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Sri Lankan

Kiri hodi

Vegetarian

කිරි හොදි · kiri hodi

A thin, mild and fragrant coconut-milk gravy with onion, green chilli, curry leaves and fenugreek, finished with lime — poured over string hoppers or hoppers at breakfast.

Kiri hodi is a Sri Lankan curry, ready in about 25 minutes and made with coconut milk and curry leaves. It serves 4 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep
10 min
Cook
15 min
Total
25 min
Serves
4
Level
Beginner
Calories
214

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Put the water, onion (opens in a new tab), green chillies, garlic (opens in a new tab), curry leaves (opens in a new tab), pandan (opens in a new tab), fenugreek (opens in a new tab), turmeric (opens in a new tab), cinnamon (opens in a new tab) and salt in a saucepan (opens in a new tab) and simmer until the onion is soft.

    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Pour in the coconut milk (opens in a new tab) and heat gently, stirring, until just below a simmer.

    • 5 min
    • low heat

    Stir constantly and don't let it boil hard, or the coconut milk will split.

  3. Step 3

    Lift the pan off the burner, then stir in the lime juice (opens in a new tab); taste for salt.

    • 1 min

About this dish

Origin
Sri Lanka · Commonly attributedMore food from Sri Lanka
Dish
Breakfast · Dinner · Curries · Sauces
Cooking method
Simmered
Taste
creamy, mild, aromatic / warmly spiced, citrusy
Diet
Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Everyday · Budget-friendly
Cook more with
Coconut milk · Curry leaves · Onion · Green chilli · Garlic · Fenugreek
Techniques
Simmering

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

214 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 189 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 5%
  • Carbohydrate 14%
  • Fat 82%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy214 kcal113 kcal
Protein2.7 g1.4 g
Carbohydrate7.9 g4.2 g
Net carbohydrate——
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre——
Fat21 g11.1 g
Saturated fat18.6 g9.8 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium599 mg317 mg
Salt equivalent1.5 g0.8 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
299 mg
Calcium
43 mg
Iron
3.8 mg
Magnesium
53 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
3 µg
Vitamin C
16 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
21 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: pandan leaves.
  • Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): curry leaves.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Use thick coconut milk; for a lighter hodi, use thin (second-press) milk and add the thick milk last.

Common mistakes

  • Adding lime while the hodi is boiling — it can curdle the coconut milk.

Serve with

  • Pour over string hoppers with pol sambol, or serve with egg hoppers.

Storage

  • Refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Reheating

  • Warm gently without boiling.

Variations

  • Kiri hodi with egg: Halved hard-boiled eggs are simmered in the gravy.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Goes with

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

The spice and seasoning backbone

Spices, masalas & pastes

Used in step 1

Make it milder, swap ingredients for your diet, change the batch size or thickness — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

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