If you are Sri Lankan, you must be familiar with this elixir of a herbal congee or gruel that we all grew up drinking in the morning. Whether it was before heading off to school, a long day at work, or as a shot of energy at your sports and games, Kola Kanda has always been on the menu. If you are a tourist in Sri Lanka, we suggest you taste this healthy porridge full of nutrients, when you get the chance. It’s served everywhere from households, to small cafes to hotels!
What is Kola Kanda:
Kola Kanda is a traditional herbal congee or gruel made from raw rice, coconut milk and the fresh juice of medicinally valued leafy greens. It is as healthy, nutritional and as delicious as green juice could get. It is usually served at breakfast, steaming hot, with a piece of jaggery (palm sugar) to counter the bitterness of the herbal leaves.
History of Kola Kanda:
According to ancient texts, the habit of consuming Kola kanda originated with the Buddhist culture. It is eaten by Buddhist monks in the morning, as a means of sustenance. As part of the Buddhist monastic code, monks are only permitted two meals a day (breakfast and lunch). So, following a period of having had no solid food since lunch the previous day, Kola kanda would provide the monks with the necessary restoration and rejuvenation to commence their daily activities.
Traditionally Used Ingredients in Kola Kanda:
The flavors of Kola Kanda varies largely on the person preparing it. It is traditionally a recipe passed down through the generations, and everyone fondly recollects and recreates their favorite recipe. However, these are the ingredients that go into a standard Kola Kanda. These are all staples at a Sri Lankan household, making this green porridge an easy and simple breakfast to whip up in the morning.
Red rice – one fistful per person
Roughly chopped Gotukola – one fistful
Grated coconut – one fistful
Water
One or two pieces of finely chopped ginger
Six finely chopped cloves of garlic
Salt for taste
Other greens you could substitute for Gotukola or add to it are Karapincha (curry leaves), Welpenela, Iramusu, Hatawariya, Polpala and Ranawara. Take it with a piece of jaggery, or mix some sugar into it, if you prefer it to be a little sweet.
How to Prepare Kola Kanda:
The red rice is ground on a grindstone until broken into smaller pieces, and the selected herb is also ground until the juice is extracted. Approximately three cups of water are added to the broken rice grains and boiled, before adding the coconut milk. Put your ginger and garlic. The mixture is stirred until the rice becomes soft. The herbal extract is added last with salt and removed from the heat to avoid destroying the nutrients from the herbs. Enjoy with a piece of jaggery or mix sugar into the porridge, if you prefer it sweet.
Nutritional Benefits:
There are many nutritional and curative properties to Kola Kanda, ones which are even enhanced by the specific greens you choose to add into yours. Its main purpose is to cool, cleanse and detoxify your body, while giving you a good doze of energy to get your day started. The other general benefits include, preventing constipation, improving the immune system, reducing cholesterol levels, reducing high blood pressure, preventing cancer and heart diseases, and fighting fatigue.
Photos sourced from Dennis Sylvester Hurd
