Explore Sri Lanka
No Result
View All Result
  • About Us
  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • What’s On
  • What’s On April 2024
  • What’s On August 2024
  • What’s On December
  • What’s On July 2024
  • What’s On June 2024
  • What’s On March 2024
  • What’s On May 2024
  • What’s On October 2024
  • What’s On September 2024
  • Home
  • Issues
    • 1983 - 1990
      • 1987
        • May 1987
        • June 1987
        • July 1987
        • August 1987
        • September 1987
        • October 1987
        • November 1987
        • December 1987
      • 1988
        • January 1988
        • February 1988
        • March 1988
        • April 1988
        • May 1988
        • June 1988
        • July 1988
        • August 1988
        • September 1988
        • October 1988
        • November 1988
        • December 1988
      • 1989
        • January - March 1989
        • April 1989
        • May 1989
        • June 1989
        • July 1989
        • August 1989
        • September 1989
        • October 1989
        • November 1989
    • 2010 - 2019
      • 2010
        • January 2010
        • February 2010
        • March 2010
        • April 2010
        • May 2010
        • June 2010
        • July 2010
        • August 2010
        • September 2010
        • October 2010
        • November 2010
        • December 2010
      • 2011
        • January 2011
        • February 2011
        • March 2011
        • April 2011
        • May 2011
        • June 2011
        • July 2011
        • August 2011
        • September 2011
        • October 2011
        • November 2011
        • December 2011
      • 2012
        • January 2012
        • February 2012
        • March 2012
        • April 2012
        • May 2012
        • June 2012
        • July 2012
        • August 2012
        • September 2012
        • October 2012
        • November 2012
        • December 2012
      • 2013
        • January 2013
        • February 2013
        • March 2013
        • April 2013
        • May 2013
        • June 2013
        • July 2013
        • August 2013
        • September 2013
        • October 2013
        • November 2013
        • December 2013
      • 2014
        • January 2014
        • February 2014
        • March 2014
        • April 2014
        • May 2014
        • June 2014
        • July 2014
        • August 2014
        • September 2014
        • October 2014
        • November 2014
        • December 2014
      • 2015
        • January 2015
        • February 2015
        • March 2015
        • April 2015
        • May 2015
        • June 2015
        • July 2015
        • August 2015
        • September 2015
        • October 2015
        • November 2015
        • December 2015
      • 2016
        • January 2016
        • February 2016
        • March 2016
        • April 2016
        • May 2016
        • June 2016
        • July 2016
        • August 2016
        • September 2016
        • October 2016
        • November 2016
        • December 2016
      • 2017
        • January 2017
        • February 2017
        • March 2017
        • April 2017
        • May 2017
        • June 2017
        • July 2017
        • August 2017
        • September 2017
        • October 2017
        • November 2017
        • December 2017
      • 2018
        • January 2018
        • February 2018
        • March 2018
        • April 2018
        • May 2018
        • June 2018
        • July 2018
        • August 2018
        • September 2018
        • October 2018
        • November 2018
        • December 2018
      • 2019
        • January 2019
        • February 2019
        • March 2019
        • April 2019
        • May 2019
        • June 2019
        • July 2019
        • August 2019
        • September 2019
        • October 2019
        • November 2019
        • December 2019
    • 2020 - 2024
      • 2020
        • January 2020
        • February 2020
        • March 2020
        • September 2020
        • October 2020
        • November 2020
        • December 2020
      • 2021
        • January 2021
        • February 2021
        • March 2021
        • April 2021
        • May 2021
        • June 2021
        • July 2021
        • August 2021
        • September 2021
        • October 2021
        • November 2021
        • December 2021
      • 2022
        • January 2022
        • February 2022
        • March 2022
        • May 2022
        • April 2022
        • June 2022
        • July 2022
        • August 2022
        • September 2022
        • October 2022
        • November 2022
        • December 2022
      • 2023
        • January 2023
        • February 2023
        • March 2023
        • April 2023
        • May 2023
        • June 2023
        • July 2023
        • August 2023
        • September 2023
        • October 2023
        • November 2023
        • December 2023
      • 2024
        • January 2024
        • February 2024
        • March 2024
        • May 2024
        • April 2024
        • June 2024
        • July 2024
        • August 2024
        • September 2024
        • October 2024
        • November 2024
        • December 2024
    • 2025-2029
      • 2025
        • January 2025
        • February 2025
        • March 2025
