• About Tooting Mama
    • About Tooting Mama
    • PR & Disclosure statement
    • Privacy policy and terms & conditions
  • Food Photography
  • Sri Lankan recipes
    • Recipes
  • Contact me
Logo
  • Home
    • Sidebar Version
      • Classic Layout
      • Grid Layout
      • List Layout
      • 1th Classic than Grid
      • 1th Classic than List
    • Fullwidth Version
      • Classic Layout
      • Grid Layout
      • Masonry Layout
      • List Layout
      • 1th Classic than Grid
      • 1th Classic than List
  • Features
    • Categories
      • Vegetarian
      • Food & Health
      • Delicious
      • Sugar-Free
      • Travel
    • Post Formats
    • Post Styles
      • Style 1
      • Style 2
      • Style 3
      • Style 4
      • Style 5
    • Widgets
    • Typography
    • Sidebars
      • Full Width
  • About Me
  • Contacts
Logo
Logo
Recipes

How to make Sri Lankan love cake

Tooting Mama
No Comments
February 14, 2019
3 Mins read
1,075 Views
Sri Lankan Recipes-1_rt
Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

Making my mother Sri Lankan Love cake has become a tradition.

I like to make it about this time of year, you know, love and Valentines and all that.

The recipe I bake yields a hefty portion. 

The Love cake is dense, it’s not designed to be wolfed down in a single session. It’s a cake to savour and relishes to cherish while sipping a cup of Sri Lankan tea.

The origins of Sri Lankan Love Cake

I have made so many Love cakes, yet it’s only now that I have started to dig deeper into the provenance of Love Cake.  

When you bite into a Sri Lankan Love cake, eat through centuries of culture, history and personal stories of migration. 

We Sri Lankans love our cakes. Sri Lankan cuisine has a repertoire of cake recipes: simple butter cake, love cake, bibikkan, breudher, coco de bolo, bolo folhado, ribbon cake and, of course, Sri Lankan Christmas cake. 

These are the most well-known, delve into the pages of Hilda Deutrom’s Ceylon Daily News Cookery Book, and you’ll discover more.

Love cake is beloved by Sri Lankans. 

Every family has their personal recipe. It’s the recipe that gets handed down through the generations from grandmothers, mothers, daughters, aunts, and cousins. 

My Love cake recipe is a version of my mother’s. 

No one really knows the true heritage of Love cake. Some claim its origins are Dutch, while others claim it’s Portuguese. Love cake’s identity is rooted in the Sri Lankan Burgher community, descendants of Portuguese and Dutch rule.

If you take a closer look at the Love cake recipe you realise the ingredients give us a clue as to how Love cake came about – colonial Ceylon and the heady spice notes from cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg nod to the global movement of people and cultures.  

I tend to make this cake around Valentine’s day. Love cake is considered to be a celebration cake for birthdays and Christmas, cut into squares (or rectangles) and packaged into wrapping paper. 

Love cake has a very distinct texture. Bite through the cake’s thin crispy crust into the soft, moist, crumbly cake flavoured with citrus, rosewater and spices. 

The only way to experience Love cake is to make it.  Or find someone who will make it for you.

Sri Lankan love cake is seriously rich and seriously sweet. With seven eggs, half a kilo of sugar and jam-packed with cashew nuts, it is irresistible.

You can guarantee every family has their own recipe and you can bet everyone’s mother has the best recipe for love cake.

There are many recipes for love cake with many variations of ingredients from pumpkin preserve to strawberry jam. The main ingredients for love cake are cashew nuts, eggs, sugar and semolina. 

Sri Lankan love cake is easy to make

Love cake is easy to make. Essentially it’s a very dense traybake. Most recipes will ask you to separate the eggs. Add the egg yolks to the sugar and mix. Beat the egg whites to glossy peaks and mixed in at the end.

You can’t hurry love cake

I have found that cooking times do vary. Love cake can take from an hour to an hour and a half to bake. Love cake needs patience, you can’t hurry a love cake.

I place the cake on the middle shelf of the oven. You can cover the cake with foil to prevent the surface of the cake from over-baking. Remove the foil for the last twenty minutes of baking.

When your skewer comes out of your Love Cake clean, it’s done. Take it out of the oven, set it aside and let it cool.

ore says this cake was baked to win the hearts of your lover. And just like falling in love, this cake is deliciously intense.

