Lamprais

Rinse the samba rice until the water runs clear and soak for 20 minutes. In a saucepan, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil, add half of the chopped onion, 2 garlic cloves, ginger, curry leaves, a pandan leaf, a cinnamon stick, cardamom and cloves; warm through for 2 minutes. Add the rice, meat stock and salt to taste, bring to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat for 15–18 minutes; leave covered for a further 10 minutes.

For the curry, sauté the remaining onion and a garlic clove in 1 tbsp oil for 3 minutes. Add the chicken thigh, roasted Sri Lankan curry powder, chili powder, turmeric, black pepper and salt to taste; stir for 3 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk and water, cover and simmer for 30–35 minutes, until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened.

For the meatballs, combine the ground beef, half of the finely chopped onion, breadcrumbs, egg, ground cinnamon, black pepper and salt to taste. Shape into 8 small balls and fry in 1 tbsp oil for 3–4 minutes per side until cooked through.

For the eggplant moju, cut the eggplant into cubes, fry in 2 tbsp oil until golden brown and set aside on a plate. In the same pan, toast the mustard seeds, add the sliced onion, fresh chili pepper, vinegar, sugar and salt to taste; cook for 3 minutes, then return the eggplant and toss to combine.

For the seeni sambol, fry the thinly sliced onion in 1 tbsp oil over low heat for 15–20 minutes until deep golden brown. Add sugar, tamarind paste, chili powder and salt to taste, and warm through for another 2 minutes.

Rinse the banana leaves, pat dry and hold briefly over an open flame or hot burner for a few seconds on each side to make them pliable. On each leaf, place a quarter of the rice, a portion of the chicken curry, 2 meatballs, some eggplant moju and seeni sambol.

Fold the leaves into tight parcels, tucking in the edges, place seam-side down on a baking sheet and bake at 180°C for 30–40 minutes. Let the parcels rest for 10 minutes and serve hot, unwrapping just before eating.