        • April 2025
        • May 2025
        • June 2025
  • For Digital Subscription
  • About Us
  • What’s On
    slide
No Result
View All Result
Explore Sri Lanka
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Issues
    • 1983 - 1990
      • 1987
        • May 1987
        • June 1987
        • July 1987
        • August 1987
        • September 1987
        • October 1987
        • November 1987
        • December 1987
      • 1988
        • January 1988
        • February 1988
        • March 1988
        • April 1988
        • May 1988
        • June 1988
        • July 1988
        • August 1988
        • September 1988
        • October 1988
        • November 1988
        • December 1988
      • 1989
        • January - March 1989
        • April 1989
        • May 1989
        • June 1989
        • July 1989
        • August 1989
        • September 1989
        • October 1989
        • November 1989
    • 2010 - 2019
      • 2010
        • January 2010
        • February 2010
        • March 2010
        • April 2010
        • May 2010
        • June 2010
        • July 2010
        • August 2010
        • September 2010
        • October 2010
        • November 2010
        • December 2010
      • 2011
        • January 2011
        • February 2011
        • March 2011
        • April 2011
        • May 2011
        • June 2011
        • July 2011
        • August 2011
        • September 2011
        • October 2011
        • November 2011
        • December 2011
      • 2012
        • January 2012
        • February 2012
        • March 2012
        • April 2012
        • May 2012
        • June 2012
        • July 2012
        • August 2012
        • September 2012
        • October 2012
        • November 2012
        • December 2012
      • 2013
        • January 2013
        • February 2013
        • March 2013
        • April 2013
        • May 2013
        • June 2013
        • July 2013
        • August 2013
        • September 2013
        • October 2013
        • November 2013
        • December 2013
      • 2014
        • January 2014
        • February 2014
        • March 2014
        • April 2014
        • May 2014
        • June 2014
        • July 2014
        • August 2014
        • September 2014
        • October 2014
        • November 2014
        • December 2014
      • 2015
        • January 2015
        • February 2015
        • March 2015
        • April 2015
        • May 2015
        • June 2015
        • July 2015
        • August 2015
        • September 2015
        • October 2015
        • November 2015
        • December 2015
      • 2016
        • January 2016
        • February 2016
        • March 2016
        • April 2016
        • May 2016
        • June 2016
        • July 2016
        • August 2016
        • September 2016
        • October 2016
        • November 2016
        • December 2016
      • 2017
        • January 2017
        • February 2017
        • March 2017
        • April 2017
        • May 2017
        • June 2017
        • July 2017
        • August 2017
        • September 2017
        • October 2017
        • November 2017
        • December 2017
      • 2018
        • January 2018
        • February 2018
        • March 2018
        • April 2018
        • May 2018
        • June 2018
        • July 2018
        • August 2018
        • September 2018
        • October 2018
        • November 2018
        • December 2018
      • 2019
        • January 2019
        • February 2019
        • March 2019
        • April 2019
        • May 2019
        • June 2019
        • July 2019
        • August 2019
        • September 2019
        • October 2019
        • November 2019
        • December 2019
    • 2020 - 2024
      • 2020
        • January 2020
        • February 2020
        • March 2020
        • September 2020
        • October 2020
        • November 2020
        • December 2020
      • 2021
        • January 2021
        • February 2021
        • March 2021
        • April 2021
        • May 2021
        • June 2021
        • July 2021
        • August 2021
        • September 2021
        • October 2021
        • November 2021
        • December 2021
      • 2022
        • January 2022
        • February 2022
        • March 2022
        • May 2022
        • April 2022
        • June 2022
        • July 2022
        • August 2022
        • September 2022
        • October 2022
        • November 2022
        • December 2022
      • 2023
        • January 2023
        • February 2023
        • March 2023
        • April 2023
        • May 2023
        • June 2023
        • July 2023
        • August 2023
        • September 2023
        • October 2023
        • November 2023
        • December 2023
      • 2024
        • January 2024
        • February 2024
        • March 2024
        • May 2024
        • April 2024
        • June 2024
        • July 2024
        • August 2024
        • September 2024
        • October 2024
        • November 2024
        • December 2024
    • 2025-2029
      • 2025
        • January 2025
        • February 2025
        • March 2025
        • April 2025
        • May 2025
        • June 2025
  • For Digital Subscription
  • About Us
  • What’s On
Home General