Research credit: “Love Cake: Authenticity and the boundaries of ‘Eurasian’ in the hybrid kitchen by Michelle Barrett.

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
2022_02_Love_Cake_Reedit_2

How to make Sri Lankan love cake

  • Author: Tooting Mama
  • Prep Time: 40 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
  • Yield: 20 portions 1x
  • Category: Tea Time Treat
  • Cuisine: Sri Lankan
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Ingredients

Scale
  • 7 egg yolks
  • 500g g soft brown sugar
  • 400 g raw cashew nuts
  • 250g semolina
  • 2 tbsp rosewater
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • Zest of a lemon (grated)
  • Zest of an orange (grated)
  • A nugget of preserved stem ginger, finely chopped
  • 4 cardamom pods (crush and seeds extracted)
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg (finely grated )
  • 7 egg whites
  • butter (small knob for greasing the baking tin)
  • Icing sugar for dusting

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 150 degrees.
  2. Take a 25 x 30cm cake tin, grease with butter, then double line with non-stick baking parchment allowing enough parchment to overhang over the edge of the baking tin.
  3. In a large mixing bowl beat the egg yolks and the sugar together until you have a deliciously creamy butterscotch looking concoction.
  4. In a food processor, pulverise the cashew nuts until they are crushed into small pieces.
  5. Take the nuts and the semolina, rose water, honey, lemon and orange zest, ginger and spices and stir into the egg and sugar mix. Mix well to make sure the ingredients are fully incorporated. It will be stiff almost the texture of biscuit dough. That’s fine, it will loosen up once you add the beaten egg whites.
  6. Take a second large mixing bowl and pour in your egg whites, using a stand mixer or handheld mixer,  and whip them until you have glossy stiff white peaks.
  7. Fold the egg whites into the cake mix before pouring gently into the double-lined cake tin.
  8. Place the cake tin onto the middle shelf of your pre-heated oven, and cook for around an hour to an hour and thirty minutes. Or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. The cake will be done when it is firm, yet springy to touch, and no wobble from any uncooked cake mix.
  9. Take the cake out of the oven and leave it to cool before cutting it into little square portions in the tin. Dust with a little icing sugar. Using the baking parchment gently lift the cake out of the tin before serving.
  10. Delicious when served with afternoon tea.

Notes

  • When done the cake will be firm to the touch, but with a light spring.
  • if you find that your cake is browning on top and not cooking all the way through try placing aluminium foil over the top. I cover my cake with foil for the first 45 minutes, then bake uncovered for the remaining 45 minutes.
  • I have adapted this recipe from the original which can be found in The Complete Asian Cookbook by Charmaine Solomon.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @tootingmama on Instagram

cake Sri Lankan cooking sri lankan recipes tea time treat
Shares
Write Comment
Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

Previous Post

Baby aubergine curry, rich, spicy and needless to say simply delicous​​​

Next Post

One pot, easy lamb biryani recipe, time to ditch the takeaways

About Me

Ranji Thangiah

Food writer, recipe creator and photographer

I'm Ranji! I am a food photographer, recipe creator, lover of Sri Lankan food which I want to share with you.

Social Icons
InstagramTwitter
Most Popular

How to make an authentic South Indian dhal, my ultimate comfort food

dhal_aubergine_1

A spiced leek recipe that’s deliciously fragrant and delightful

A quick and easy spiced leek recipe perfect for a mid-week supper

Quick and easy leftover chicken recipe – chicken biryani

easy chicken biryani recipe
Instagram
I’ve written about Shonda Rhimes and her book ‘A Year of Yes’. ⁣
I read the book ago and it’s message still resonates with me. 
 
Shonda was known for saying no to things. Her family and friends stopped inviting her to do things because they knew she wouldn’t go.
 
This was a wake-up call - what had she missed? When she dug deep, she realised it was more about confronting her fears. 
Shonda vowed to say yes to things that scared her. And say yes to more of the right things.
 
The result was life-changing.
 
When an opportunity came my way, I pushed past the self-doubt, fear and imposter syndrome and grabbed the opportunity with a big fat YES!
 
I’ve collaborated with Hi!! Magazine (@hi_online_lk). It's Sri Lanka's glossy luxury lifestyle magazine for the island community and the diaspora. It celebrates Sri Lankan culture, fashion, travel and food. It's an honour to be in their pages! 
 
