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| Konda Kavum |
Konda Kavum is one of the most popular traditional sweets from Sri Lanka. It needs some skill to cook konda kavum ,specially to cook Konda Kavum with a nice shape. This oil cake/kavum has a top part and it is said ‘konda’ (in Sinhala,konda means hair and this top part is similar to a bun of hair). Frankly, I am not very good with Sri Lankan traditional sweets. So far, I have tried Kokis and Mung Kavum , I could cook them better. Now I want to learn how to cook Konda Kavum. Wait, I have a plan to cook Konda Kavum for the New Year on April. We Sri Lankans celebrate New Year in April. Mostly it falls around 12-15 of April each year and this is a festival we enjoy much. All the traditional dishes get highest place on festive tables and Konda Kavum is one of those sweets.
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| Sri Lankan Traditional Sweets |
I miss my grandmother so much. She was an expert on all traditional Sri Lankan sweets, so we did not have to worry during New Year season. Unfortunately, when I am ready to learn these skills, she is no longer with us.
We spent a holiday in Sri Lanka during last December. This time, we couldn’t go here and there much as our baby was still 2 months at that time. So, I could stay more at home. For the January New Year my amma wanted to have konda kavum. Aunty Gunawathie is an expert in our area for traditional sweets including konda kavum. So, she helped us to cook konda kavum and I could learn from her.
Below recipe is from Aunty Gunawathie. I recorded how she cooked Konda Kavum while learning from her.Anyway, if you are in Colombo and need to buy Konda Kavum or any other traditional sweets freshly made at a home, let me know. I will give her contact no. As per her, she takes orders from major super markets during the festive season. She lives in Athurugiriya.
Usually, Kithul Treacle is used to cook Konda Kavum, but Aunty Gunawathie uses white sugar. I watched and even tasted Kavum. They were delicious and soft. So,I think sugar is better to use as finding Treacle is not easy specially when we live abroad.
Here is the recipe for konda kavum.Until I post my own version,please enjoy aunty Ginawathie’s recipe.
Ingredients (about 45 Kavum)
White Rice flour 750g
All purpose flour 150g
Sugar 800g
Coconut oil for deep frying(use other cooking oil if coconut oil is not available)
Few cardamom pods
Salt as required(optional)
Salt as required(optional)
Special Utensils/tools
A wok/thachchi for deep frying
A metal piece (this is an optional/ see the video for the shape of this piece)
A wooden skewer
Method
First prepare Rice flour using white rice
Here is how to make rice flour for Sri Lankan traditional sweets.
Soak white rice in water for 2-3 hours. Do not soak more than 3 hours.
After 2-3 hours, drain water. Spread soaked rice on a paper or a plate and allow to dry fully.
Then grind it to a fine powder.
Sift rice flour using a sieve, so that fine powder is achieved. Grind whatever remaining and sieve it again. Repeat until all rice is ground into fine powder. You can prepare rice flour one day ahead before making Konda Kavum.
Make the Konda Kavum mixture
Mix rice flour and all purpose flour. Sieve it to a bowl. Keep aside.
Heat sugar with a little water until sugar is dissolved.Remove from heat Then add the flour mixture into it slowly until all the flour has been mixed into it.Add more water as required to make this batter.
Add salt as per taste. Mix well and prepare a batter which the consistency is similar to a pan cake batter.
Preparing the Konda Kavum
Once the batter is prepared, allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
Meantime, crush cardamom pods. Add this to konda kavum mixture and mix well.
To prepare konda kavum,
Pour oil into a wok/thachchi for deep frying kavum.
Heat oil.Check the metal piece in thachchi.Also see the notes below.
Then add a spoonful of batter (around ¼ cup) into the centre of wok. Let it cook. Halfway, use the wooden skewer and gently press the centre of kavum. At this time, the uncooked batter will come up. Using spoon/ladle pour hot oil over the batter. Same time turn and lift the skewer. Actually this is to shape the top part of Konda kavum. Pour oil continuously till the kavum is fried and golden brown.
Remove kavum onto a paper towel and allow to drain oil.
Continue the same procedure with the remaining batter.
Watch this video on how to cook Konda Kavum once the batter is prepared.
Please ignore the quality of the video,I just recorded as it is easy to explain how to cook Konda Kavum
Please ignore the quality of the video,I just recorded as it is easy to explain how to cook Konda Kavum
Notes:
You can add batter directly to hot oil and shape it to a konda kavum. However this needs some skill.