The Upper Crust Of Seafood

by
0
326
SHARES
2.5k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
PDF Button
Crab: fresh from the ocean
Crab: fresh from the ocean

Crab, prawn and squid are popular seafood dishes in Sri Lanka bought at the wholesale market in Negombo and cooked in many ways.

Words and Photographs Manu Gunasena

Via the airport expressway, Negombo’s lellama is only 20 minutes drive from Colombo. Negombo is Sri Lanka’s fishing entrepot, the fishing capital where all fish carriers meet at one central port of call. Here fish are received, repacked, redistributed and transhipped to various lucrative markets. Here is where agents representing hotels and syndicates and wholesalers, called fish mudalalis, attend religiously before dawn every day.

Even before the sun has thought of waking up fishermen turn their boats homeward. Throughout the night they laid their 250m by 4m wide nets on the lagoon floor. They scattered morsels of fish, worms and algae upon them to lure their prey from its watery holes. With their nets rolled up with the catch and their tasks done, it is time to dock at the market jetty.

Elsewhere in the same lagoon but nearer land, men with kerosene lamps wade back to step ashore. They too have finished their work. In their baskets jiggles their catch of the night; lagoon trophies they have scooped with bare hands in shallow waters.

At the same time, from over a hundred miles away, lorries are hurtling down the highways to reach the same destination at the appointed hour. They are coming from Jaffna, Mannar, Mullaitivu, Kalpitiya and Kokuvil. The lorries are packed with live marine treasure netted only a few hours before from Sri Lanka’s rich fishing grounds.

The lagoon boats and the northern lorries are bringing in crab and prawns. The boats at sea are returning with shoals of fish that include squid and cuttlefish. Here is the bounty of the lagoon and the gifts of the sea.

The crab, prawns and squid supplies come in three waves in the last watch of the night. For the men in their boats and for the truckers at their steering wheels, the deadlines they must meet are driven by the winds of market forces.

Even before the sun has thought of waking up fishermen turn their boats homeward

The first wave which hits land around 4am bringing prized giant crab and jumbo prawns from the Jaffna lagoon. After the necessary quality surveys have been done, the seafood is quickly snapped up by the agents of the hotel trade. The deals are done in an instant and the cargo disappears out of sight on its way to Colombo’s five star hotels and top notch restaurants.

The second wave reaches the fishing hub at 5am and when the boats come in, the scramble starts. Unlike the first wave, cargo that was dispatched without much ado, the second supply wave is fought for, tooth and nail. Haggling goes on, colourful words are exchanged, charmingly apt idioms are pronounced, voices rise in pitch and volume, but beneath it all one senses that a spirit of bonhomie exists and governs the bargaining processes.

Shortly before 6am as the last watch of the night gives way to breaking dawn, the third wave arrives almost as an anti climax. Retail selling on the road and the market opposite has already begun. Nearby a crowd has gathered around an auctioneer calling for the highest bids for individual lots of fish. Others watch, interested to gauge the prices particular fish will raise. Thus will be adjudged the market price or rate that will prevail that day.