Over the summer I headed into the kitchen where I was in full recipe creation mode: researching and developing new recipes, cooking, testing, re-testing, writing and photographing these delicious dishes.
 
Some dishes are more traditional with a twist on an authentic recipe - think slow-cooked jaggery beef rib. Others are more traditional. My jackfruit biryani is a vegan crowd-pleaser. It's a great recipe for a gathering of friends that will please those that eat meat and those that don't. And some, are more fusion-style recipes such as jaggery meringues.

I hope you are excited and I have whetted your appetite.

Join my mailing list and the recipes drop into your inbox. DM me or drop a comment - I'll send you the link. 

#srilankanrecipes #londonfoodphotographer #recipedeveloper #foodcontentcreator #londonfoodstylist
Supper clubs are a thing, a scene, a food movement Supper clubs are a thing, a scene, a food movement. Supper clubs are where you find great people cooking great food.

I got to know Sohini, host of the @smokeandlime supper clubs.
 
We initially met for dinner at a small Peruvian restaurant in the Elephant & Castle, in a nondescript building, where the Formica tables wore paper tablecloths, a giant TV blasted South American football and they served the best ceviche you’ll find South of the Thames.
 
At the end of May, I ventured down Walworth Road to experience one of Sohini’s supper clubs.
 
Smoke and Lime is cosy. Eight of us gathered around Sohini’s dining table where we were treated to a feast of home-cooked Bengali cuisine.
 
Sohini’s has pioneered a no-waste kitchen. She uses every scrap of every ingredient in her cooking. Cauliflower leaves are transformed into cauliflower pate. She’s a genius at turning local ingredients into delicacies - you have to try her rhubarb pickle.
 
The two stand-out dishes were the whole deep-fried sea bass and dhal with shaved fennel.
 
The star of the evening was the puchkas. Flavour bombs, mouthfuls of intense joy. I first tasted these in Darjeeling Express, small round pastry shells filled with spiced chickpeas and potatoes, dipped into a tamarind chaat sauce. Hot, sour, sweet flavours burst in your mouth as you gobble your puchka whole.

Now I have experienced the Smoke and Lime supper club, I’m ready to try more.

What are your favourite supper clubs?

#londonfoodphotographer #supperclublondon #srilankanfoodphotographer #londonfoodwriter #foodwriter #londonfoodie #foodstories
The Alphonso mango season is nearing its end. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I got so excited about Alphonso mango season, that I ran out and bought myself a box of 12 mangoes. Way too much  to eat in one sitting. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This year I have been busy making fresh mango lassis, which my husband and children slurped to the bottom of the glass.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The no-bake mango and white chocolate cheesecake was a big hit with friends and family. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
And finally with the last of the mangoes I made this Alphonso mango sorbet. The it's the perfect summer dessert.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This super easy to make sorbet is a recipe doesn't require an ice cream. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This is one of the best way to get your mangoes to last the season and beyond. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Even though the heat has cooled off this refreshing sorbet is the perfect summer treat. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The recipe is in my bio - hop to it and treat yourself with this mango sorbet! 🥭⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#mangosorbet #mangoseason #summerdesserts #londonfoodphotographer #srilankanfoodphotographer #recipecreator
It was about a year ago I made my way to meet Glen It was about a year ago I made my way to meet Glen and take photographs of this soon-to-be new pub/restaurant on the North London scene.

Glen and his business partner Prince had just taken up residence in this pub a ten-minute walk from Highbury & Islington tube, a stone's throw from the Caledonian Road overground. 

I kind of knew the area. Back in the late 90s, this is where I hung when Upper Street was a thing, the epitome of cool, and Brit-pop rode the waves. 

The freshly painted pub with its elegant minimal decor was being prepped to throw open its doors to the public.

This was the @tamilperince 

But a year ago, nobody knew how this pub would fare. 

Dishes were being fine-tuned, the staff were given their pep talk, and excitement, apprehension and trepidation were palpable. 

The Tamil Prince serves good, solid South Indian fare. Prince, the talented chef is from Tamil Nadu. No one does a roti throw-down quite like Prince. Put this into a London pub and you're on to a winner.

Out of the tiny kitchen comes a small menu of hefty portions. 

Giant prawns asking to be peeled, teeth sunk into juicy flesh and consumed with satisfaction. Pulled beef pressed down onto a crispy dosa is begging you to pull it apart with your fingers and share it with friends. 

