri Lanka

Paradise Beach hotel is a 66 roomed charming hotel by the Negombo beach. Negombo is the closest beach resort to the International Airport of Sri Lanka and blessed with myriad of attractions around the area.

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View from our room


View from spacious dining hall

Delicious breakfast (Sri Lankan Pol roti, Spicy noodles, Spicy chicken ball curry & Sausages)

Fantastic Orchids @ Royal Botanical Gardens, Perdaniya, Sri Lanka

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