Sri Lankan Patties

The simplest approach to learning about a culture is to immerse yourself in its society and lifestyle. What better way to do so than by indulging in all the culinary delights it has to offer? If you consider yourself a true food enthusiast, join us on a delicious culinary journey to Sri Lanka, and take a stroll around the island’s myriad streets to experience the ethnic melting pot here that this tiny island is !

In that case, Sri Lankan patties are indeed a delicacy about which one must remark.

Sri Lankan fish patties are part of a unique category of appetizers known as “short eats.” As the name suggests, they are nibble-sized nibbles or finger meals that are popular as game day food, road trip food, on-the-go breakfast food, tea-time snack, or for parties and entertaining. They’re quite adaptable. Patties are a sort of deep-fried snack. They’re usually filled with the same things as cutlets or baked pastries. Vegetarian and fish patties are the two types of patties available. They’re great for picnics, but they’re also good for breakfast or teatime munching.

In many Sri Lankan households, it is a popular dish. Depending on personal desire, it can be made with a vegetarian or meat filling. Depending on your tastes, you may make patties out of chicken, beef, or fish. It is one of the most popular snacks served to visitors by Sri Lankan homes since it is tasty and easy to prepare.

So much so that patties may be found on every continent and in every cuisine. Patties, or more frequently fish patties, are the name given to these spicy, savory, delectable pastry nibbles in Sri Lanka, where fish is the most popular filling. Every household in Sri Lanka has a favorite food. Of course, you may make the filling vegetarian or use chicken, lamb, beef, fish, or any other form of protein.

Why Sri Lankan patties are very famous?

Sri Lankan Fish Patties are renowned for a reason. These fish pastries are PERFECT for event-day munching, breakfast or tea-time chow down, or socializing, with a little spicy, savory, delectable filling enveloped in a flaky buttery pastry. For the filling, you may use any protein you choose or go vegetarian. They’re simple to make and keep nicely in the freezer.

Patties calories

Patties are produced from a dough that has been laminated with butter or another solid fat. Diabetics, the heart, and weight reduction are all adversely affected by this dish. Chicken Patties typically include 14g total carbohydrates, 14g net carbs, 7g fat, 12g protein, and 287 calories per patty. A Vegetable, on the other hand, has around 160.

Sri Lankan patties recipe and how to make it at home

Patties Dough

• 300 g all-purpose flour chilled (in Sri Lanka known as Paan Piti)
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 100 g unsalted butter chilled and cubed
• ¼ cup + 2 tbsp. ice water
• 1 yolk from 1 large egg
• ½ tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

Curried Fish Filling

240 g mackerel bones removed or replace with the same weight of cooked flaky fish (this is approximately the weight of the fish from 1 mackerel in a brine can)

• 1/2 medium onion finely chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves finely chopped or minced (about 1 tbsp. minced garlic)
• 1-inch ginger finely chopped or minced (about 1 tbsp. minced ginger)
• 1/2 tsp Sri Lankan curry powder
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper less if you prefer a mild filling
• 2 serrano peppers chopped finely (deseeded if you prefer milder heat)
• 2 tbsp. ketchup
• ½ – ¾ lime about 1 – 1 ½ tbsp.
• 200 g cooked potato of any floury potato

Instructions:

Patties Dough

• In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Whisk everything together carefully to make sure it’s all combined.
• Rub in the butter with your fingertips (or in a food processor) until the flour-butter mixture resembles coarse crumbs (or like wet coarse sand).
• Transfer the flour-butter mixture back into a large mixing bowl if you used a food processor to combine the butter and flour.
• Combine 14 cups cold water, vinegar, and egg yolk in a mixing bowl. Whisk the ingredients together to combine them.
• In the center of the flour mixture, make a well. Use a fork or your fingers to disperse the liquid through the flour after adding the water-yolk mixture. After the liquid has been spread, knead the dough with your hands to shape it.
• If the dough is too dry, add 1 tbsp. icy water at a time (or less) until it reaches 2 tbsp. The dough should join together to form a malleable, non-sticky dough. If the dough is still too dry, immerse only your fingers in the cold water and knead it with your moist hands, shaking off any extra water.
• Form the pastry dough into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap or wet cloth, and chill for at least one hour. Allow the dough to soften somewhat at room temperature if you made it the day before and it was too chilly.

The Fish Filling

• Ensure that the canned tuna has been drained and that the bones have been removed. If you’re using cooked fresh fish, make sure it’s also deboned.
• In a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat, heat 2 tbsp. vegetable oil or coconut oil.
• Sauté for a few minutes, until the finely chopped onion has softened. Sauté for another 30 seconds, until the garlic and ginger have softened.
• Curry powder, black pepper, and Chili powder/flakes should all be added at this point. Add the onions and mix well.
• Combine the fish and onion-spice mixture in a mixing bowl. Break the fish into smaller pieces and sauté the mixture until it is dry and the spices have taken on their color, around 10 to 15 minutes.
• Allow the mixture to cool completely before using it (reduce the heat if necessary). Cook for a further 5 – 10 minutes after adding the tomato ketchup and green chili peppers (serrano peppers).
• If necessary, add salt (remember you are using brined mackerel, and may not need a lot of salt).
• Add the potatoes to the fish mixture and mash them gently (leaving some solid chunks intact). Make a thorough mixture. Toss the fish and potatoes with the lime juice and toss thoroughly. If required, season with extra lime juice and salt.
• Allow the mixture to cool.
• Can follow the same process while substituting fish for other meat.

Assembling Process

• On a lightly floured smooth surface, roll out the cool patties dough Stretch out the mixture to about a 3 mm thickness. To prevent the dough from sticking to the surface, gently flour it and flip it over halfway through rolling. This will help keep the dough from shrinking and will make it easier to roll out. Before cutting the patties dough wrappers, make sure the rolled-out dough isn’t sticking to the surface.
• Using a pastry cutter, make 3 – 3.5 inch diameter circles. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in one layer. Using the leftovers, re-roll and cut additional pastry circles. You should obtain between 15 and 17 wraps.
• Place the patties on a dish and wrap them in plastic wrap. Rep with the remaining wraps.
• Take one dough wrapper and flatten it slightly at the corners with your fingertips to make a somewhat larger circular (especially if the wrappers shrink a little).
• Form a ball out of a tablespoon of the fish filling, roughly 12 inches in diameter. Put it in the center of the wrapper.
• Apply water to one side of the wrapper’s edge. Fold the second half of the wrapper over the filling and push down to seal the wet edge. Form a seal around the edge with your fingers, then crimp the edges with a fork.

Frying Process

• Heat enough oil to deep fry (about 3 – 4 inches) or shallow fry (approximately 12 – 2 inches) the fish patties.
• Fry the patties in batches once the oil has reached 350°F / 180°C, being careful not to overcrowd the pan.
• Cook the patties for approximately 2 minutes, or until golden brown in the middle and slightly darker around the edges (about 1 minute per side if shallow frying). If you’re frying the patties from frozen, deep-fried them for 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden brown in the middle and slightly darker around the outside.
• To drain the excess oil, place the cooked patties on paper towels.
• Serve with tomato ketchup, chili sauce, or any other dipping of your preference, when still warm or at room temperature, and Enjoy!

There will be no lack of street sellers, modest cafés, bakeries, and mom and pop shops selling these fish patties and other short snacks by the fistful everywhere you go in Sri Lanka because it is, after all, a tiny island with a lot of depth in every aspect.