The menu, a year on, is tried and tested and continues to delight those making their way to N1 to chomp on lollipop chicken and scoop up their dal makhani with the crispiest, flakiest of rotis. 

The Tamil Prince opened to roaring success, critics piled in tried the food and left with their full bellies returning home to tap out glowing reviews.

The Tamil Prince is about, bundling up to N1 for a curry in a London boozer with your mates. You can't get more London than that. 

Congratulations on your first year and it was a privilege to see this all happen! #londonfoodphotographer #restaurantphotographer #commericalphotography #londonfoodie
Over the last year, I have been testing this no-ba Over the last year, I have been testing this no-bake mango cheesecake. After many tries, I have a recipe that’s easy to make and works. And to top that, it’s a show-stopper cheesecake.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This recipe contains white chocolate and double cream, therefore you can call it as a white chocolate mango dessert, a treat, a decadent treat! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This no-bake cheesecake takes a little organisation, but there’s no gelatin and no baking. What’s not to love! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It’s a case of pouring the contents from pots into a bowl and mixing, popping in the fridge to set and there you have it a deliciously easy, creamy cheesecake.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
A decidedly wicked cheesecake that’s ready to eat.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I have used Sri Lankan-inspired flavours to create this no-bake mango cheesecake recipe. The mango and lime are a winning combination and so very Sri Lankan. The lime cuts through the almost too-sweet Alphonso mango.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
And cardamom, a feature of so many Sri Lankan recipes, is made for white chocolate. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The flavours are simply special and together, I hope, will be one of the best mango cheesecake recipes you can find!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Enjoy! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Jump to my bio to grab the recipe! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#mangocheesecake #whitechocolatecheesecake #cheesecakerecipe #nobakecake #londonfoodphotographer #londonfoodstylist #foodphotographerandstyling #nobakecheesecake #recipecreator #srilankancuisine #srilankanfoodblogger #srilankanfoodphotographer
What’s the difference between taste and flavour? What’s the difference between taste and flavour? Is there a difference? Or is it just one and the same? This was the topic of this week's newsletter.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
They are different. And come together when we eat. It’s the two senses of smell and taste that give us that pleasure when we eat a divine meal with the memories that linger thereafter. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Last week, last Tuesday, I tuned into a talk hosted by the @booklarder. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
@cynthia.uma interviewed @nikisegnit author of the Flavour Thesaurus. I bought a copy of the first volume of the Flavour Thesaurus when I started writing about food and creating recipes.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It’s a book that yields so many flavour combinations, many of you may not have thought about. The book is part history of food, gastronomy, stories, science and recipes - if you are a food geek like me, it’s invaluable.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The first volume was published in 2010, it covered 99 flavours and 481 combined flavour pairings. The second volume of the Flavour Thesaurus has been published it covers 92 mostly plant-based flavours, from Kale to Cashew, Pomegranate to Pistachio.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I’ve been playing with Sri Lankan flavours and one I’ve become hooked on is curry leaf cooked in butter with a touch of chilli. It’s a winning combination.  I’ve been trying to recreate a chicken liver dish, which involves marinating the chicken livers in curry leaf butter, chilli and yoghurt - the taste and flavour are out of this world. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
At the moment, the recipe isn’t working.  My poor husband has had to eat my mistakes (four times and counting). I’m tweaking the recipe, I’m determined to make it work. And when it does, it’s dropping to my newsletter community first. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
To join my newsletter community go to my bio & sign up. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#londonfoodphotographer #recipecreator #foodwriter  #srilankanfoodphotographer #srilankancuisine
Follow
I’ve written about Shonda Rhimes and her book ‘A Year of Yes’. ⁣
I read the book ago and it’s message still resonates with me. 
 
Shonda was known for saying no to things. Her family and friends stopped inviting her to do things because they knew she wouldn’t go.
 
This was a wake-up call - what had she missed? When she dug deep, she realised it was more about confronting her fears. 
Shonda vowed to say yes to things that scared her. And say yes to more of the right things.
 
The result was life-changing.
 
When an opportunity came my way, I pushed past the self-doubt, fear and imposter syndrome and grabbed the opportunity with a big fat YES!
 
I’ve collaborated with Hi!! Magazine (@hi_online_lk). It's Sri Lanka's glossy luxury lifestyle magazine for the island community and the diaspora. It celebrates Sri Lankan culture, fashion, travel and food. It's an honour to be in their pages! 
 