I found aunty Gunawathie used a small metal piece inside the wok. Then she added batter into this metal piece and shaped the kavum. As per her, this is really easy to get the shape.
Anyway, how to find this type of metal mould/metal piece for cooking konda kavum? This is her tip. There are metal spoons in the market. Buy one and simply remove the handle. So simple, but makes it easier to cook konda kavum and still it looks very nice.Nicer and looks like a professional did.
Here is my tip:Why don’t you try a metal tart mould to replace this metal piece?If you can remove the handle from a spoon,it is fine.But if it is not easy,try a cupcake mould or tart mould.I am going to try this with a tart mould.Wait for my recipe with some more cooking tips on how to cook konda kavum.
Hope you enjoyed this post.Try konda kavum for this April New Year and let me know how it is….
Keep in touch,I am planning to share few Sri Lankan traditional sweets for this April New Year.Hope I will be able to share at least few more recipes!
See the above picture,it shows inside of Konda Kavum.These Kavum were so delicious and spongy.So I thought of sharing a photo of inside too.
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| Sri Lankan Avurudu recipes |
26 comments
This looks so similar to neyappam we make in Kerala. We use neyappam kadhai to make them….. i couldn’t ignore the striking resemblance. This looks amazing….
delicious and tempting dish from aunty
Love the delicious konda kavum …Looks too good dear 🙂
Oh yes, I also had something similar during my recent trip to Sri Lanka. I also simply loved every other dish I tasted. Traditional recipes will always be a classic for the goodness in taste.
Oh my gosh .. This is one of my favorite other than ellapey
Ive been looking to buy konda kavum in US as i didn’t know how to make.
I am gonna try a small batch
your aunty did an amazing job. wow not easy to make konda kavum. I would love to order from your aunty when my husband are there this coming May. Please let me know! Also maybe she can tell me where to buy the special equipment for this recipe when I am there. Thanks Amila!
This looks totally tasty . Especially the way she shaped it , seems very difficult & really awesome . Thanks for sharing such a authentic and traditional recipe
It is very tricky, not very easy to make. Wonderful and must be very delicious sweet.
konda kavam new name,looks tempting, same way we are making rice paniyaram( appam) kuzipaniyaram , keralites told unniyappam.
Thanks for sharing this yummy recipe
Thanks Roshani 🙂
u r aunty did so nice , must try this version too
Thank you so much for taking all the effort to share this recipe with us who are willing to keep Sri Lankan traditions moving forward.
I am glad this post is helpful.Thanks for the comment…
I tried this recipe and it came out really well. Living in papua new guinea i had to alternate the fresh ground rice flour to packeted rice flour and made a small cup with foil to pour batter into when frying. All in all it was good.
Thanks for the comment and the idea.These alternative ideas are really helpful.And I will convey Aunty Gunawathie about these outcomes.She’ll be happy…
hi,,,can you please tel me for how long can we store this & please let me know a tip to keep t soft even after 2 weeks
Hi,I usually bring some ‘Konda Kavum’ whenever I visit Sri Lanka.Here is how I store.
Usually I divide ‘konda kavum’ for 2-3 batches.First set,I store in an air tight container and just keep on a kitchen cabinet.That is to consume within the first week.
Next 1 set I keep in fridge.That is to eat 1 week later.If I have a 3rd batch,then that will go to deep freezer in another air tight container.That 3rd batch is good for consuming after 2-3 weeks.I’ve checked up to 1 month.
Anyway,keep in mind I always microwave for 1 minute before eating.Please check timing for microwave as per your microwave settings.If you don’t feel microwaving,you can still steam ‘Konda Kavum’ before eating.(about 1minute)
I usually microwave and they are so far so good.
Give it a try
Thank you very much for the recipe and the video clip. You have done a good job by explaining it very clear and giving all the hints. God Bless You !
Glad this is helpful.Keep in touch with the blog,I try my best to share recipes with actual pics and details…
Thanks so much Amila for your efforts to publish the same. I am so grateful to you
Glad this is helpful and credits goes to Aunty Gunawathie who shared all secrets with me. 🙂
How many can we make out of the given quantities
around 45 kavum
Gosh! That looks insanely delish
Thanks for commenting