The deals are done in an instant and the cargo disappears out of sight on its way to Colombo…

Loaded with seafood, the lorries head towards Colombo’s leading hotels and restaurants. Here the cargo is unloaded and the crab, prawn, squid and other fish will be taken straight to the kitchens. The prawn and fish will be put on ice and the live crabs will be kept in tanks until they are chosen later in the day or night when a customer orders a crab dish.

Preparing Seafood

Some cooks boil the crab in hot water, some use a sledgehammer to bash its head. In making, for example, a crab dish with garlic, olive oil is first poured into a pan which is then heated. Once it has reached the required temperature, a few pieces of garlic are added to it. The crab is then placed in the saucepan and cooked on a slow fire, which is gradually increased to boiling point. Shortly before that, chicken stock is added.

Thereafter the heat is suddenly increased to approximately 1800 C. After a few minutes at this heat, the temperature is lowered and the crab is allowed to simmer. Depending on the type of dish, it is sometimes served on a bed of rice and sometimes garnished.

A favourite crab dish generally made as a Sunday treat for the whole family to enjoy is crab curry. It can be turned into a full blown red curry with the generous use of chilli powder. Alternatively it can be made pepper hot with white or black pepper. But be warned. Crab is not for the finicky. It’s a hands-on dish and you have to get your fingers dirty to thoroughly enjoy it. Or else, don’t be crabwise. Walk the straight and narrow and go for the baked crab where crab meat is extracted and placed in the shell to tuck in with a fork.

A much prized source of crab is the Jaffna lagoon. Here they grow big and can weigh over three kilos during their 13 year life span. They have a distinct sweet taste and when properly cooked the meat has a ‘melt in the mouth’ tenderness. It is much sought after by crab connoisseurs.

To cook prawn, the jumbo prawn is first opened up and cleaned. Thereafter, it is placed in a dish containing hot olive oil with garlic or ginger or some other ingredient depending on the recipe. It is then allowed to cook on a slow fire during which other ingredients are added. The whole process takes only eight minutes; and the inviting prawn with garnishing or without is ready for the table.

Such is the enduring appeal of the prawn, even those who appreciate fine dining will gladly have a quick snack of the masses’ affordable fast food, Isso vadai. Prepared in the shape of a cookie with a prawn on top, it is dipped into oil and deep fried till golden brown. It is available at carts on wheels, it is cheap, it gives an instant prawn fix and it is delicious. Especially, when the prawn is a large one fresh from the lagoon. These are the crustaceans of the deep and along with squid form the upper crust of the dining table.

The process of preparing squid begins with holding the skin and spreading it apart. This reveals the flesh, which is sliced into pieces and cleaned. The slices of squid are then marinated with salt and pepper, lime juice, custard powder and corn flour. A beaten egg is added. The squid is then dipped into boiling oil at 1800C until it is golden brown. Karapincha leaves and red chilli pieces are added to the oil. A separate mixture of finely chopped onions, garlic, butter, salt and pepper is added to the wok and stir fried until golden brown. The cooked squid slices are then added to the pan and stir fried for a few minutes. Within a matter of 12 minutes the hot butter cuttlefish dish is ready to be served!

Photographs of crab and prawn dishes were taken at the Ministry of Crab. Photographs of the preparation of squid were taken at the Curry Leaf, Hilton Colombo  

Tags: Delicious
Previous Post

Charming Retreat Amidst Nature

Next Post

Fabric Of A Nation

Next Post
Fabric Of A Nation

Fabric Of A Nation

No Result
View All Result

Categories

exlpore-sri-lanka-logo

Location

20-2/1 Lauries Place Facing R A de Mel Mawatha Colombo 04.

Contact

(+94) 715 134 134

Email

info@btoptions.com

© 2023 BT Options. All Rights Reserved.