Over the summer I headed into the kitchen where I was in full recipe creation mode: researching and developing new recipes, cooking, testing, re-testing, writing and photographing these delicious dishes.
 
Some dishes are more traditional with a twist on an authentic recipe - think slow-cooked jaggery beef rib. Others are more traditional. My jackfruit biryani is a vegan crowd-pleaser. It's a great recipe for a gathering of friends that will please those that eat meat and those that don't. And some, are more fusion-style recipes such as jaggery meringues.

I hope you are excited and I have whetted your appetite.

Join my mailing list and the recipes drop into your inbox. DM me or drop a comment - I'll send you the link. 

#srilankanrecipes #londonfoodphotographer #recipedeveloper #foodcontentcreator #londonfoodstylist
Supper clubs are a thing, a scene, a food movement Supper clubs are a thing, a scene, a food movement. Supper clubs are where you find great people cooking great food.

I got to know Sohini, host of the @smokeandlime supper clubs.
 
We initially met for dinner at a small Peruvian restaurant in the Elephant & Castle, in a nondescript building, where the Formica tables wore paper tablecloths, a giant TV blasted South American football and they served the best ceviche you’ll find South of the Thames.
 
At the end of May, I ventured down Walworth Road to experience one of Sohini’s supper clubs.
 
Smoke and Lime is cosy. Eight of us gathered around Sohini’s dining table where we were treated to a feast of home-cooked Bengali cuisine.
 
Sohini’s has pioneered a no-waste kitchen. She uses every scrap of every ingredient in her cooking. Cauliflower leaves are transformed into cauliflower pate. She’s a genius at turning local ingredients into delicacies - you have to try her rhubarb pickle.
 
The two stand-out dishes were the whole deep-fried sea bass and dhal with shaved fennel.
 
The star of the evening was the puchkas. Flavour bombs, mouthfuls of intense joy. I first tasted these in Darjeeling Express, small round pastry shells filled with spiced chickpeas and potatoes, dipped into a tamarind chaat sauce. Hot, sour, sweet flavours burst in your mouth as you gobble your puchka whole.

Now I have experienced the Smoke and Lime supper club, I’m ready to try more.

What are your favourite supper clubs?

#londonfoodphotographer #supperclublondon #srilankanfoodphotographer #londonfoodwriter #foodwriter #londonfoodie #foodstories
The Alphonso mango season is nearing its end. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I got so excited about Alphonso mango season, that I ran out and bought myself a box of 12 mangoes. Way too much  to eat in one sitting. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This year I have been busy making fresh mango lassis, which my husband and children slurped to the bottom of the glass.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The no-bake mango and white chocolate cheesecake was a big hit with friends and family. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
And finally with the last of the mangoes I made this Alphonso mango sorbet. The it's the perfect summer dessert.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This super easy to make sorbet is a recipe doesn't require an ice cream. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This is one of the best way to get your mangoes to last the season and beyond. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Even though the heat has cooled off this refreshing sorbet is the perfect summer treat. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The recipe is in my bio - hop to it and treat yourself with this mango sorbet! 🥭⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#mangosorbet #mangoseason #summerdesserts #londonfoodphotographer #srilankanfoodphotographer #recipecreator
It was about a year ago I made my way to meet Glen It was about a year ago I made my way to meet Glen and take photographs of this soon-to-be new pub/restaurant on the North London scene.

Glen and his business partner Prince had just taken up residence in this pub a ten-minute walk from Highbury & Islington tube, a stone's throw from the Caledonian Road overground. 

I kind of knew the area. Back in the late 90s, this is where I hung when Upper Street was a thing, the epitome of cool, and Brit-pop rode the waves. 

The freshly painted pub with its elegant minimal decor was being prepped to throw open its doors to the public.

This was the @tamilperince 

But a year ago, nobody knew how this pub would fare. 

Dishes were being fine-tuned, the staff were given their pep talk, and excitement, apprehension and trepidation were palpable. 

The Tamil Prince serves good, solid South Indian fare. Prince, the talented chef is from Tamil Nadu. No one does a roti throw-down quite like Prince. Put this into a London pub and you're on to a winner.

Out of the tiny kitchen comes a small menu of hefty portions. 

Giant prawns asking to be peeled, teeth sunk into juicy flesh and consumed with satisfaction. Pulled beef pressed down onto a crispy dosa is begging you to pull it apart with your fingers and share it with friends. 

The menu, a year on, is tried and tested and continues to delight those making their way to N1 to chomp on lollipop chicken and scoop up their dal makhani with the crispiest, flakiest of rotis. 

The Tamil Prince opened to roaring success, critics piled in tried the food and left with their full bellies returning home to tap out glowing reviews.

The Tamil Prince is about, bundling up to N1 for a curry in a London boozer with your mates. You can't get more London than that. 

Congratulations on your first year and it was a privilege to see this all happen! #londonfoodphotographer #restaurantphotographer #commericalphotography #londonfoodie
Over the last year, I have been testing this no-ba Over the last year, I have been testing this no-bake mango cheesecake. After many tries, I have a recipe that’s easy to make and works. And to top that, it’s a show-stopper cheesecake.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This recipe contains white chocolate and double cream, therefore you can call it as a white chocolate mango dessert, a treat, a decadent treat! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This no-bake cheesecake takes a little organisation, but there’s no gelatin and no baking. What’s not to love! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It’s a case of pouring the contents from pots into a bowl and mixing, popping in the fridge to set and there you have it a deliciously easy, creamy cheesecake.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
A decidedly wicked cheesecake that’s ready to eat.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I have used Sri Lankan-inspired flavours to create this no-bake mango cheesecake recipe. The mango and lime are a winning combination and so very Sri Lankan. The lime cuts through the almost too-sweet Alphonso mango.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
And cardamom, a feature of so many Sri Lankan recipes, is made for white chocolate. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The flavours are simply special and together, I hope, will be one of the best mango cheesecake recipes you can find!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Enjoy! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Jump to my bio to grab the recipe! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#mangocheesecake #whitechocolatecheesecake #cheesecakerecipe #nobakecake #londonfoodphotographer #londonfoodstylist #foodphotographerandstyling #nobakecheesecake #recipecreator #srilankancuisine #srilankanfoodblogger #srilankanfoodphotographer
What’s the difference between taste and flavour? What’s the difference between taste and flavour? Is there a difference? Or is it just one and the same? This was the topic of this week's newsletter.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
They are different. And come together when we eat. It’s the two senses of smell and taste that give us that pleasure when we eat a divine meal with the memories that linger thereafter. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Last week, last Tuesday, I tuned into a talk hosted by the @booklarder. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
@cynthia.uma interviewed @nikisegnit author of the Flavour Thesaurus. I bought a copy of the first volume of the Flavour Thesaurus when I started writing about food and creating recipes.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It’s a book that yields so many flavour combinations, many of you may not have thought about. The book is part history of food, gastronomy, stories, science and recipes - if you are a food geek like me, it’s invaluable.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The first volume was published in 2010, it covered 99 flavours and 481 combined flavour pairings. The second volume of the Flavour Thesaurus has been published it covers 92 mostly plant-based flavours, from Kale to Cashew, Pomegranate to Pistachio.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I’ve been playing with Sri Lankan flavours and one I’ve become hooked on is curry leaf cooked in butter with a touch of chilli. It’s a winning combination.  I’ve been trying to recreate a chicken liver dish, which involves marinating the chicken livers in curry leaf butter, chilli and yoghurt - the taste and flavour are out of this world. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
At the moment, the recipe isn’t working.  My poor husband has had to eat my mistakes (four times and counting). I’m tweaking the recipe, I’m determined to make it work. And when it does, it’s dropping to my newsletter community first. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
To join my newsletter community go to my bio & sign up. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#londonfoodphotographer #recipecreator #foodwriter  #srilankanfoodphotographer #srilankancuisine
Follow on Instagram
Lifestyle Blog & Magazine WordPress Theme
Logo
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Contacts
Logo
  • Home
  • About Tooting Mama
  • Contact me
About Me

Ranji Thangiah

Food writer, recipe creator and photographer

I'm Ranji! I am a food photographer, recipe creator, lover of Sri Lankan food which I want to share with you.

Most Popular

How to make an authentic South Indian dhal, my ultimate comfort food

dhal_aubergine_1

A spiced leek recipe that’s deliciously fragrant and delightful

A quick and easy spiced leek recipe perfect for a mid-week supper

Quick and easy leftover chicken recipe – chicken biryani

easy chicken biryani recipe
Our site uses cookies. Learn more about our use of cookies: cookie policy
I accept use of cookies